Orders, Decorations and Medals

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 2 clasps, 1892, 1893-94 (Lieut. P. C. E. Macdonald, 1/W.I. Rgt.) nearly extremely fine and a rare casualty
£2000-2500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The collection of Medals formed by the Late Clive Nowell.

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Ex Glendining March 1963 and Hayward’s Gazette June 1971

Peter Charles Edward MacDonald was born on 13 December 1863 and was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the West India Regiment on 9 October 1889, aged 25. Promoted to Lieutenant in March 1891 and served with this rank in the expedition to Gambia in 1892, being present at the capture of Toniatabu. He saw further service on the west coast of Africa in the operations against the Sofas in 1893-94, being mentioned in despatches for his services (London Gazette 28 February 1894), and in the expedition to the Gambia against Fodey Silah in 1894 for which he was again mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 14 May 1894

MacDonald served as Adjutant 1/W.I.R. from 17 July 1895 and was promoted to Captain in October 1897. In the following year he took part in the Karene expedition during which he was mortally wounded.

On 27 March he had set out from Port Lokko, Sierra Leone, with a detachment of 4 officers and 100 men under the command of Colonel Bosworth in an attempt to clear the road to Karene of rebel tribesmen. There had been considerable fighting in this area recently and the British had suffered more than one reverse. MacDonald’s column met with serious resistance at Malal and Romani, and at Kagbantama suffered casualties after being fired at by the enemy from the loop-holed walls of the town. On the evening of the 27th the column reached Matiti where it found its further progress barred by the stockades on both sides of the road. Here bitter fighting took place and amongst the casualties was Captain MacDonald, who was shot and mortally wounded. The little column struggled into Karene at half past midnight on the 28th having lost in killed and wounded more than one third of its strength. Sold with copies of relevant rolls and other details.