TOPIC:

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (3) Defence of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Orange Free State (5918 Pte W. Cossey. Rifle Brigade);
KSA (2) (5918 Pte W. Cossey. Rifle Brigade.);
1914 Star (5918 Sjt W, Cossey. 2 Rif: Brig.);
British War and Victory Medals (5918 Sjt. W. Cossey Rif. Brig.)

William Cossey was born in June 1979 at Norwich, Norfolk. Enlisted with the Rifle Brigade from 4th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment on June 1998 and listed experience in the militia upon attestation.

Posted to South Africa on 26 September 1899 as part of 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade which arrived in Durban on 26 October. From here they marched to Ladysmith and took part in the defence of that town from early November till late February 1900. This they did with some distinction, maintaining a position around the north of the town and taking part in several engagements. Notably including their sally on 8 December 1899 in which they destroyed a Boer artillery piece. They were also heavily engaged during the action of the 6 January 1900, driving off General de Villiers' assault on Wagon Hill and Caesar's Camp. After General Buller relieved the Ladysmith on 28 February 1900 the garrison was given some time to rest before redeploying. Cossey was posted briefly with a detachment from 18 June until 3 September 1900 then transferred to 1st Battalion, Rifles Brigade. Promoted to Acting Corporal on 21 May 1902 and Corporal 1 February 1903.

Qualified to serve as Mounted Infantry on 15 January 1904. Promoted to Acting Sergeant on 7 September on 1905 but accused of misconduct on 9 September and demoted back to Corporal. However he appears to have made an effort to improve his conduct and was promoted Lance Sergeant on 7 February 1906 and Sergeant on 20 November 1909. Cossey's ability with a rifle was demonstrated in the battalion rifle meeting a Kilbride in July 1910. Here he won first prize in a shooting match, in the 'trained soldiers' division, winning himself the sum of one pound in prize money. By the Outbreak of the First World War he was serving with 5th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Promoted Garrison Sergeant-Major on 8 May 1915, he was posted to a Depot Company in Tunbridge, Kent from 26 January 1918. Cossey was demobilised on 17 December 1919 at Winchester.

Sold for a hammer price of £350. Totals (inc VAT on the commission for the UK only): £434. R8,400. Au$760. Can$730. US$580

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (1594 Pte C. Miston, Rifle Brigade.)

Served with the 1st Btn.

He dies of heart disease, 3 Feb 1901 in General Hospital 15, Howick

He previously served in the Sudan.

Picture courtesy of DNW

Sudan (3780. Pte. E. Long. 2/R: Bde.);
QSA (1) Defence of Ladysmith (3780 Pte. E. Long, Rifle Brigade);
Khedive Sudan (1) Khartoum, unnamed as issued,

Ernest Long attested for the Rifle Brigade and served with the 2nd Battalion in the Sudan, and subsequently in South Africa during the Boer War, where he died of enteric fever at Ladysmith on 25 March 1900.

The trio to Long sold for a hammer price of £750. Totals (inc VAT for UK only): £966. R18,400. Au$1,720. Can$1,600. US$1,300

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 (5594 Pte. W. Pippett. Rifle Brigade);
1914 Star, with clasp (Z-2244 Pte. W. Pippett. 3/Rif: Brig.);
BWM and VM (Z-2244 Pte. W. Pippett. Rif. Brig.)

William Pippett served with the 5th Battalion, Rifle Brigade during the Boer War (QSA with 3 clasps).

Following the outbreak of the Great War, he re-enlisted in the Rifle Brigade on 3 September 1914 and served with the 3rd Battalion on the Western Front from 13 November 1914. On 12 June 1915, he was admitted to Rouen Hospital with a gunshot wound to the left arm and repatriated to England where he was discharged due to wounds on 5 May 1916, being awarded a Silver War Badge.

At the time Rifleman Pippet’s wounds were inflicted, his battalion was carrying out tours in the Ypres Sector north-east of La Brique and near St. Jean.

