A Boer War C.M.G. group of four awarded to Colonel T. W. O’H. Hamilton, Royal Army Medical Corps

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, slight enamel damage; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (Major, M.B., C.M.G., R.A.M.C.), some post-nominal letters corrected; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (Maj., M.B., C.M.G., R.A.M.C.); Coronation 1911 (Lt. Col., C.M.G., M.B., R.A.M.C.) very fine (4) £650-750

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Medical Services formed by Colonel D.G.B. Riddick.

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Thomas William O’Hara Hamilton was born in Aldershot on 24 May 1860, the son of Colonel T. Hamilton. Educated at King’s School, Canterbury and Trinity College, Dublin. After qualifying as a B.A. and M.B. he entered the Army as a Surgeon, afterwards Surgeon-Captain, in February 1883 and was promoted to Surgeon-Major in February 1895. He served in the Boer War, taking part in the relief of Kimberley; operations in the Orange Free State, February-May 1900, including the operations at Paardeberg and the actions at Poplar Grove, Driefontein and Zand River. Then in the Transvaal, May-June 1900, including actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill. Operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July-November 1900, including actions at Belfast, and operations in Cape Colony, including the actions at Colesberg. For his services he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 16 April 1901) and awarded the C.M.G. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in February 1903, he was placed on Retired Pay in November 1911. Re-employed during the Great War, he died on 22 April 1918.