Beschreibung:

Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte The excessively rare Boer War C.S.C. group of eight awarded to Captain R. B. C. Hutchinson, Royal Navy, who, as a young Midshipman in Terrible’s Naval Brigade, was decorated for multiple acts of gallantry in the operations leading up to the relief of Ladysmith - ‘he had many narrow escapes and on three separate occasions a 40-pounder shell fell within yards of him’ - and was one of only eight men ever to receive the C.S.C.: having then witnessed further action and ‘near squeaks’ ashore in the Boxer Rebellion, he was present at Jutland as C.O. of the Achates when, owing to horrendous losses, he assumed command of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla Conspicuous Service Cross, E.VII.R., hallmarks for London 1901; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (Mid. R. B. C. Hutchinson, R.N., H.M.S. Terrible); China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (Midsn. R. B. C. Hutchinson, R.N., H.M.S. Terrible); 1914-15 Star (Commr. R. B. C. Hutchinson, D.S.C., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Commr. R. B. C. Hutchinson, R.N.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, minor contact wear, otherwise good very fine or better (8) £30000-40000 Footnote Only eight Conspicuous Service Crosses were ever awarded, this example being the only one known to have appeared at auction as part of a complete group; ex-Sotheby’s 6 November 1986 (Lot 1063). C.S.C. London Gazette 2 July 1901 and despatch by Captain E. P. Jones, R.N., dated 6 March 1900, the latter stating: ‘I must also mention Mr. Hutchinson, Midshipman, who acted as my A.D.C. He has been most useful and hard working, often spending the great part of the night finding his way across the difficult country with messages. He had many very narrow escapes. On three separate occasions a 40-pounder shell fell within yards of him.’ Reginald Becher Caldwell Hutchinson was born at Hammersmith, London in August 1882, and entered Britannia as a Naval Cadet in May 1897. South Africa and China Appointed a Midshipman in the following year, he joined H.M.S. Terrible in September 1899, and quickly saw action in South Africa after being landed with the Naval Brigade that November, including the actions at Colenso, Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz, but, according to his own diary, it was before Ladysmith in February that he experienced some of the more spectacular ‘very narrow escapes’ cited by Captain E. P. Jones, R.N.: 7 February 1900: ‘I went down to Hospital Camp at the foot of Schwartz Kop and two shells from 6-inch guns pitched within 150 or 200 yards from me. They made a tremendous noise coming.’ 23 February 1900: ‘At daylight crossed the river by pontoon bridge and brought guns into action near road. We had a very exposed position and enemy soon discovered us and shelled us thick and fast the whole day. Captain Cox severely hit. Also one man by a rifle bullet of which there were plenty.’ 24 February 1900: ‘Slept last night under gun in case of attack. Bullets fell very thick. Today we were shelled heavily - men say I have a charmed life. I had three narrow escapes.’ George Crow’s From Portsmouth to Peking via Ladysmith adds further detail to events on the 24th: ‘A Midshipman (Mr. Hutchinson) who was sitting opposite the writer, was somewhat disturbed by a 45lb. shell which pitched only two feet behind him into a soft bank, and instantaneously rebounded back quite some 100 yards and dropped into the centre of some Naval volunteers, unexploded and quite harmless. This same officer had two more shells burst within a few inches of him that day, getting off unscathed each time, he being humorously described as the Jonas for the day, and a person to steer clear of ... ’ To which Hutchinson later added in his own hand to his copy of Crow’s book: ‘I had several near squeaks before this when on messages to different places for Captain Jones but never so near as these. I was riding my horse, or rather leading it, at the time of the second sh