Six: Captain H. L. Reynolds, Nilgiri Volunteer Rifles, late India Miscellaneous List, Indian Army, and 18th Royal Hussars

India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Relief of Chitral 1895 (Sergt. H. L. Reynolds Bl. Unattd. List.); 1914-15 Star (Lt. & Asst Comsy H. L. Reynolds. I.M.L.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. H. L. Reynolds.); Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (Condtr. H. L. Reynolds India Misc List); Volunteer Force Long Service Medal, G.V.R. (Captn H. L. Reynolds Nilgiri Vol Rfls) minor contact marks, generally good very fine (6) £600-£800

Harry Lewis Reynolds was born in Laxton, Nottinghamshire, on 17 December 1865. A clerk, he attested for the 18th Hussars at Manchester on 31 January 1890, transferring as Lance Corporal to the Bengal Unattached List whilst in India on 20 October 1894. Raised Sergeant at Simla, Reynolds was allocated to the administration of the local Volunteer Rifles and served during the Relief of Chitral with the Bengal Unattached List. Likely present in the actions at the Malakand Pass and at Khar, Reynolds was mentioned in the supplementary list and promoted Sub Conductor 27 July 1896.

Raised Conductor on 15 February 1905, Reynolds soon proved himself a talented shot, winning four Punjab Provincial shooting medals awarded for best shot among the Volunteers. It was around this time that Lord Kitchener’s reforms of the Indian Army began to come to fruition, the four original armies of the Punjab, Bengal, Madras and Bombay, being transformed into a Northern and Southern Army. In consequence, Reynolds was posted to the 9th (Secunderabad) Division in the Southern Army, and sent to Ootacamund as Head Clerk in the Divisional Staff Office. Commissioned Assistant Commissary (Honorary Lieutenant) 1 April 1913, and Captain in the Nilgiri Volunteers 1 January 1914, he was awarded the Volunteer Force LSGC Medal under Indian Army Order 485 of 7 September 1914.

Sent to Mesopotamia on 23 April 1915, Reynolds was fortunate to not fall into enemy hands at the surrender of Kut on 29 September 1916. Serving with Force D, he was Mentioned in the Despatch of Sir Percy Lake from Basrah, dated 24 August 1916. An earlier despatch, dated 12 August 1916, noted: ‘I wish to record my appreciation of the valuable work performed by the Officers of General Headquarters and my personal Staff, to whom I am much indebted for their loyal assistance on all occasions’.

Sold with four Provincial ‘Best Shot’ silver medals, the first with Punjab suspension: ‘1906-07 Won by Sergeant H. L. Reynolds Simla Volunteer Rifles’; the second to fourth with Madras, Mysore & Hyderabad suspensions: ‘1908-09 Won by Sergt. H. L. Reynolds Nilgriri Volr. Rifles’, ‘1910-11 Won by Sergeant H. L. Reynolds Nilgiri Rifle Volunteers 63 Points’, and ‘1912-13 Won by Cr. Sergt. H. L. Reynolds Nilgiri Volunteer Rifles 42. Points.’, these in nearly extremely fine condition and most attractive; and copied research.