City of London Imperial Volunteers for South Africa 1899-1900 Medallion, 76mm, bronze, the obverse featuring a seated female figure with sword, presenting the freedom of the city to a uniformed man in the City Imperial Volunteers, the reverse featuring the radiant sun of the British Empire shining behind a hill which is surmounted by a tall staff flying the Union Flag and C.I.V. Flag, guarded by two guns, the edge inscribed in large capitals ‘A. Thorne, S. Captn. C.I.V.’ in fitted and embossed case of issue, nearly extremely fine £260-£300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria.

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Atwood Thorne was born in London in 1867 and educated at Sevenoaks School and Brighton College. By 1893 he was House Surgeon at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington and Captain of the 1st Cinque Ports Rifle Volunteers. During the Boer War he served as Medical Officer to the City Imperial Volunteers Battery as part of the 2nd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers contingent and was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 10 September 1901); returning afterwards to England he continued his medical career at St. Mary’s. Remaining in the 1st Cinque Ports Rifles, he was advanced Surgeon-Major in August 1905 and in 1911 he was Lieutenant-Colonel and Hon. Surgeon-Colonel of the 4th London General Hospital R.A.M.C.

Thorne became a keen archaeologist and lived at Caerleon, Monmouthshire, where he oversaw the Roman excavations.