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This group was sold by Bonhams in Sep 2010 for £3,700 and includes the Order of the Rising Sun and the Russo-Japanese War Medal.


Image reproduced by permission of Bonhams

Colonel William Apsley-Smith was born on 11 Mar 1856 and educated at Eton and R.M.A. Woolwich. Lieutenant 19.8.1875.

He served in Afghanistan in 1880. He then served in Egypt and was present in the engagements at Tel-el-Mahuta and Mahsama and in the two actions at Kassasin. Entitled to Turkish Order of Medjidie, 5th Class. Captain 13.3.1884. He passed the Staff College in 1886 with Honours. He served as Staff Captain S.E.District 1886-88; Brigade Major at Aldershot 1888-1891. Major 13 May 1892. Assistant Military Secretary to GOC Canada 1894-96. Lieutenant Colonel 15 Nov 1900.

He served in the Boer War from 1899-1900 and was present at the battle of Colenso in command of an Ammunition Column, and in command of a Brigade Division Royal Field Artillery in the engagements at Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz and at the Relief of Ladysmith. Commanded the 10th Brigade Division RFA. During the Russo-Japanese War he was attached to the Japanese Army in Manchuria, earning the War Medal and Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class. Ordnance Committee 1906-1908; Brigadier General Commanding R.A. 3rd Division 1908-09. Acting Quartermaster General 1914-18.

He lived at Ashdown House, Danehill, Sussex. He died on 1st May 1927.

The medals awarded to Cpl C H Channing, RWSR who later served as a Fireman in the Teddington Fire Brigade, being awarded the National Fire Brigade's Union Long Service Medal in Bronze for 10 Years.


Picture courtesy of London Medal Company.

Dominic Winter 17 May

*MC Group. A good long service M.C. group to Lieutenant W.R. White, Northamptonshire Yeomanry Late Royal Dragoons, Military Cross, G.V.R., reverse privately engraved `R.Q.M.S. William R. White Northamptonshire Yeomanry, Jany 14th 1916 May 27th 1916`, Queen`s South Africa 1899-1902, six clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing`s Nek (2813. Sq.Qr.Mr.Sjt. W.R. White. 1/R.D.),King`s South Africa 1901-02, two clasps (2813. R.Qr.-Mr:-Sjt. W. White. Rl: Dragoons.),1914 Star and Bar (566 R.Q.M. Sjt W.R. White. 1/1 North`n Yeo.), British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. W.R. White.) with M.I.D. oakleaves, Territorial Efficiency Medal, G.V.R. (566. W.O.Cl.II. W.R. White. M.C. North`n. Yeo),Special Constabulary Long Service Medal, G.V.R. (Inspr. William R. White.),Voluntary Medical Service Medal with 15 year award Bar (W.R. White.) with pawnbrokers mark, second, third and eighth with contact marks, very fine and better, with copied research M.C. London Gazette 14.1.1916. M.I.D. London Gazette 27.5.1916. Lieutenant William Richard White born Portland, Dorset 1873, served with the Northamptonshire Yeomanry from 16.6.1906 and on the Western Front from 6.11.1914, commissioned 2nd Lieutenant 14.8.1916, Army Service Corps, Lieutenant 14.2.1918. (-)

Although I have never been to the actual site, awards to Boer and Brit who were involved in the Battles of Fort Itala and Fort Prospect have a very special place in my collection. I was very fortunate in getting Trousdale's group at the March 1997 Spink auction.
The statement in "Red Roses on the Veldt" that he got a bar to the DSO in WWI is incorrect

Henk Loots

Henk

Thank you for showing a great medal group. I hope that you will also be sharing with us medals from men on the Boer side.

Like you, I have a special interest in the Itala and Prospect battles but, unlike you, I have no medals in my collection that can be linked to them. The forts are in remote spots and were of no great strategic significance in terms of the war as a whole, but the men who fought there did so with great courage and determination. Those that went into lonely graves are now 'out of sight and out of mind'.

Regards
Brett

Good Morning Everyone.....

I was cruising the internet and found an interesting group of medals that contained a QSA and a CB......

They must have been the medals for the US observer for the Boer War and would not mind having them in my collection.....

Thought you might like to see them.....

I wonder who he is......

Mike