Orders, Decorations and Medals

Four: Lieutenant C. L. Wells, Hampshire Regiment and Colonial Forces

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Wepener, Wittebergen, Belfast (Lieutenant, Johannesburg M.R.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut., J’burg M.R.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, N. Nigeria 1903 (Lieut., 2nd N.N. Regt.); Coronation 1902, silver, the group mounted ‘Cavalry’ style with the Coronation Medal taking precedence, generally good very fine (4) £1200-1500

Charles Lionell Wells was present at Wepener as a Trooper in the Cape Mounted Rifles and was subsequently appointed to a commission in the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles. He was dangerously wounded near Driefontein on 1 May 1901 and mentioned in despatches London Gazette 3 December 1901, ‘For dash and judgement in attack on position at Waterval on 10th September, 1901’.

Wells received a commission in the Regular Army as Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, on 28 August 1902, becoming Lieutenant on 6 April 1903. He was attached to the North Nigeria Regiment and took part in the Kano-Sokoto campaign, January-July 1903, and was mentioned in despatches for his part in the action at Kotorokoshi which resulted in the award of the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant Wallace Wright, The Queen’s Regiment. The London Gazette of 31 July 1903 reported: ‘Lieut. W. D. Wright, with Lieut. C. L. Wells and 45 men of the Mounted Infantry left on the 24th, reaching Korokoshi on the 25th. He there came into contact with and was charged by the advance party of the enemy coming down the road from Kaura but routed them with the loss of 40 killed and numerous prisoners. Continuing his advance towards Rawia he was riding up to a Chief who apparently wished to surrender, when he was suddenly charged from an ambuscade by about 30 horsemen, who broke through his men but were repulsed with a loss of 5 killed. Lieut. Wright was informed by his scouts at 8 a.m. that the enemy were advancing in force. He immediately formed square round his horsesheld by his carriers and prisoners. The enemy in great numbers charged the square repeatedly for two hours. At 10 a.m. the enemy drew off leaving 65 horsemen dead within 30 yards of the square, 11 of them being recognised as principal chiefs of Kano... Lieut. Wright makes special mention of the assistance he received from Lieut. C. L. Wells, 3rd Hampshire Regiment, who between enemy charges, was employed in cutting down thorn bushes to form a zariba outside the square.’