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Auction: 18001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 538

(x) An interesting Royal Humane Society Medal group of three awarded to Company Quarter-Master Sergeant J. G. Halsey, Royal Irish Regiment, late King's Royal Rifle Corps

Following a chequered start to his military career - in which deserted on three occasions - he settled down to life as a rifleman and won the Society's bronze medal for rescuing a Sepoy in the River Manipur during the Lushai operations of 1892

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Lushai 1889-92 (5859 Pte. J. Halsey, 4th Bn. K. Ryl. Rifles), officially re-engraved naming; Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (625 C.S.M. Instr. J. Anderson, S. of Msky.), 'Anderson' being an old alias; Royal Humane Society's Medal, bronze, small (Private J. G. Halsey, 4th King's Royal Rifles, 7th May 1892), complete with brooch bar for wearing, the first with re-riveted suspension claw, contact marks, generally very fine (3)


John George Halsey was born at Mimms, Tottenham on 13 December 1865 and enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment in December 1884, aged 19 years.

Thrice a deserter

He was posted to the 1st Battalion at Colchester but deserted in April 1884 and made his way to London, where he joined the Royal Marines Light Infantry under the alias of 'John Smith'.

In September 1886 he deserted for a second time and enlisted in the East Surrey Regiment at Kingston-on-Thames, using the alias 'John Anderson'. He was promoted to Lance-Corporal and passed his 2nd Class Certificate of Education. At this point in time - the summer of 1887 - he confessed to his fraudulent enlistment and earlier desertion from the Bedfordshires and R.M.L.I.; he was given the benefit of the Queen's Pardon, the Admiralty and Bedfordshires saying they no longer required his services.

There matters might have rested but for Halsey striking a fellow soldier and ending up in front of a Regimental Court Martial in December 1887. He was convicted of the offence and reduced to the ranks. A few days later, he slipped out of barracks and did another runner, this time enlisting in the Northumberland Fusiliers under the alias of 'John Mckenzie'. But his past misdemeanours soon caught up with him and he was sentenced to 56 days imprisonment with hard labour. That sentence fulfilled, he was posted back to the East Surreys and embarked for India in October 1888.

Back on the straight and narrow - Royal Humane Society Medal - rapid promotion

In the summer of 1890, Halsey transferred - officially! - to the 4th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps at Allahabad and he was subsequently present in operations in the Lushai country in 1891-92, latterly as a member of the Kanhow Column (Medal & clasp).

It was during the course of these operations that he undertook a gallant rescue on 7 May 1892. The relevant Royal Humane Society case book entry describes how he went to the rescue of Sepot Peer Khan of the 4th Madras Pioneers, who was swept away by a strong current in the Manipur River. Halsey managed to reach Khan and to hold him up until Surgeon Captain E. C. White swam out to their rescue. White and Halsey were awarded the Society's bronze medal; case book entry 26,159 of 11 November 1892, refers.

Back home, Halsey gained rapid promotion, being advanced to Corporal in May 1893 and to Lance-Sergeant one year later. He extended his service to complete 12 - and later 21 - years with the Colours, passed his 1st Class Certificate of Education and was advanced to Colour-Sergeant in July 1899. Having then transferred to the School of Musketry at Hythe, he was awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal in AO 242 of 1907 and advanced to Quarter-Master Sergeant Instructor. He was discharged in February 1909 and settled in Hertfordshire.

With the advent of hostilities in August 1914, Halsey volunteered for service in the Royal Irish Regiment, and he served in the 3rd and 5th Battalions in England and Ireland in the period leading up to his final discharge as a Company Quarter-Master Sergeant in March 1919; above details courtesy of the Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum, Winchester.



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Sold for
£300