Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut. O. F. R. Lenke, R. Welsh Fus.) good very fine £200-250

Otto Frederick Reinhardt Lenke was born in Leamington on 29 January 1882 and was educated at Leamington College. He was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 6 July 1900 and was advanced to Lieutenant in March 1901. Served in South Africa from April 1901. Appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment in April 1902 and advanced to Lieutenant in May 1905. Lenke served in India, June 1903-June 1904. Placed on Half Pay on account of ill-health, October 1907. Appointed Lieutenant in the East Lancashire Regiment in August 1908, he was seconded for service under the Colonial Office in February 1910. Lenke was promoted to a Captain in the East Lancashire Regiment in September 1914. He entered the African (Cameroon) theatre of war on 5 February 1915. Because of the prejudice engendered by the Great War, Lenke changed his foreign sounding name to Frederic Noel Hunt (London Gazette 20 June 1916). In 1917, once more seconded for service under the Colonial Office, Hunt was granted the temporary rank of Major and employed with the training of the West Africa Frontier Force. During 1918 he served with the Nigeria Regiment and was awarded the A.G.S. with clasp for ‘Nigeria 1918’. He was granted the brevet of Major in 1919 (London Gazette 3 June 1919). Continuing to serve with the W.A.F.F. he was promoted to Major in April 1921 and retired on 7 September 1922. With copied research.