Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Boer War D.C.M. group of four awarded to Quarter-Master Sergeant C. Preston, North Staffordshire Regiment, who was decorated for gallant deeds in the 4th (Militia) Battalion

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (1939 Qr. Mr. Sjt. C. Preston, 4th N. Staff. Regt.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (1939 Q.M. Sjt. C. Preston, N. Stafford Regt.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1901 (1939 Qr. Mr. Sjt. C. Preston, N. Stafford Regt.); Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (1939 Q.M. Sjt. C. Preston, N. Staff. Regt.), contact marks and a little polished, thus good fine or better (4) £1800-2200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the North Staffordshire Regiment.

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D.C.M. London Gazette 27 September 1901.

Charles Preston, a native of Burntwood, enlisted in the North Staffordshire Regiment at Lichfield in February 1886, aged 19 years.

Posted to the 4th (Militia) Battalion as a Colour-Sergeant in December 1899, he was re-appointed Quarter-Master Sergeant in the same month and embarked for South Africa, where he served from March 1900 until February 1902. The Battalion was employed in the south-west of Cape Colony, where a number of commandos had broken away southwards, hoping to stir up the Boers of the Cape. In June 1901, a detachment of the 4th Battalion holding the small town of Richmond was attacked by a superior force of the enemy. A number of small sangars on kopjes overlooking the town were overrun but the main position held out all day and the in the evening the Boers withdrew. Here, then, the likely action for which Preston was awarded his D.C.M. He was also mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 10 September 1901).

Preston was discharged at Lichfield in November 1907, having been awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in April of the same year; sold with copied research.