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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 97

The superb 'Sanna's Post' casualty pair awarded to Lieutenant P. C. Grover, King's Shropshire Light Infantry, who was Killed in Action during the saving of the guns at Sanna's Post, earning a posthumous 'mention' for his efforts

India General Service 1895-1908, 1 clasp, Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (2d Lieut. P. C. Grover 1st Bn Shorpshire [SIC] Lt Infy.), the regiment officially corrected; Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Driefontein, Cape Colony (Lieut. P. C. Grover. 2/Shrops L.I.), light contact wear, very fine (2)

Provenance:
Christie's, November 1984.

M.I.D. London Gazette 8 February 1901.

Perceval Charles Grover was born at Stoke House, Surrey on 16 March 1875, the son of Elizabeth and Colonel George Grover, Royal Engineers. Educated first at Rugby he later entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst as a Gentleman Cadet. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in February 1895 he joined the 1st Battalion in India.

There Grover served under Sir William Lockhart as part of the Malakand Field Force, undertaking operations against the Mahmuds and with the Utman Khel Column in Bajour. Later joining the Buner Field Force, they saw action at the taking of the Tanga Pass. Grover appears to have performed well during these actions, being advanced Lieutenant on 5 March 1899.

Upon the outbreak of the Anglo- Boer War he volunteered for the Burma Mounted Infantry. Despite its name this unit was not comprised of Burmese troops but rather was made up of British troops stationed in India and Burma who volunteered for wartime service in South Africa.

Arriving in South Africa Grover joined a column under General Broadwood which was the victim of a brilliant ambush by De Wet's commando on 31 March 1900 at Sanna's Post. The account of Lieutenant W. J. Ainsworth, who commanded the D.L.I. company of the Burma Mounted Infantry gives a good account of the action from Grover, as quoted in the Journal of the Light Infantry in 1975, stating:

'There was a certain amount of confusion at first. One battery was captured, the other got away and came into action. Wem who were just behind, were ordered to dismount and double up to where the guns were. We did this under a heavy fire; four of us and some twenty men reaching the place. The guns were just to the front. We stayed there for some time. The guns then stopped firing owning to losing so many men.
It was at this time that Grover came up to me, and, to use his own words, said:- "There's a VC job here, they want to get the guns in and have not enough horses."

He went back to where the horses of the battery were, about 100 yards behind. We, after a short interval, followed. I found it was true about the guns being in such straits, and we all assisted in hand dragging them in.'

In the context of the action itself The Times History of the War in South Africa 1900 refers, stating:

'Then Hornby and Humphreys set themselves to bring back the guns. Eight gunners responded to their call, and ran back two pieces forty yards. Here these brave men lay down exhausted. Hornby went to the mounted infantry escort and called for volunteers. Lieutenants Stirling, Way, Ainsworth, Grover and Ashburner of the Burma M.I., Captain Maxwell of Roberts's Horse, and about four or five men at once responded. These men gallantry faced the withering fire, and, with two gunners, ran back the first two guns to the shelter of the railway embankment; three yet remained and all the limbers. As the men came out towards them the storm of bullets was so violent that they pressed their helmets down on their heads and bent forward as if they were meeting a heavy wind; the horses that were brought out fared even worse than the men, for team after team was shot down before it could bring away its burden. Yet through it all the men who did the work showed the coolness of a parade.'

Grover was seriously wounded whilst attempting to bring off the guns, dying just twenty minutes later - of the eleven men who went forward to assist the gunners he was the only one killed. All of these men were 'mentioned' for their bravery, with Lieutenant Maxwell of Robert's Horse earning the Victoria Cross. Grover is commemorated upon the King's Shropshire Light Infantry Memorial at St. Chad's, Shrewsbury and on a memorial plaque at Rugby School.

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Sold for
£2,700

Starting price
£480