TOPIC:

Gavin, my remark was a bit tongue-in-cheek. Many medal men take great effort to place the medals into context and produce a riveting story that makes an otherwise forgotten recipient come alive. I personally prefer the little notes scribbled in the field over the post war awards. Luckily we don't all have the same desires otherwise we all would be chasing the same woman.

CORPORAL W.E. PALMER: LOCH'S HORSE


QSA to Palmer as posted on the London Medals website. A fairly long write up thereon if you wish to find out more about this colourful character!

I recognised the name and following a search through my archive of ancient sales catalogues soon found what I was looking for from the "Military and Campaign Medals From the Collection of The Late Charles Lovell, M.B.E." (Second (final) part). The sale was held at Sotheby's over 15th/16th November 1978.


Sotheby's catalogue for day two.


Lot 770 offering no less than four QSAs to men of Loch's Horse. With the exception of Corporal W.E. Palmer at the end of the listing, the other three recipients also had other medals in their descriptions. Palmer's medal bears the clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg and Diamond Hill.


Above we have the price realised for lot 770 to the left in blue print and the auctioneer's estimate in black print to the right.
£160 plus fees for the lot of four way back in November 1978 is certainly a universe away from the amount being asked today for Palmer's single QSA!

Steve,

Thank you for posting this item and its past history.

Certainly remarkable for its asking price.

Best wishes
David

192 TROOPER REGINALD BRISTOWE COTTRELL

Reginald Bristowe Cottrell was born on 1st November 1872 at Brixton, Surrey, England. His father James Maskall Cottrell was a Draughtsman, his mother was Eliza.
His baptism took place at St. John the Baptist, Brixton on 12th December 1872.
The national census of 1881 finds a fairly large household residing at 340 Brixton Road, Lambeth, London, with parents James and Eliza and their children Rosa M (22), Augusta M (19), Georgina M (11), and Reginald B (8).
Servants Fanny Coleman (36 year old Cook) and Margaret McDonnell (28 year old Housemaid) were employed to cater for the family's every day needs.

Recruitment for Loch's Horse was carried out in London. Applicants were required to have had previous military service or a working knowledge of South Africa. And , of course, needed to be able to ride and shoot!
At the present time, I find no evidence of any previous military experience for Reginald.
However, he was welcomed into the ranks as Trooper 192. His attestation document declares that he was 27 years old, a Manufacturer by profession and his next of kin was his father James Maskall Cottrell of "Fairholme," Cambridge Park, Twickenham, London.
He was allocated to 'A' Squadron of Loch's Horse, and appears to have served in South Africa and returned safely home at the disbandment of the unit without injury or becoming a POW.
Unfortunately, I cannot add any more to his personal military movements with the regiment at the time of writing.




Queen's South Africa medal awarded to 192 Trooper R B Cottrell bearing clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Johannesburg. (WO100/258 confirms entitlement).

Impressed naming to the rim.


Impressed regimental naming to the rim.

Shortly after his return from the South African War, his status as a bachelor was to change with a suitable marriage as reported in the newspaper clipping below:

From "The Bath Chronicle", dated Thursday, August 27th, 1903;

"COTTRELL FLOWER MARRIAGE 22ND AUGUST 1903.
AT St. Stephen's Church, East Twickenham, on Saturday afternoon, the quiet wedding took place of Mr. Reginald Bristowe Cottrell, younger son of the late James Maskall Cottrell, of Cambridge Park, Wanstead, NE, and Miss Frances Anna Flower, youngest daughter of the late Major Lamorock Flower, of Cornwall Mansions, Queen's Gate, SW. Mrs. Elizabeth Mary Ormsby (cousin of the bride) was the only bridesmaid, in a gown of white satin, ornamented with chiffon, and wore a poke bonnet of the early Victorian age. The bridegroom's present to her was a gold chain with an oval gold locket, studded with pearls and turquoises, and nosegay of white flowers intermixed with foliage and tied with satin streamers. Master Aubrey Marshall Permitted (nephew of the bridegroom) acted as a page, in a white sailor's suit, the bride presenting him with a good-heart scarf-pin, as a memento of the happy event. Miss Flower was much admired in a robe of rich white duchess satin, handsomely draped and trimmed with chiffon, and valuable old Limerick lace (which was worn by her mother at her own wedding). Her fine tulle veil covered sprays of orange blossoms, and her bridal bouquet was composed of tare exoticd with foliage, tied with white satin streamers."

