Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War C.B., Boer War D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Brigadier-General Reginald Harvey Henderson Boys, Royal Engineers, who received a special award for his zealous service during the Hong Kong Plague of 1894

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge conversion from a breast badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, complete with top bar; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Laing’s Nek, Belfast (Capt., D.S.O., R.E.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (Capt., D.S.O., R.E.); 1914 Star, with clasp (Lt. Col., R.E.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col.) last six mounted as worn, good very fine and better (7) £3000-4000

C.B. London Gazette 18 February 1915 / 2 March 1915. '... in recognition of the meritorious services ... during the war'

D.S.O. London Gazette 27 September 1901. 'In recognition of services during operations in South Africa'.

M.I.D. London Gazette 8 February 1901, 10 September 1901, 29 July 1902, 19 October 1914, 17 February 1915.

Reginald Harvey Henderson Boys was born on 17 October 1867, son of Admiral Henry Boys, R.N. He entered the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant on 24 July 1886. Present in Hong Kong during the great plague outbreak of 1894, his sterling service in combating the disease was recognized by the authorities:

'To Lieut. Boys, R.E., we are especially indebted - (applause)- for he was the first officer who volunteered, and from the 17th May to the end of the epidemic he gave up all his time (after the completion of his military duties), all his afternoons and Sundays in assisting Mr Crook in the disagreeable work of cleansing and disinfecting the houses. He worked unremittingly at this and also in superintending the detachment of Royal Engineers employed at that work. All who have seen him at work, as well as the Permanent Committee of the Sanitary Board, bear high testimony to his services and conduct' (Ref. Hong Kong Telegraph, 28 September 1894 & Hong Kong Daily Press, 29 September 1894).

His services in regard to 'cleansing houses' were deemed so valuable in combating the epidemic that the Permanent Committee of the Sanitary Board made a separate report of the contribution he had made:

'(He had) .... been at work from the very commencement of the plague to the end. He was the first of many gentlemen outside the ranks of the Civil Service to volunteer for the plague work. He was the last to leave. He has given the whole of his afternoons to the work, superintending the men of the Royal Engineers in their labour in cleansing and disinfecting during the hours of daylight, and assisting Mr Crook in his office till 7 o'clock at night and later in preparing the returns and reports and in arranging the work for the following day. He has not allowed himself any relaxation but has worked most zealously and perserveringly day after day, including Sundays and holidays, throughout the summer, giving the officers of the Sanitary Board and the Committee every advice and every assistance in his power, and setting a noteworthy example to the Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the Royal Engineers working under him. His energy and devotion to his work is, in the opinion of this Committee, deserving not merely of the highest approbation and praise, but of substantial reward. No man in the service has done better work, and the Permanent Committee most strongly recommend that he receive this hearty thanks of the Government for his services, that his conduct be most favourably reported on to his military superiors, and that he may be presented with a sum of $1,000 or its equivalent, in some form that may be acceptable to him, for his four month's work' (Ref. Minutes of the Permanent Committee of the Sanitary Board, 18 September 1894). (Mr John Rowland Crook, mentioned in the above citations, was Executive Engineer in charge of Water and Drainage, Public Works Department, Hong Kong, and was Sanitary Surveyor in charge of disinfecting operations).

As a result of his zealous services the young officer was specially presented with an inscribed piece of plate. This plate may well have been awarded in place of a Hong Kong Plague Medal in gold - a medal to which he would undoubtedly have otherwise been entitled. There exists no record of a gold medal having ever been awarded and the absence of the medal from an otherwise complete medal group adds weight to this. His name was also inscribed on a piece of plate similarly presented to the Royal Engineers' Mess.

Boys was promoted to Captain on 31 December 1896. Serving in the Boer War, 1899-1902, he took part in operations in Natal, 1899; the defence of Ladysmith; operations in Natal, March-June 1900, and operations in Transvaal east of Pretoria, July-November 1900. He then served in operations in Cape Colony and Orange River Colony, November 1900-31 May 1902 and served as Assistant Director of Army Telegraphs. For his services in the war he was three times mentioned in despatches, created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, and awarded the Queen's medal with five clasps and the King's medal with two.

Boys was promoted to Major on 9 April 1905 and advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel on 1 August 1913. He was served as a Staff Captain at the War Office, 1 September 1910-24 July 1913, being employed as the Permanent Secretary of the Royal Engineers Committee. During the Great War he commanded the 2nd Divisional Engineers in France/Flanders, 15 August-2 November 1914. He was wounded on 31 October 1914 when the 1st and 2nd Divisional Headquarters at Hooge Chateau were shelled. After evacuation to England and recovery he was appointed Commandant of the Signal Training Centre from May 1915 and was Deputy Director of Army Signals, Forces in Great Britain, May-November 1918. For his services in the war he was twice mentioned in despatches; created a Companion of the Order of the Bath and on 3 June 1917 was awarded the Brevet of Colonel.

Postwar he was appointed Deputy Chief Engineer, Eastern Command on 18 January 1919 with the temporary rank of Brigadier-General. He then served as Acting Adjutant General at the War Office in 1919 until his retirement in 1923. He married twice; firstly in 1896 to Elizabeth Mary Murray, who died in 1908, daughter of Kenneth Murray of Geanies, Co. Ross; and secondly in 1912, to Dorothy Conyers Baker, by whom he had two sons and one daughter. Brigadier-General Boys died on 15 January 1945. Sold with copied research. The medal group to Boys is illustrated, and the recipient is many times mentioned, in The Whitewash Brigade.