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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 665

Pair: Inspector W. E. Lyttle, Natal Police, who was wounded at Modder Spruit and then subsequently served during the Native Rebellion of 1906

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, two clasps, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith (Sub:-Insptr: W. E. Lyttle. Natal Police.); Natal 1906, 1 clasp, 1906 (Maj. W. E. Lyttle, Natal Police.), mounted as worn, very fine (2)

William E. Lyttle was born at Dublin in 1869, the son of the Reverend Thomas Lyttle, first Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Sandymount. In a City with a vast wealth divide, young Lyttle, like so many of his contemporaries, left Ireland and travelled to South Africa in search of work.

Appointed Trooper, Natal Mounted Police, in 1887, Lyttle was promoted Sub-Inspector in 1896 and Inspector some seven years later. He served in the South African War, being present at the Battles of Talana Hill, Dundee and Lombard's Kop. He was in General Yule's Column at Ladysmith and throughout the Siege, and was one of approximately 500 men who took part in the capture of the Guns at Gun Hill, including the Creusot 6-inch (Long Tom) gun, dubbed 'The Stinker' by the besieged. The focus of this daring sortie, the demolition of the artillery pieces on Gun Hill by a party of engineers, was completed in about ten minutes. According to Donald MacDonald, Australian war correspondent for the Melbourne Argus:

'It was a lesson in military expedition then to see Engineers going to work at gun destruction. Some of them whipped out the breech-block; others ran a charge of gun-cotton halfway down, plugged the muzzle and the breech, after first chipping away part of the screw, so that it could not be used again. Then they ran a necklace of gun-cotton around the outside of the barrel, and all was ready for Long Tom's funeral.'

Lyttle was himself wounded a few months later whilst with the advanced guard of the Natal Police at Modder Spruit. He was recovered to serve with the Natal Police during the Native Rebellion of 1906, during which he was 'again in the field the whole time'.

Renowned as a splendid sportsman and all round athlete, standing over 6 feet tall, he was at one time tennis champion of Natal and a distinguished hockey player.
Lyttle died suddenly at Estcourt on 29 June 1910, aged just 41. His death 'was greatly deplored'. The Nongqai states:

'The heart of the Police beats through this mournful quarter with palpitating sadness.'

Married to the daughter of Mr. Gilson, a Natal Magistrate, he left a widow and three young children; sold with copied research.


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Sold for
£850