Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Major W. L. Forbes, Royal Fusiliers and Imperial Light Horse, who was severely wounded at Elandslaagte

Afghanistan 1878-80, 1 clasp, Kandahar (2nd Lieut., 2/7th Foot); India General Service 1854-95, 2 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89 (Lieut., 2d Bn. R. Fus.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Elandslaagte, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Capt., R. of O.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Capt., R. of O.); Coronation 1911, privately engraved, ‘Major W. L. Forbes, Gold Staff Officer, Westminster Abbey’, edge brusing, generally very fine or better and a rare combination of awards £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals for The Battle of Elandslaagte, 21 October 1899.

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William Lachlan Forbes was born in Aberdeenshire in August 1859, the son of General Sir John Forbes, G.C.B., and was educated at Clifton and the R.M.C. Sandhurst. Originally commissioned in the 106th Foot, he transferred to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Foot in March 1879, and quickly saw action at the defence of Kandahar and in the battle of September 1880, when he served as Orderly Officer to Colonel Daubeny.

Advanced to Lieutenant in July 1881, he next witnessed active service as an Assistant to the Brigade Commissariat Officer in the Burma operations of 1886-87, and received advancement to Captain in July of the latter year. Having then been placed on half-pay, he served as Adjutant of the 1st (Volunteer) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders 1890-96 and was transferred to the Reserve of Officers in 1898.

But with the outbreak of hostilties in South Africa, he gained appointment as a Lieutenant in the Imperial Light Horse, and was severely wounded at Elandslaagte. Thereafter, he was employed in the Remount Service, and was granted the rank of Major on being placed back on the Reserve of Officers. Onetime a J.P. for Aberdeenshire, Forbes died in the 1930s.