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Auction: 7029 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 371

A Fine K.C.B., ´North West Frontier´ Campaign Group of Five to Lieutenant-General Sir C.H. Des Voeux, 36th Sikhs, Who Resolutely Held Out Under Continuous Fire For Three Days with 165 Sikhs Against a Force of 6,000 Orakzias Tribesmen, He Was Twice Mentioned in Despatches For the Campaign a) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division, Knight Commander´s (K.C.B.) set of insignia, neck Badge, 78mm, silver-gilt, gold applique, and enamel, lacking intermediary suspension ring; Star, 75mm, silver, silver-gilt, gold applique, and enamel, with gold retaining pin, minor enamel damage, in R.S. Garrard & Co, London case of issue b) Delhi Durbar 1903, silver, scratches to edge from mounting at 6 o´clock c) Queen´s Sudan 1896-98 (Maj: C.H. Des Voeux. 36th Sikhs), minor official correction to unit d) India General Service 1895-1902, V.R., three clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897, Tirah 1897-98 (Lt. Col. C.H. Des Voeux. 36th Sikhs), engraved in upright sans serif capitals e) Khedive´s Sudan 1896-1908, no clasp (Major C.H. Des Voeux 36th Sikhs), last with digit of unit officially corrected, darkly toned overall, generally good very fine, medals mounted cavalry style in this order as originally worn, with the related miniature awards including gold C.B. and a portrait photograph of the recipient (5) Estimate £ 1,400-1,800 Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Hamilton Des Voeux, K.C.B. (1853-1911), native of Worthing, son of Major Thomas Des Voeux of Portarlington, Queen´´s County, Ireland; educated at Sandhurst; commissioned Lieutenant 37th Foot, 1872; transferred Captain Indian Army, 1884; Major 1892; served with the Dongola Expedition, 1896; served in the campaign on the North West Frontier of India, 1897, in Command of the 36th Sikhs, including the operations on the Samana Range, Commanded the Fort of Gulistan during the attacks of the 27th August, 3rd and 4th September and during the subsequent siege, ´´about 3.30pm on the 13th, a letter was brought to me from Major Des Voeux, 36th Sikhs, commanding at Gulistan, urgently asking for help.... I pressed on with all possible speed, as I did not know whether Gulistan was holding out or not. On reaching the high ground overlooking Gulistan, I found that the fort was invested by about 6,000 Orakzias´´ (Major-General A.G. Yeatman-Biggs, C.B., Commanding the Kohat Field Force, dated Fort Lockhart, 21.9.1897 refers). Yeatman-Biggs arrived with the relief column at a most opportune moment, ´´at the time of the Afridi incursion into the Khyber and Samana range, Major Des Voeux was in command of Fort Cavagnari at Gulistan, four miles from Fort Lockhart. The Fort was occupied by 165 men of the 36th Sikhs. After the enemy had captured the small post at Saraghari, and annihilated the gallant Sikh garrison of 21 men, they proceeded to attack Fort Cavagnari, which was closely besieged for three days on end. Major Des Voeux conducted the defence with great gallantry, and his Sikhs responded nobly to his call. On one occasion a sortie was made from the walls and three of the enemy´´s standards were captured. The little garrison was cut off from water and its ammunition had to be closely husbanded. The commander of the garrison had his anxieties intensified by the presence of his wife and family in the fort, but in the words of a brother officer, he was "the life and soul of the defence, guarding against every danger and showing an example of cheerfulness and steadfastness to all."´´ (recipient´´s Obituary included in lot refers). Des Voeux´´s garrison had been under continuous fire for 52 hours, suffering 44 men killed or wounded (Mentioned in Despatches). Des Voeux took part in the later campaign in Tirah, and was present at the capture of the Sampagha and Arhanga passes, and the operations at the Saran Sar and in the Waran and Bara Valleys (Mentioned in Despatches and Brevet Colonel). He later spent 8 years as Deputy Assistant-General and Infantry Staff Instructor of the Queensland Defence Force, Australia; advanced to Major-General 1904 (C.B.); commanded the 5th (Mhow) Division, India, from 1907; Lieutenant-General 1908 (K.C.B. 1911).

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£5,000