TOPIC:

The medals awarded to Captain G.C. Wilson (A.D.C. to Colonel Baden-Powell), and his wife, Lady Sarah Wilson, are to be sold through Warwick & Warwick Auctioneers on 15 October 2025.







Auctioneer's description.

An interesting 'Mafeking' husband and wife group to Lieut Col. Gordon Chesney Wilson, ADC to Baden-Powell during the South African War and later killed in action at the First Battle of Ypres, and Lady Sarah Wilson, daughter of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and aunt to Sir Winston Churchill, who served as a nurse during the South African War and WWI. The Medals professionally mounted in a glass frame, generally very fine and better.

1. Lieut Col. G. C. Wilson, Royal Horse Guards group with Royal Victorian Order (MVO) unnamed as issued, QSA with 2 clasp Defence of Mafeking, Transvaal to Capt G.C. Wilson, R.H. Gds:, WWI 1914 star trio with oak leaf (Lt: Col: G.C. Wilson. M.V.O. R.H.Gds: on star, Lt. Col. G.C. Wilson on BWM and Victory), French Legion d'Honneur, KEVII Coronation Medal, KGV Coronation Medal and Swedish Order of The Sword. Also includes boxed Rowing awards to Wilson from Eton 1884.

Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Chesney Wilson was the eldest son of the politician and philanthropist Sir Samuel Wilson and Jean née Campbell. He was a student at Eton College, where he assisted in thwarting Roderick Maclean's assassination attempt on Queen Victoria in 1882. Wilson raised through the ranks at great speed becoming a lieutenant 17/01/85 in the Oxfordshire Light Infantry. He then joined the regular British Army as a second lieutenant on 4/05/87, replacing a dead subaltern in the Royal Horse Guards (Blues). He was promoted to lieutenant on 5/12/88. It was shortly after he met Lady Sarah and despite social disparity between their two families, Lady Sarah accepted his proposal. In November 1895, Wilson and his wife travelled to South Africa to visit the Churchill family's gold mining interests in Johannesburg, however this came to an end due to the growing tensions in S. Africa and Wilson was made ADC to Baden-Powell. By 1901, Wilson was again serving in South Africa, with his residence in the Transvaal. On 28/05/01 he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, Fourth Class. 9/8/1902 Wilson was Sovereign Escort at KEVII Coronation, During the inter-war period Wilson had became friends with Sarah's nephew, politician Winston Churchill. In 1910 Wilson spent some time in Jerusalem, and in early 1911 he became involved in his younger brother Clarence's work as part of the Parker Expedition, an attempt to find treasure in excavations of Solomon's Temple. In April the group used a German psychic to attempt to find the Ark of the Covenant. Wilson was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel on 7/10/10 and given command of his regiment. During the First World War the Royal Horse Guards were sent to the Western Front, they entrenched themselves as best they could without the proper tools ready for the First Battle of Ypres, this resulted in heavy losses, On 6 November the Prussian Guards broke through the line in front of the brigade at Kleine Zillebeke, Wilson led his men into action to fill the breech, although turning back the Germans advance, it was Captain Sir George Arthur recorded that: Wilson died around dusk and ...before the threshold of the wood could be reached, the Blues had lost their Colonel. A borrowed rifle in his hand, a cheery laugh bubbling up, Gordon Wilson was a few feet ahead of his men when a bullet pierced his brain. He was killed in action 6/11/14 aged 49 in Ypres, Belgium,and is remembered with honour Zillebeke Churchyard.

2. Lady Wilson group with 1883 Royal Red Cross (QV first class), The Order of St John (Dame of Grace), QSA to Lady Sarah I. Wilson. Nurse H. Mafeking, WWI 1914 star trio (Lady. S. Wilson. B.R.C.S.& O. St J.J. on star, Lady S. Wilson. on BWM and Victory) and KEVII Coronation Medal.

Lady Sarah was the daughter of the seventh Duke of Marlborough and Aunt to Sir Winston Churchill. Her husband Captain Gordon Wilson served as an ADC to Baden-Powell, so she and her husband took up residence in Mafeking. By the end of September 1898 on instruction of Baden-Powell who was concerned for her safety due to the news of a large force of burgers advancing on Mafeking, she left for Setagoli and shortly after to a farm in Mosita owned by a MrKeeley. A Daily Mail newspaper correspondent was captured and Lady Sarah undertook to send the Daily Mail cables about the siege of Mafeking.

By November, she met with a representative from Reuter's agency, offering her a basket of carrier pigeons so she can communicate with Mafeking swiftly and safely, however one of the pigeons was captured exposing her identity to General Snyma. With this, she decided to meet with the general to ask for safe return to Mafeking for the exchange of a Boer lady held in Mafeking. This was refused and Lady Sarah was held prisoner in a field hospital. After several months an exchange for Lady Sarah's freedom was arranged and she spent the next five and half months in an under-ground bomb shelter constructed for her. During this time she assisted in and organised the nursing at the casualty hospital. Lady Sarah also served in the First World War working for the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance.

Estimate: £15,000.

https://www.warwickandwarwick.com/auctions/catalogue/379868

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It is great that these have been kept together for all these years and that W&W are offering them as a single lot now.