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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 107

Nine: Quartermaster & Hon. Lieutenant C. F. Dryden, Connaught Rangers

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (3052 C.Sgt C. F. Dryden, 1st Connaught Rang:); King's South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (3052 Clr:-Serjt: C. F. Dryden. Conn: Rang:); 1914 Star, clasp (Hon: Lt. & Q.M. C. F. Dryden. Conn: Rang.); British War and Victory Medals (Q.M. & Lieut. C. F. Dryden.); Defence Medal 1939-45 (D.C.W. C. F. Dryden), engraved naming; Coronation 1911; Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (3052 S.Mjr: C. F. Dryden. Conn: Rngrs.); France, Republic, Medal for Upper Silesia 1920-22, light contact marks to the first two, otherwise very fine (9)

M.I.D. London Gazette 29 July 1902.

Charles Frier Dryden was born in Dublin, Ireland on 1 July 1870 and served in the ranks of the Connaught Rangers for twelve years before retiring. In 1898, he rejoined and served with the 1st Battalion in the Boer War where he took part in the Relief of Ladysmith, the Battle of Colenso, operations at Spion Kop (where he claimed to have started the Battle), the Battle of Pieters Hill and the Action at Zumrlakte on the 14 July 1901. Whilst serving with the 3rd Battalion, Dryden was awarded the 1911 Coronation medal and was promoted to Q.M.S., S.M. and Q.M. on 22 November 1913. With the outbreak of the Great War, Dryden went to France with the 2nd Battalion on 14 August 1914 with whom he served throughout the war and was promoted to Captain on 1 July 1917. After the war, he served with the 2nd Battalion in Poland attached to the League of Nations for which he was awarded the medal for Silesia.

On the disbandment of the Connaught Rangers in 1922 Dryden transferred to the Sherwood Foresters and retired with them on 31 December 1924. He continued to serve as the Quartermaster of the 8th T.A. Battalion Sherwood Foresters until 1927. With the outbreak of the Second World War, he was the first local man in Shoreham to volunteer with the Civil Defence and served as Deputy Chief Air Raid Precautions Warden for Shoreham and Southwick. Dryden gained the nickname "Monty" due to him wearing his official beret and a likeness to the great Field Marshall. He wrote numerous articles in "The Ranger", the regimental journal of the Connaught Rangers, under both his own name and the pseudonym "Flugeman". In one article entitled "Waterloo" (November 1941, pages 242-243), he claims to have been the person who began the Battle of Spion Kop and the last person to quit. In the last issue of The Ranger the editorial refers to a story heard long ago, of that gifted Ranger Captain C. F. Dryden at the time of the Boer War when he was a Colour Sergeant and a crack shot. One day a Boer scout was sighted at a distance of one mile. Someone said the target was an impossible one, but Dryden borrowed a rifle, fired and the Boer's mount fell dead. As the rider began to remove the saddle, Dryden proceeded to pull-through the rifle and, to an astonished "aren't you going to try for the man?" from his audience, he replied "Ah no - I don't want to spoil my averages!" Dryden died at his home in Shoreham on 19 January 1960.

The Upper Silesia Medal

The Treaty of Versailles had ordered a plebiscite in Upper Silesia to determine whether a territory should be part of Germany or Poland. Three uprisings occurred, the last of which required a special deployment of the allied army of occupation troops for peacekeeping and to ensure a trouble-free referendum. The Medal was created on 22 September 1921 by the inter-allied Government Commission of Upper Silesia to commemorate service during this time, either in the allied military forces or within the government.

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Sold for
£1,600

Starting price
£800