TOPIC:

Boer War CMG group to Civil Surgeon A Ricketts, containing the Spainish Order of Isabella the Catholic, Knight’s breast badge.

David

Thanks for adding those spectacular groups to this thread. It is great seeing what other people have in their collections.

You might have guessed that I particularly like the Norton-Taylor group.

Regards
Brett

Brett,

As I was preparing the picture, I was thinking that the clasps and unit would be attractive to you.

The group has sold twice in the last decade at DNW.

Here is the description of an amazing life:

Seymour Norton-Taylor, who was born at Bovey Tracey, Devon in November 1878, first saw active service as a Private in ‘C’ Company, 1st Regiment of Florida Infantry in the Spanish War of 1898, having enlisted in that corps at Tampa, Florida that May.

Discharged at Tallahassee at the end of the same year, he next travelled to South Africa, where he enlisted in the 1/Imperial Light Horse and was present at Elandslaagte and the defence of Ladysmith, and participated in later operations after being commissioned in the 2nd Battalion.

Having then made his way to Canada where he worked as a rancher, Norton-Taylor volunteered for the Overseas Expeditionary Force at Valcartier, Quebec in August 1914 and was quickly commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 10th Battalion Canadian Infantry. Embarked for England in the following month, and thence for France, he was wounded by shrapnel in his right hand on 13 March 1915, and evacuated to the U.K.

Rejoining his unit in the Field as a Temporary Captain a month or two later, he was seriously wounded by an explosion in his dugout at Ploegsteert on 23 October 1915:

‘During the month of October 1915, Private Clutterbuck found a nose-cap of a shell. He took it into the dugout, where he accidentally dropped it. An explosion followed with the result that Captain Norton-Taylor, who was in the dugout, was severely wounded in the legs and Private Clutterbuck was also severely wounded - he afterwards died as a result of his injuries’ (an official witness statement refers).

Rushed to a Casualty Clearing Station at Bailleul, and thence to the Red Cross Hospital at Le Touquet, both of Norton-Taylor’s legs were amputated below the knee, but, after gangrene set in, it was necessary to amputate the right leg above the knee. Yet the latter still caused problems by the time he was strong enough to be transferred to a hospital in the U.K., and a further ‘shortening operation’ took place in December 1916. Indeed Norton-Taylor did not return to duty until May 1917, having by then mastered the use of his artificial limbs, and was seconded to the Adjutant-General’s Branch as, appropriately enough, a Hospital Representative.

He was honourably discharged as a Major in October 1919, and, given his terrible wounds, lived to a ripe old age, dying at Westgate, Kent in December 1963.

David

That is an amazing story. Thank you for posting it. It was interesting to see that he was one of the men who moved from the 1st to the 2nd ILH. The ILH did attract many adventurous men, which I think accounted for its success.

Regards
Brett

Brett,

The calibre of men must have been a major factor in their success. To have been able to choose from so many skilled individuals must have been an enviable position at the start of the war.

Best wishes
David

Although not unusual medals in themselves I have a QSA group including a 1939-45 War Medal and a Defence Medal and another including a Special Constabulary Faithful Service Medal (GV).



Lt. Commander H.E.W.C. Whyte. QSA TH/RL (MID) & China 1900 n/c HMS Terrible (Midshipman), 1914-15 Trio with MID (Lt. Commander), 1939-45 War Medal & Defence Medal (unnamed). In WW2 he served in HMS Drake in the Mersey and later in HMS Victory. Served until 1944 when he was almost 62 years old.



Major A.C. Perry. DSO (VR), QSA CC/Tr/Witt/SA01 16th Imperial Yeomanry (Captain DSO), BWM & Victory with MID (Major), Special Constabulary Faithful Service (GVR). Served in 6/Manchesters, Royal Field Artillery & Machine Gun Corps in WW1. He would have been well in his 60s when he was awarded the SCFS Medal.