Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The mounted group of six miniature dress medals attributed to Sergeant F. J. Sears, Royal Marine Artillery

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R., with Second Award Bar, dated ‘November 21st-24th 1899’; Queen’s Sudan 1896-98; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R.; Meritorious Service Medal, V.R. - obverse as for the ‘E. & W. Africa Medal’, with straight bar suspension; Egypt, Order of the Nile, silver, silver-gilt and enamel; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 5 clasps, Sudan 1897, Khartoum, Sudan 1899, Gedid, Bahr-el-Ghazal 1900-02, cleaned, modern mounting for wear, very fine (6) £600-700

D.C.M. London Gazette 13 March 1900. ‘Sergeant F. J. Sears, Royal Marine Artillery.’

Bar to the D.C.M. London Gazette 1 May 1900. ‘Sergeant F. J. Sears, Royal Marine Artillery’ ‘... in recognition of their services during the operations in the Soudan, resulting in the defeat and death of the Khalifa in November, 1899.’

Order of the Nile, 5th Class London Gazette 6 November 1917. ‘Frederick James Sears, Esq.’

Frederick Sears was born in Eastney, Portsmouth, Hampshire on 29 April 1869, the son of James Sears and Jane Rowe. He was educated at the Greenwich Hospital School and enlisted into the Royal Marines on 21 May 1885. Sears was successively advanced to Gunner, 1886; Bombardier, 1893; Corporal, 1895; Sergeant, 1897, and Colour Sergeant, 1902.

Serving with the R.M.A. in the Sudan, he was seconded to the Egyptian Army in July 1897. His service papers record that he was ‘brought to the notice of H.H. The Khedive in despatches of 30 May 1898 for good service in gunboats leading up to the battle of Atbara’, and that he ‘received the thanks of the Admiralty.’ For his services in this regard he was awarded the D.C.M. He was awarded the Bar to the D.C.M. for his services in November 1899 during the final pursuit and defeat of the Khalifa. His papers further record that his name was ‘brought to the notice of H.H. The Khedive for good service during the re-occupation of Bahr-el-Ghazal Province, Egypt Army Order 3177 of 10 Nov. 01.’

Sears was discharged from military service on 20 May 1906 and was awarded the Royal Marine Meritorious Service Medal with an annuity of £10 on 7 June 1906. Remaining in Egypt he was later an Assistant Agent in the Stores Department in Alexandria and in 1917 was awarded the Order of the Nile for his civilian service.

Sold with a folder containing comprehensive copied research, including service papers and gazette extracts.

A group consisting of four miniature dress medals attributed to Sergeant Sears - the Khedive’s Sudan with four clasps, was sold in D.N.W. 27 June 2002, lot 844.