Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Jubilee 1887, silver (Colonel W. M. Dunbar Body Guard) minor edge bruising, otherwise very fine £200-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to Welsh Regiments formed by the Late Llewellyn Lord.

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William Matthew Dunbar was born in Cork on 21 October 1833. Commissioned an Ensign in the 34th Regiment on 5 January 1855 and promoted to Lieutenant in March the same year. Served in the Crimea, February 1855-June 1856, seeing action at the assault of the Redan, 8 September 1855 and the siege and fall of Sebastopol (Medal with Sebastopol clasp and Turkish medal). He then served in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny, including actions at Cawnpore, 26-28 November 1857, the siege and capture of Lucknow; capture of the fort at Meanee Gunge; relief of Azinghur; defeat of the rebels at Bootwul and the action at Bhowanie (Medal with Lucknow clasp). Promoted to Captain in September 1862, he exchanged to the 24th Regiment in March 1863 and was promoted to Major in November 1874.

Then, with the 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment, he served in the Kaffir War of 1878. Commanded the 1st Battalion 24th Regiment in the second advance into Zululand in 1879 and was present at the battle of Ulundi, for which he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 28 November 1879); received the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel and the medal with clasp 1877-8-9. It is recorded that during the Zulu campaign, Dunbar, an experienced officer, had several ‘run-ins’ with inexperienced staff officers on the safety of camps and their siting, on one occasion resigning his commission on the spot when Crealock suggested that he was afraid to be at a certain site. It required the diplomatic skills of Lord Chelmsford to persuade him to retract his resignation. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in May 1880, he was placed on Half Pay in September 1880. Appointed to Gentleman-at-Arms on 16 June 1882 and Honorary Colonel in September 1883, retiring on 9 January 1891 after service during the Queen’s Jubilee of 1887, for which he was awarded his fifth medal; this being named to him in his official capacity as a Bodyguard to the Queen. These medals were personally presented to the Gentlemen-at-Arms by the Queen, which probably explains why they were so named. Sold with a quantity of copied service papers and other research.