Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A pair of miniature dress medals attributed to General H. K. Burne, Military Secretary to Earl Mayo, the Viceroy of India, on the occasion of the latter’s assassination in the Andaman Islands in 1872

Sutlej 1845-46, plain reverse exergue, 1 (loose) clasp, Ferozeshuhur; India General Service 1854-95, 1 thin clasp, Pegu, silver contemporary struck piece with disk set into separate mount, contact marks and edge bruising, nearly very fine and better (2) £80-100

Henry Knightley Burne was born in 1825. He entered Addiscombe Military Academy as a Cadet in 1843 and was subsequently appointed a Lieutenant in the 2nd Bengal Native Infantry and saw action in the First Sikh War. During the Burmese campaign he served as Military Secretary to General Goodwin and was mentioned in despatches on several occasions. He was appointed Military Secretary to the Governor of India in 1853 with the rank of Major.

It was in this latter capacity, while serving as Military Secretary to the Earl of Mayo, Viceroy of India, in 1872, that Burne had the misfortune to become embroiled in the assassination of the Earl during his visit to the convict settlement at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands - the Viceroy was stabbed in the back by Sher Ali Afridi, one of the convicts. Indeed Burne had to submit an official report, in which he defended the security arrangements that had been out in place:

‘Major-General Stewart explained to me that he had taken every proper precaution; that he had caused guards to be posted at each locality, as well as an armed body of Police and Chuprassis to accompany the Viceroy. The Viceroy was quite satisfied at what had been done, and I myself felt every confidence in General Stewart's arrangements for his safety, making no addition to them beyond warning the Staff present to keep their eyes open during the day, and as a matter of precaution to keep near the Viceroy in order to obviate any chance of possible danger to him ... ’

Burne retired in the rank of Major-General, with a C.B. He died in Brighton in 1901; sold with copied research; Burne’s full-size awards, and these miniatures, were sold at Bosley’s, 2 May 2011.