Five: Brevet Colonel F. G. A. Wiehe, Durham Light Infantry

Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Capt., 1st Batt. D.L.I.); 1914-15 Star (Bt. Col.); British War and Victory Medals (Bt. Col.); Afghanistan, ‘Silver Star’, silver, six-pointed star, 38mm. dia., unnamed, good very fine (5) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Durham Light Infantry and associated units.

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Francis George Archibald Wiehe was born in India on 14 February 1852 and educated at Clifton College and Sandhurst R.M.C. He entered the Army as an Ensign in the 64th Regiment on 28 October 1871 and was promoted a Lieutenant on 28 October 1871. He transferred to the 68th Regiment in 1873 and was Instructor of Musketry from December 1874 to October 1879. He served in the Afghan War during 1879-80 as Brigade Transport Officer with the Khyber Field Force and gained the Queen’s medal and the ‘Silver Star’ for Kabul 1880. Promoted Captain on 7 January 1880 and Major on 29 October 1884, he was the D.A.A.G. (Musketry) for Bengal, June 1883-July 1888 and District Inspector of Musketry, South Eastern District, October 1889- December 1894. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 11 April 1894, he held the post of Chief Instructor of Musketery at Hythe during 1894-99, being placed on Half Pay and receiving the Brevet of Colonel on 28 July 1899. He was placed on Retired Pay on 25 August 1900. Brought from retirement with the onset of the Great War, he commanded the 1st Entrenching Battalion attached to the 1st Canadian Division and subsequently commanded a brigade group of five Entrenching Battalions of the 2nd Army in France and Belgium during 1915. From January 1916 he was the Commandant (D.A.A.G.) Lines of Communication, Rouen and on occasions during 1916-18 acted as Base Commandant at Rouen. He was demobilised in March 1918. Still active in the years before his death, the old soldier died at Tunbridge Wells on 16 November 1938. Sold with copied research.