Auction Catalogue

22 July 2016

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 523

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22 July 2016

Hammer Price:
£380

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Natal, Belfast (Lieut. C. H. Harrison, West India Rgt.), extremely fine and rare £280-320

Charles Howard Harrison, the son of Charles Lynch Harrison and Eleanor Blanche Harrison, was born at, Gaya, Bihar Agency, India, on 3 November 1879. At the time of his birth, his father was a Civil Servant holding the appointment of ‘Sub Deputy Opium Agent’. Educated at Allhallows School, Honiton, Devon, he was a good athlete and captained the school Rugby Team - and latterly played football for the local Honiton Football Club.

Shortly after leaving school, Charles became a ‘Gentlemen Ranker’ and enlisted in the British Army as a Private in the Devonshire Regiment. Uncommonly, Charles, while holding the lowly rank of Lance-Corporal, was nominated - and granted - a ‘Commission in-the-field’ from no less a personage than the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa (
London Gazette 17 August 1900, refers). On his appointment to a commission he was posted a 2nd Lieutenant to the West India Regiment. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 19 June 1901. Harrison is subsequently recorded as having died of ‘Enteric Fever’ at Wellington, Madras Presidency, India, on 13 August 1903. At the time of his death, He was 23 years and 9 months of age and serving on attachment with the Devonshire Regiment. An obituary to Lieutenant Harrison was published in the Exeter & Plymouth Gazette on 28 August 1903.