The Collection of Medals Formed by Bill and Angela Strong

Royal Artillery Institution Le Froy Medal 1890, by Elkington, London, obverse; Britannia, wearing armour and a helmet, seated by a cannon facing right, holding papers in her hands and with a telescope at her feet, in the background, coastal fortifications and the sea, ‘Arte et Marte’ above, in the exergue, ‘1890’; reverse: within a wreath of oak and laurel, ‘John Henry Le Froy Royal Artillery 1834-1890’ (Major P. J. Heggie, R.A.) 47mm., silver-gilt, 71.27g., virtually extremely fine
£60-80

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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Major-General Sir J. H. Le Froy, K.C.M.G., C.B., F.R.S. (1817-1890) joined the the Royal Artillery Regiment in 1834. Together with Lieutenant (afterwards Major-General) F. M. Eardley-Wilmot, he was largely responsible for the creation of the Royal Artillery Institution in 1838 and was its first Secretary. A pioneer of magnetic research, he joined the Toronto Observatory in 1842, serving for eleven years, undertaking vast surveying operations in the Hudson Bay region. The author of the Handbook for Field Service, he was the Duke of Newcastle’s special advisor on artillery matters in 1854

. In 1858 he wrote a paper urging the establishment of a School of Gunnery and his suggestions were shortly afterwards adopted. In 1859 he was member of the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom, after which he became first Secretary and then President of the Ordnance Select Committee. In 1868 he was appointed Director-General of Ordnance. He retired as a Major-General in 1870 and the following year was appointed Governor and C-in-C of Bermuda. He was Governor of Tasmania from 1880 to 1882.

The Le Froy Gold Medal was given by Lady Le Froy in memory of her late husband to the most distinguished student in each Advanced Class at the Artillery College. When the College ceased to be a regimental institution in 1899 the medal was placed at the disposal of the Royal Artillery Institution. There it was awarded biennially to officers who made distinguished contributions towards the scientific study and application of artillery.

Phillip Joshua Heggie was born on 31 August 1920. He served in the mobilized T.A. ranks for seven years and then in the Regular Army for over 16 years. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the R.A. in November 1962 and attained the rank of Major in February 1972. He retired with that rank in August 1974.