Orders, Decorations and Medals

A regimentally unique Great War M.C. group of six awarded to Major A. C. McLachlan, 18th Hussars, who was wounded and taken P.O.W. at Talana prior to seeing further active service in North Nigeria 1902-03 and in the Great War

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately inscribed, ‘Captain A. C. McLachlan, 18th Hussars, 24th May 1915’; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Talana (Lieut. A. C. McLachlan, 18/Hussars); Africa General Service 1902-56, 2 clasps, N. Nigeria 1902, N. Nigeria 1903 (Capt. A. C. McLachlan, 8th Hussars); 1914-15 Star (Capt. A. C. McLachlan, 18/Hrs.); British War and Victory Medals (Major A. C. McLachlan), mounted as worn, generally good very fine (6) £1600-1800

M.C. London Gazette 16 January 1916.

Albert Charles McLachlan was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 18th Hussars in December 1893, and advanced to Lieutenant in August 1899, on the eve of the Boer War. Subsequently employed in the Natal operations, he was wounded and taken P.O.W. at Talana on 20 October 1899.

On that date, as verified in The 18th Hussars in South Africa, he served in ‘B’ Squadron and acted as his C.O’s galloper and, in common with most of his comrades, and attached elements of the Mounted Infantry, was taken prisoner. The same source states that he was one of 13 men who remained in enemy hands until sent into Ladysmith during the investment, but as a prisoner on parole, he was ‘debarred from taking any further part in the war’ (Queen’s Medal & clasp). Subsequently attached to the West African Frontier Force, McLachlan participated in the North Nigeria operations of 1902, when he was present at Argungu and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 28 October 1904 refers), and afterwards in the Kano-Sokoto campaign of 1903 (Medal & 2 clasps).

During the Great War, he first landed in France in May 1915 and, in addition to his M.C., added two further “mentions” to his accolades (London Gazette 1 January 1916 and 15 May 1917 refers). On 25 May 1915, the date inscribed on the reverse of the recipient’s M.C., the Germans launched a gas attack in their last but one major attack in the 2nd Battle of Ypres.

The Africa GS medal is named to the 18th, not 8th, Hussars as catalogued