Auction Catalogue

18 & 19 September 2014

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

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Lot

№ 1468

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19 September 2014

Hammer Price:
£1,450

Eight: Staff Sergeant Instructor W. Prince, Indian Defence Force, late Lincolnshire Regiment and Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (4305 Pte. T. Prince, 1/Lin. R.); China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (4305 Lce. Corpl. I. Prince, 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regt.), officially engraved naming in running script; 1914-15 Star (10174 Sjt. T. Prince, L.N. Lanc. R.); British War and Victory Medals (10174 Sjt. T. Prince. L.N. Lan. R.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R. (S.-Sjt. Instr. T. Prince, 6-Bang. Coorg & M. Bn. I.D.F.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (10174 Sjt. T. Prince, L.N. Lanc. Regt.); Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 2 clasps, The Atbara, Khartoum (4305 Lce. Corpl. T. Prince, 1 Linc. Regt.), together with three related Royal Ancient Order of the Buffaloes awards, in silver, or silver-gilt and enamel, all named, and dated 1901, 1904 and 1914, and an old wearing bar with remnants of riband, the earlier campaign awards with contact marks and polished, thus good fine, the remainder rather better (11) £1600-1800

Thomas Prince was born in Stepney, London, and enlisted in the Lincolnshire Regiment in September 1895, aged 19 years, direct from the 4th (Militia) battalion, Essex Regiment.

Posted to the 1st Battalion, he quickly witnessed active service in the Sudan, where he was present at Atbara and Khartoum (Queen’s Medal; Khedive’s Medal & 2 clasps). Having then been advanced to Lance-Corporal and qualified as an Assistant Instructor in Signalling at Poona, he was extra regimentally employed in China between July 1900 and October 1902, where he was present in the relief of Pekin operations and, in regimental terms, awarded an extremely rare Medal & clasp.

Transferring to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in June 1911, he was serving in the 2nd Battalion in India on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. Embarked for East Africa that October, the same month in which he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal, he was invalided back to India in May 1915, and he remained employed there until the War’s end, gaining advancement to Colour-Sergeant in July 1916.

In fact, Prince settled in India after the Great War, where he became a Staff Sergeant Instructor in the Indian Defence Force, and it was in this capacity that he was awarded his M.S.M. in July 1926. Moreover, official records reveal that he was still receiving his pension at Allahabad as late as 1954; sold with a portrait photograph and copied research, the latter including the recipient’s service record with confirmation of his Medals & clasps.