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Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 842

The Regimentally Important Scots Guards Association (London Branch) Presidents' Medal awarded to Captain C.A. Burt, Scots Guards, who was the first Regimental Sergeant-Major of the Irish Guards upon their formation in 1900 and went on to have a very long and distinguished military career

Scots Guards Association (London Branch) Medal, tartan-style riband, top-bar suspension, 'Capt. C.A. Burt.', bar, 'President 1936-1937', hallmarks for Mappin and Webb, 9ct. gold, with its Mappin & Webb Ltd. presentation case, about extremely fine

Charles Aldridge Burt was born in Kew, Richmond, in April 1871 and enlisted for service with the Scots Guards in August 1888. Appointed Lance-Corporal in 1891 and Corporal two years later, in December 1895 he was one of only 18 men of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards to participate in the Ashanti Expedition of 1896. Prior to their departure they were inspected at Windsor Castle by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, with a report by The Graphic mentioning Burt by name and featuring an illustration of the occasion on the front cover of their issue of 7 December 1895. Returning safely home, Burt was promoted Sergeant in June 1896 - but not before he had been slightly injured by a blank cartridge during a display for the Royal Military Tournament. This injury clearly did no lasting damage as a mere two years later he was again promoted, this time to Colour-Sergeant.

Upon the formation of the Irish Guards on 1 April 1900, Burt transferred to this new regiment of Foot Guards and was appointed their first Regimental Sergeant-Major; it was in this capacity that (after active service in South Africa during the Second Anglo-Boer War) he must have played a central part in Trooping the Colour in 1902, when His Majesty King Edward VII presented the Regiment with their new Colours. In 1905 Burt was appointed Sergeant-Instructor of the 26th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps, and in 1908 Colour-Sergeant Instructor in the 25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion; this was followed a year later with promotion to Acting Sergeant-Major in the same unit.
Discharged in January 1916 (with a glowing testimonial), Burt was then commissioned Honorary Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the 25th - and despite his advancing years this did nothing to prevent him seeing active service yet again; he was posted to Bombay in 1916 and participated in the Waziristan Field Force 'Summer Campaign' of May - August 1917. Promoted Captain and Quartermaster in May 1919, he then served in Afghanistan and on the North-West Frontier during that year.

Returning home shortly afterward, he resigned his commission in May 1920 and almost immediately joined the King's Bodyguard of the Yeoman of the Guard, with which he served over 29 years; he died (still in service) on 11 December 1949 at the age of 79.

Sold together with a Scots Guards tie-pin and a 25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion 'Sweetheart Brooch', this latter badge gold and enamel, hallmarks for Birmingham 1914.

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Sold for
£480

Starting price
£110