The union was blessed with two sons namely Eardley Maskall Cottrell (1906-1930) and Hugh Lamorock Cottrell (1907-1994).
Reginald was an accountant according to the 1911 Census and still living as family foursome At 20 Ranelagh Avenue, Barnes, Surrey. As the children were still only aged 5 & 3, the family employed the services of a nurse, 28 year old Alice Burton.

The family later moved to 24 Lunham Road, Upper Norwood, SE19, London.
This is the address noted onto his Medal Index Card for World War One. No doubt his accountancy skills proved his suitability for his commission as Lieutenant and then Captain with the Royal Army Pay Department.
He entered France on 3rd December 1915 and appears to have come through that awful war in one piece.
His MIC tells us that he made an application for his medal entitlement some years after the cessation of hostilities and the final allied victory on 5th October 1922.
He was entitled to a full trio of medals: Star, War & Victory.
Unfortunately, the Great War trio did not come with the QSA. Maybe they are out there somewhere?

Reginald Bristowe Cottrell led a very full life and lived to the ripe old age of 84, passing away in the first quarter of 1957 after having fought in two major conflicts, experienced the hardships of the second world war and the world's entry into the age of nuclear weapons and the Cold War.
A far cry from the 'Gentleman's War' fought across the endless veldt of South Africa.

MORE ABOUT 192 TROOPER REGINALD BRISTOWE COTTRELL OF "B" SQUADRON.

I am very pleased to announce a reunification of the Queen's South Africa medal to Trooper Cottrell with his grandson David Cottrell.

David has kindly forwarded to me more biographical history regarding his grandfather along with a number of photographic images for which he has given his kind permission to add to the forum.





Images 1 & 2---This is the sterling silver christening bowl presented to Reginald on the occasion of his christening, engraved as follows:
"Reginald Bristowe Cottrell
FROM HIS GODMOTHER
H E Neville
DECr 12TH 1872"


Image 3--192 Trooper Reginald Bristowe Cottrell in the uniform of Loch's Horse. I note the nicely styled headwear and chinstrap worn at a slightly jaunty angle. Also note the left hand side of the brim not upturned as "de riguer" with other mounted units. Perhaps this could explain why I have never come across a slouch hat badge for Loch's?


Image 4--Part of a squad photograph. Reginald standing behind his seated comrades

My own research through newspaper archives on Findmypast has revealed a letter from the front from Trooper Cottrell which was published by the Richmond Herald on 23rd June 1900, I quote:

"It may not be generally known that Mrs. Walton of Dunstable House, has two sons at the front --Mr. Clarence Walton and Mr. Reginald Walton. Towards the end of April the former, who was in Lumsden's Horse, was wounded and taken prisoner near Brandfort, and is now believed, in Pretoria, but whether amongst those who were left behind by the Boers or not is not yet known. The circumstances of his capture have been described by Mr. R. B. Cottrell, of Cambridge Park, East Twickenham, who is also at the front, in Loch's Horse, in a letter home, as follows:-
"He was riding out of action when he met one of his sergeants who had had his horse shot from under him. The sergeant ran for some distance holding on to the stirrup until tired, when they exchanged positions. Soon a bullet struck Walton, who fell. They say there was no chance of picking him up, so he fell into the hands of the Boers.
It was hard that he should pay such a penalty for his brave action in succouring a comrade, but it is sincerely to be hoped that he is amongst the released prisoners found at Pretoria by Lord Roberts. Mr. Reginald Walton was in the Woodstock Hospital at Capetown for some weeks, but rejoined his battery some weeks ago, since which time nothing has been heard from him."


Image 5--Captain Reginald Bristowe Cottrell pictured on the right during or perhaps after his Great War service with the Royal Army Pay Corps. His QSA ribbon proudly worn alongside what could possibly be the ribbon for a 1914/15 World War One Star.


Image 6--No less than four generations of the Cottrell family have been Citizens and Bakers of the City of London including Reginald and his father Hugh Lamorock Cottrell. This award I believe is the freedom of the City.

Thank you to David Cottrell for giving permission to add his images to this thread.

Finally, I would ask my fellow forummers to keep an eye open around the medal fairs and auctions for the missing World War One trio of medals to Captain R. B. Cottrell of the Army Pay Department. Please let it be known if they are still out there, and maybe these could also be returned to the family.

Cheers Steve

Steve,

That was a very comprehensive write up forR B Cottrell.

Hopefully you will be able to add his trio in the future.

The Loch's Horse page suggests the book' Oxfordshire Light Infantry in South Africa’, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1901. babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433044584435&seq=5