Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family pair: Tibet 1903-04, no clasp (Lieut. R. E. Alston 1st Bn. Ryl: Fusrs.); General Service 1962, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (2/Lt. A. B. Alston RRF.) extremely fine (2) £600-700

Rowland Ernest Alston was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers on 15 November 1899 and promoted to Lieutenant on 12 January 1901. He died of pneumonia at Chumbi on 3 June 1904, whilst on the Tibet Expedition.

The following extracts are taken from the diary of Regimental Sergeant-Major P. A. Coath, 1st Bn. Royal Fusiliers:

‘2nd June... I regret to write that towards dusk my Company Commander, Lieut. Alston was carried in on a stretcher, having had to give up before reaching the summit of the “Jelap”, owing to his heart - Poor fellow, he looked very blue in the face when I saw him and I fear he will not last long.’

‘Chumbi, 3rd June... We buried poor Lieut. Alston who died this morning of “Pneumonia” - “Pneumonia” is very prevalent among the natives of the “Force”.

Sold with a fine named group photograph of the officers of the 1st Royal Fusiliers at Mandalay in 1901 - Alston standing at back left - and another of a “Ladies” cricket match.