Auction Catalogue

4 December 2002

Starting at 12:00 PM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 1155

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4 December 2002

Hammer Price:
£2,300

A rare inter-War North West Frontier M.C. group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel C. F. S. Langridge, Indian Army

Military Cross, G.V.R.; India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (2-Lieut., 2-151 Infy.); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; War Medal; India Service Medal, nearly very fine or better (6) £2000-2500

M.C. London Gazette 18 May 1934: ‘The King has approved of the undermentioned award in respect of operations on the North-West Frontier of India, January, 1934:- Awarded the Military Cross for gallant and distinguished service in action:- Captain Cecil Francis Somerton Langridge, 3rd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment, Indian Army, attached Tochi Scouts.’ Only two M.C’s. were awarded in 1934, for separate actions on the North West Frontier of India.

Furter details concerning this unique award are revealed in this officer’s Annual Confidential Report for 1933-34 which states: ‘Distinguished himself in an action with tribesmen on 11 January 1934, when under very heavy fire he displayed great steadiness, initiative and skill in handling his command.’ A memorandum in the same file advises of the award of the M.C. and states that it was ‘for gallantry in action against Ghilzais in the Spinwam Area on the 11th January 1934.’

The Times, Monday January 15, 1934, reported: ‘PATROL AMBUSHED ON N.W. FRONTIER - Ghilzai tribesmen ambushed a Tochi Scouts patrol near Spinwam killing three and wounding five, all Indians. The Ghilzais lost six killed and five wounded. The motive for the attack is probably revenge for a skirmish in a grazing dispute last year.

‘The Tochi Scouts are one of the three trans frontier civil corps, all of which are officered by British Officers seconded from Indian Regiments. The Scouts are intended to assist British political control in North Waziristan and to prevent raiding by tribesmen through Waziristan into the settled districts. The Ghilzais are a large and widespread Afghan tribe.’

Cecil Francis Somerton Langridge was born at Naini Tal, India, on 15 November 1899, and commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 29th Punjabis, 16 December 1918. He transferred to the 3/14th Punjab Regiment in November 1924. During the Second war he commanded the 5/16 Punjabis in the Arakan campaign, and later the 15/14th Punjabis. In June 1946 he was attached to the Pishin Scouts Frontier Force, as Commandant, and retired in 1947. Sold with a large and comprehensive file of copied service records.