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Auction: 22133 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 916

Three:Lieutenant-Colonel A. W. H. Gascoigne, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles), late Trumpeter, Royal Artillery, who died at Dehra Dun on 18 August 1945

British War Medal 1914-20 (1427 Dvr. A. W. H. Gascoigne. R.A.); India General Service Medal 1908-35, 3 clasps Mahsud 1919-20, Waziristan 1919-21, Waziristan 1921-24 (Capt. A. W. H. Gascoigne, 2-41 Dogras.); India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37 (Major A. W. H. Gascoigne, 1-2 G. R.), mounted court-style as worn, good very fine (3)

Arthur William Harry Gascoigne was born on 2 November 1897 and upon enlistment as a Territorial on 9 February 1915, served as a Trumpeter in the Royal Horse Artillery. He was with one of the first Territorial Force units to be drafted to India to relieve regular troops for active service. He was subsequently selected for officer training and on 15 April 1919, was commissioned from the Cadet College, Quetta to the Unattached List Indian Army and posted to 2nd King Edward's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles). The following year, he was attached to the 2nd Battalion, 41st Dogras, which he joined in Waziristan, later serving as a Cipher Officer and Aides-de-Camp. In 1922, he was posted to the Indian Army Service Corps, returning to the Gurkhas in 1924 and accompanied the 1st Battalion on active service to Waziristan in the same year. He was promoted Captain on 15 April 1925. Between 1931-33 he served as Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion, East Indian Railway Regiment and from 1933-35 was Adjutant of The Rangoon Battalion, after which he returned to the 2nd Gurka Rifles in Dehra Dun. Promoted to Major on 15 April 1937, he commanded a Company during the Battalion's operations in Waziristan in 1937.

In 1941 he was appointed Second-in-Command of the 1st Battalion for a short time before being transferred to the newly raised 4th Battalion as Second-in-Command and accompanied it on service to the North West Frontier of India. On 30 June 1943, he was promoted to acting Lieutenant-Colonel to raise and command the 25th Gurkha Garrison Battalion, which went on to support and provide protection to Headquarters 14th Army in the field in Burma 1944-45, and was held in high regard by the Army Commander, General Slim. He died suddenly from heart failure in Dehra Dun, on 18 August 1945 at the age of 48 years, three days after the end of the War with Japan. He was initially buried in Dehra Dun but in 1951, his remains were exhumed and re-interred in the New Delhi War Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Sheila, and two daughters.

His Medals are contained in a State Express Cigarettes 555 tin, wrapped in the Sunday edition of the Indian Standard, 8 July 1945 (ten days before his death). Further entitled to the 1939-45 Star, Burma Star and Defence and War Medals 1939-45.

For his miniature dress Medals, please see Lot xxx.

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Sold for
£520

Starting price
£170