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Auction: 22133 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 420

Pair: Trooper A. J. Honeycombe, 2nd Life Guards, later Police Constable, City of London Police

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Wittebergen (2026. Tpr. A. Honeycombe. 2nd. L. Gds:); Coronation 1911, City of London Police issue (P.C. A. J. Honeycombe.), mounted as worn, good very fine (2)

Arthur J. Honeycombe lived at Dornfell Street, West Hampstead and wrote to his son from Koodoo Drift on 3 March:

'Just a line or two to let you know that I am getting on all right, and I hope you all at home are the same...I suppose today you are reading in your papers about our great capture of Cronje, in which I took part.

It was like this. When we started from the Modder River we were supposed to march through the Free States. We went and relieved Kimberley On the road to this town we dropped upon a Boer laager at a place called Jacobsdel. We had been all day without food or water and we made a rush for the Boer camp, and captured their convoy of about thirty waggons laden with food.

[On arriving at Kimberley]...The people of were so pleased to see us come up, as they had been living on horse flesh three months. We stayed there for a day or so, and then General French had news that Cronje was on the move with an Army; so we started out. Our Regiment was sent up to have a look round the country. When we saw the Boers on the move we let the General know, and away went our Artillery after them...have you sent the fags I asked for? It is a puzzle here to get tobacco; we have enough to do to find food.'

Latterly joining the City of London Police, he was decorated with a Gold Medal for a Lifesaving act in 1905 and was also a Member of the St John Ambulance Association; sold together with his Gold Lifesaving Medal (15 carat), the reverse engraved 'C.P.A.C. A. J. Honeycombe for Saving Life 1905', engraved St John Ambulance Association bronze Medal, besides his South Africa 1900 Christmas tin, with remnants of chocolate and his son's Defence and War Medals 1939-45.

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Sold for
£500

Starting price
£120