Picture courtesy of the London Medal Company

OBE, 1st type, Military, HM 1919;
Queen’s Sudan (LT. G.B. BYRNE, 2/R.BDE:);
QSA (3) Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast; (CAPT: G.B. BYRNE. RIFLE BDE.);
KSA (2) (CAPT. G.B. BYRNE. RIF. BDE.);
British War Medal and Victory Medal with MID (LT.COL. G.B. BYRNE.);
Khedive’s Sudan Medal 1896-1908, 1 Clasp: Khartoum, regimentally engraved naming; (LT. G.B. BYRNE. 2/R. BDE.)

Together with the following:

The recipient’s matching miniature medal group, mounted swing style as worn.

A letter of credit from Messrs. Holt & Co., for payment received in the name of Lieutenant A. Byrne, dated 21st March 1900, as issued to his brother, who was shortly afterwards killed in action during the Boer War.

Cutting concerning the National Hunt Committee, concerning the death of Major General T.E. Byrne.

Gerald Bertram Byrne was born on 10th November 1873 in Aldershot, Hampshire, the son of Major General Thomas Edmond Byrne, and his wife Eliza Petronila Larios-Y-Tashara, his younger brother Alfonso Byrne being born in April 1875. After being educated privately, he was commissioned into the British Army for service initially with the Militia as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 3rd Militia Battalion, Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment on 1st March 1893, and having been promoted to Lieutenant on 27th February 1895, was then commissioned into the Regular Army as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Rifle Brigade on 17th July 1895, and promoted to Lieutenant on 23rd October 1897.

Byrne saw service with the 2nd Battalion during the reconquest of the Sudan in 1898, and was present in action at the Battle of Omdurman and the entry into Khartoum on 3rd September 1898. In the aftermath of the operations in the Sudan, Byrne then moved with the 2nd Battalion to Crete to assist in the suppression of the Cretan Revolt, but with the outbreak of the Boer War was then went to South Africa, and took part in the operations in the Natal including the action at Lombard’s Kop before taking part in the defence of Ladysmith, during which he was present in the sortie of 10th December 1899 and the action of 6th January 1900. After the lifting of the siege of Ladysmith in February 1900, Byrne went on to participate in the operations in Natal from March to June 1900, including the action at Laing’s Nek on 6th to 9th June 1900, the operations in the Transvaal east of Pretoria from July to 29th November 1900, including the actions at Belfast on 26th and 27th August, and Lydenberg on 5th to 8th September. He was ultimately present on operations in the Transvaal from 30th November 1900 through to the 31st May 1902 and with cessation of hostilities.
During the conflict, Byrne had been promoted to Captain on 18th March 1901, and his younger brother had died at Bloemfontein on 10th June 1900. Byrne saw service in Egypt from 26th September 1902 through to 21st November 1905, and then in India from 22nd November 1905 through to 31st March 1906, after which he was stationed in Winchester, Hampshire. Byrne remained a Captain through to his retirement on 23rd September 1911, and then assumed the rank of Captain with the Special Reserve of Officers seeing service with the 5th Battalion, Rifle Brigade from 20th May 1912.
In the meantime he had married Aileen Myrtle Whitaker on 10th December 1906 at Palermo, Sicily, with whom he had issue of two sons, one in 1907 and another in 1915, by which time he was living with his family at St George Hannover Square, Belgravia, London.

With the outbreak of the Great War he once again took up an active commission, and as a Major, saw service out on the Western Front from 16th March 1918 as the Commandant of the General Infantry Base Depot at Le Havre. It was this valuable service in connection with military operations in France that Byrne was appointed an Officer of the Military Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the London Gazette for 5th June 1919, and additionally awarded a Mention in Despatches in the London Gazette for 9th July 1919. Having been ultimately promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 13th April 1920, he reverted to the Reserve of Officers, and was removed from that list on attaining the age limit on 10th November 1928. His campaign medals were sent to him in January 1922 when he was shown as living at King’s Worthy in Hampshire. Byrne who went on to live at Geln House, Sarisbury Green, died on 3rd December 1940 when over in the United States of America at Bethesda, Maryland.

£3,250.