Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Jameson raider’s British South Africa Company Medal 1890-97 and Boer War group of three awarded to Major G. V. Drury, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, late Royal Marines, 11th Hussars, Bechuanaland Border Police, British South Africa Police and King’s Royal Rifle Corps

British South Africa Company Medal 1890-97, reverse Matabeleland 1893, 1 clasp, Rhodesia 1896 (Lieut. G. V. Drury, B.B. Police); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Relief of Mafeking, Transvaal (Capt. G. V. Drury, B.S.A. Police); King’s South Africa, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Capt. G. V. Drury, B.S.A. Police), the first an official replacement issued in 1904, one or two unofficial rivets on the second, generally good very fine (3) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of British South Africa Company 1890-97 Medals.

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Gordon Vallancy Drury was born in Stonehouse, Devon in August 1864, the son of Major-General George Drury, R.M., and was commissioned into the Royal Marines Light Infantry in September 1883. Having then been accused of cheating in a ‘military instruction examination’ in February 1885, he was compelled to resign his commission, although the London Gazette described his departure in more charitable terms - namely his failure by a small margin in a ‘tactics course’. Nonetheless, by Victorian standards, he was undoubtedly persona non grata - an unhappy fate that must have contributed to his subsequent enlistment in the ranks of the 11th Hussars in March 1885.

Embarked with his regiment for South Africa in July 1890, as a Sergeant, he purchased his discharge for £18 that October, having been attracted by the prospect of more favourable employment as a Regimental Sergeant-Major in the Bechuanaland Border Police. Advanced to Lieutenant, he was actively engaged in the Matabele Rebellion in 1893, including the action at Zangesi under Colonel Hamilton Goold-Adams, and afterwards was employed in the Mafeking detachment.

Then as an Inspector in command of ‘D’ Troop, Mashonaland Mounted Police, he participated in the famous Jameson raid, being among those taken prisoner by the Boers at Doornkop in the Transvaal on 2 January 1896 and subsequently repatriated to England in the Harlech Castle (The Times list of passengers refers), where he stayed at the Manor House, North Huish, Ivybridge, Devon. Returning to South Africa, the Cape Times reported in April 1896 that he ‘left Mafeking with a detachment of Jameson’s men for the front’, as a Captain in ‘E’ Squadron of the Matabeleland Relief Force, and in that capacity was present at the storming of the rebel stronghold of Sikombo, the ascent to which ‘was rendered the more unpleasant by a terrific fire from the enemy’, Major Kershaw being among the resultant casualties. Drury came through unscathed and was awarded the “Rhodesia 1896” clasp.

Next appointed a Lieutenant in the British South Africa Company’s Police, in November 1898 he led a contingent to Monze in Northern Rhodesia, where he established Fort Monze. Having then briefly commanded the Barotse Native Police, he was appointed Captain & Adjutant of No. 2 (Bulawayo Division) of the B.S.A.P. and commanded the police detachment in the action at Derdepoort on 24 November 1899, when 50 or 60 of the enemy were killed or wounded. And during his subsequent services in Plumer’s force in an abortive attempt to relieve Mafeking in March 1900, he was taken prisoner by the Boers, Gibbs’ History of the British South Africa Police stating:

‘They - Captain Drury, Sergeant R. E. Murray and Troopers Matthews and Rogers - too found themselves surrounded by the Boers, who ordered them to put up their hands. Murray is reputed to have refused, saying “damned if I’ll do that for an Africander.” When the Boers threatened to shoot him on the spot, Drury sensibly intervened and gave him a direct order to comply. The Boers took away their leggings, boots and some of their clothes and left them on the veld. They finally arrived in Pitsani and rejoined Bodle’s party considerably the worse for wear.’

In September 1901, Drury departed Bulawayo with two officers and 125 other ranks for the Western Transvaal, where he served in Methuen’s force until returning to Rhodesia in June 1902 - and was mentioned in despatches by Kitchener. And it was in the same year, no doubt prompted by the arrival of his Boer War awards, that Drury applied for a duplicate British South Africa Company Medal & clasp, having lost his original award whilst crossing the Zambesi River on his way to Monze in November 1898 - ‘a bag containing my Medal was accidentally lost from a native canoe.’ Said replacement was duly despatched to him in 1904.

In the latter year, Drury was appointed to the command of the Southern Rhodesia Constabulary with the local rank of Major, and on the amalgamation of his force with the British South Africa Police in December 1909, he was advanced to Chief Inspector. He finally retired in November 1913, having latterly served as Commandant (sometimes known as ‘Acting Superintendent’) of the B.S.A.P., an unhappy tenure of office due to the personal antipathy shown him by the Administrator, Sir William Milton.

In August 1915, he was appointed to the temporary rank of Captain in the 14th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, in which capacity he went out to France in February 1916, winning a “mention” in May 1917 before transferring to the 5th Battalion, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry later that year. Subsequently attached as a Major to a training unit of the Devonshire Regiment at Rollestone Camp, on Salisbury Plain, he died there suddenly on 19 November 1917, and was buried in Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire. His Great War awards were never claimed; sold with full research, including copies of three entertaining reports made by Drury while stationed at Monze Fort in 1898-99.