Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An outstanding Boer War D.S.O. group of nine awarded to Colonel W. M. Sherston, The Rifle Brigade, a veteran of the 1st Boer War and Abu Klea who commanded a squadron of Naval Armoured Cars during the Great War

Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, 2 clasps, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (Lieut., 2/Rifle Bde.) clasp backstraps reduced to facilitate court mounting; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (Lieutt., Rifle Bde.) backstraps reduced as before; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (Major, D.S.O. Impl. Yeo.) backstraps reduced as before; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr., R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Col.); Coronation 1902, silver; Khedive’s Star 1884-6, suspension soldered to facilitate mounting, contact marks to the earlier medals, otherwise nearly very fine or better (9) £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to The Rifle Brigade and Affiliated Regiments from the collection formed by Michael Haines.

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See Colour Plate I.

William Maxwell Sherston was born at Evercreech, near Bath, on 14 April 1859, son of J. D. Sherston, J.P. for Somerset. He was educated at Marlborough, and Pembroke College, Cambridge, and enlisted into the 7th Dragoon Guards in 1877. After service in the Transvaal during the First Boer War of 1881, he was promoted from the rank of Sergeant to Lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade on 10 June 1882.

Lieutenant Sherston commanded the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade detachment which served with the Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment on the Nile Expedition of 1884-85, comprising himself and 27 other ranks. Sherston and 14 other ranks were present at the battles of Abu Klea and Abu Kru, and also the reconnaissance to Metemmeh. The only other Rifle Brigade officer present at Abu Klea was Captain Hon. H. Hardinge, who commanded the 3rd Battalion detachment in the Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment, with 22 other ranks.

Sherston next proceeded to India and served during the campaign in Burma in 1887, and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 2 September 1887). In 1888 he was promoted to Captain on transfer to the 18th Hussars, from which he retired in 1896, and was appointed Major in the North Somerset Yeomanry in 1899. In 1900 he reverted to the rank of Captain and served during the Boer War with the 7th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 16 April 1901), and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette 19 April 1901), ‘For services in South Africa up to the 29th November 1900, the day on which Field Marshal Lord Roberts handed over the command.’

Sherston reverted to the North Somerset Yeomanry with his former rank in 1900 and was appointed A.D.C. to the Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Earl Roberts, 1901-04. He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant on 25 December 1903, became Hon. Colonel of the regiment on 27 February 1904, and retired from the North Somerset Yeomanry in 1909.

In August 1914 he was granted a commission as Sub-Lieutenant R.N.V.R., and was subsequently Lieutenant-Commander in charge of a Squadron of Naval Armoured Cars at the Yeomanry Base Depot in Egypt. In April 1917 he was posted to the command of the 22nd Infantry Base Depot in France, and was Camp Commandant 17th Corps in France in 1918. Sherston was a J.P. for Somerset and died aged 66 years at Parkstone, Dorset, on 19 August 1925.