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Auction: 4014 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 533

†India General Service 1854-95, one clasp, Kachin Hills 1892-93 (Lieut. W.H. Dent 2nd. Bn. Yorks. R.), extremely fine Estimate £ 1,000-1,200 Captain Wilfrid Harry Dent, Second Lieutenant 1888; Lieutenant 1892; Captain 1899; served in the Kachin Hills 1892-93 in the Intelligence Department. The V.C. Action at the Sima Post On 3 December 1892 a column under Captain Boyce Morton left Talawgyi on the Irrawaddy for Sima where a post was to be constructed. On the 12th opposition was met with at 'Nkrang. Two Sepoys and a mule driver were killed and Lieutenant Dent, the Intelligence Officer, was badly wounded in the neck. Two days later Sima was reached after 30 stockades had been taken on the way. Intermittent fighting went on until 5 January 1893, when a general attack was rumoured and the outlying picquets were called in. On the night of the 6th, the Kachins made a sudden attack on the fort at Sima, and it was then discovered that one picquet had been overlooked and was still out in a very exposed position. Captain Morton, seeing the danger, attempted to withdraw them, but as soon as he reached the position he fell mortally wounded. He was with difficulty brought inside the fort by Surgeon-Major Lloyd, who later received the Victoria Cross for his gallantry. Five Sepoys were killed at the same spot. After the death of Captain Morton the command devolved upon Lieutenant Dent, who was still disabled as the result of his wound at 'Nkrang. The work of the column was finally brought to a close in the last week of March, having experienced the heaviest fighting encountered in the Kachin Hills. The casualties for the seven weeks fighting were exceedingly heavy, and included three officers killed, three wounded, and 102 men killed and wounded. Captain Dent later served with the China Expeditionary Force 1900, and was present at the relief of Tientsin and Pekin, and the actions at Peitsang and Yangtsun (M.I.D. London Gazette 10.12.1901)

Sold for
£1,550