Beschreibung:

The Boer War CBE and DSO Group of 5 awarded to Colonel Hugh Fortescue Coleridge, 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, who undertook duties as Provost-Marshal and Intelligence Officer during the Second Boer War, and played a gallant role during the Battle of Modder River, comprising: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Commander’s (CBE) Neck Badge, 1st Type, Distinguished Service Order, V R, in silver-gilt and enamels, Queen’s South Africa Medal, 1899-1902, 2nd type reverse with ghost dates, 4 clasps, Belmont, Modder River, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Major H. F. Coleridge, 1st L. N. Lanc: Regt), King’s South Africa Medal, 1901-1902, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Major. H. F. Coleridge. D.S.O. L. N. Lanc. Rgt.), Jubilee Medal, 1887; the second officially impressed, the third officially engraved, the latter unnamed as issued, group loose. Group lightly toned, CBE with a little loss of enamel in parts, group otherwise good very fine or better. (5) CBE London Gazette 03.06.1919 ‘For valuable services rendered in connection with the War’ DSO London Gazette 27.09.1901 - ‘In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa’ MID London Gazette 10.09.1901 Hugh Fortescue Coleridge was born on the 11th of January 1858 in Cadbury, Thorverton, and was the son of Reverend Canon F J Coleridge. Having been passed as a Cadet at the Royal Military College in 1879, he was commissioned into the 47th Foot 22 January 1879 and served for a period of 2 years in Gibraltar before spending some 8 years in the East Indies. He was promoted to Captain on the 1st of July 1887; and was Adjutant with the 1st Volunteer Battalion Loyal North Lancs from the 1st of May 1893 to the 1st of November 1898. After a period of home service, Major Coleridge served in the Second Boer War between 1899 and 1902 as Provost-Marshal and also performed the duties of Intelligence Officer to a column. He took part in the advance on Kimberley with the 1st Battalion Loyal North Lancs, including actions at Belmont, Enslin, Modder River. During this battle, he led his men across the river (as mentioned in Conan-Doyle’s ‘The Great Boer War’) shouting “Now, boys, who’s up for otter hunting?” as he jumped first into the water. During the climax of the battle, his qualities came to the fore, as outlined by Maurice’s ‘History of the War in South Africa 1899-1902’: “…They were so closely pressed by the enemy’s musketry that, in order to cover the retreat, two officers, Major H F Coleridge, North Lancashire, and Captain T Irvine, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, each with ten or eleven men of different battalions, threw themselves into farmhouses, which they stubbornly defended until, many hours later, after their detachments had suffered severe loss, they were ordered to evacuate their posts.” Following this action he was present at Magersfontein; operations in the Orange Free State, April to May 1900; operations in the Transvaal, west of Pretoria, July to 29 November 1900, including actions at Lindley and Rhenoster River; operations in Cape Colony, north and south of Orange River, 1899 to 1900; operations in the Transvaal, 30th November 1900 to 31st May 1902. He was mentioned in Despatches and then awarded the DSO in September 1901, being invested by the King 24 October 1902. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on the 1st of June, 1906; and commanded the 1st Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He was given the Brevet of Colonel on the 1st of June, 1909, and retired a year later on the 1st of June, 1910, with the rank of Colonel. Colonel Coleridge served in the Great War, 1914-18, and was created a CBE in 1919. He married, in 1906, Kathleen, eldest daughter of Rear Admiral J H Bainbridge and of Mrs Bainbridge, of Elfordleigh, Plympton, and they had five sons. He died at Langstone, Tavistock, on the 17th of April 1928. Sold with copy service papers, roll & London Gazette mentions, as well as some further research.