Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Boer War D.C.M. group of six awarded to Colour-Sergeant T. Morgan, Grenadier Guards, who was cited for his bravery in the desperate action fought at Biddulphsberg in May 1900 - he later became Gatekeeper at Windsor Castle and was awarded the M.S.M. in 1933

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (7330 Clr. Serjt. T. Morgan, Gren. Gds.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Wittebergen, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (7330 Clr. Serjt., Gren. Gds.); Coronation 1902, bronze; Coronation 1911, privately engraved, ‘T. Morgan’; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R. (7330 Sergt., Gren. Gds.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., coinage bust (C. Sjt., D.C.M., G. Gds.), minor contact marks and edge bruising, somewhat polished, good fine and better (6) £3000-3500

D.C.M. London Gazette 27 September 1901 (Army Order 15/02).

Thomas Morgan was born in Nottingham and enlisted in the Grenadier Guards in May 1880, aged 19 years. Advanced to Corporal in October 1887, following a year long posting to South Africa 1884-85, and to Sergeant in June 1890, shortly before being embarked for garrison duty in Bermuda, he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in October 1898, the same month in which he was advanced to Colour-Sergeant. Embarked for South Africa with the 2nd Battalion in March 1900, Morgan was quickly in action, not least in the engagement at Biddulphsberg on 29 May 1900, when the Grenadiers were badly mauled. On that occasion, he assisted in the rescue of Lieutenant-Colonel Lloyd, an incident to which his grateful C.O. later referred in his account of the action, but first, by way of introduction, the diary entry of fellow Grenadier Corporal J. Clay:

‘At this the General said to the Colonel “Move on Lloyd.” We wheeled with five or six companies in extended order facing the objective at a distance of about 1500 yards, into a field of mealies which were ripening at a height of three or four feet. On reaching 1000 yards we were met by a rain of bullets and our casualties grew. Our gun officer ordered us to leave the gun and get down to it. We could see no enemy but we blazed away. It was woe betide the man who did not lie still and keep his head down. The artillery kept up a continued bombardment, but about 4 p.m. the mealies field behind us was ablaze. As the fire came towards us we covered our faces with our pith helmets and forced our way through the flames and smoke. Never shall I forget the screams and cries of the wounded as we drew our gun out to the left to flank the fire. Our Colonel was badly wounded and of No. 6 Company of 100 men only 30 escaped ... ’

And it was as these flames threatened to engulf the thinning ranks of the Grenadiers that Morgan came forward to rescue his wounded C.O. - Lieutenant-Colonel Lloyd takes up the story:

‘I managed to struggle for 300 yards or so, when Colour-Sergeant Morgan came up and helped me. He was one of the few unhit. Bullets were falling thick, but I reached a wire fence where I lay down behind a stone post for a minute or two. Colour-Sergeant Morgan and another man then came and insisted on pulling me along, while others received like aid, those who could walk helping those who could not. Some 200 yards further on I was put on to a Scots Guards stretcher ... I asked Gilmour to mention the following who came under my notice: Lieutenant E. Seymour, 2nd Lieutenant A. Murray, and Colour-Sergeant Morgan.’

And the latter was indeed duly mentioned in despatches by Lord Roberts, the award of his D.C.M. folllowing a week or two later in September 1901. Meanwhile, however, the gallant Sergeant-Major had been invalided, and he was discharged as ‘medically unfit for further service’ on his return to the U.K. in July 1901.

Appointed Gatekeeper at Windsor Castle, Morgan served in that capacity until his retirement, other than a tour of duty as R.S.M. on the Military Prison Staff at the Aliens Detention Camp at Douglas, Isle of Man, during the Great War - employment that did not qualify him for any further awards. Having then been awarded his M.S.M. in 1933 (Army Order 122), he died in Nottingham in September 1944, aged 84 years.