Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Colonel H. R. Westmacott, Welsh Regiment

India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (Lieutt. H. R. Westmacott, 2nd Bn. Welsh Regt.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (Capt. H. R. Westmacott, Welsh Rgt.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1902, South Africa 1902 (Maj. H. R. Westmacott, Welsh Rgt.); 1914-15 Star (Major H. R. Westmacott); British War and Victory Medals (Major H. R. Westmacott), the first with officially re-engraved naming, contact marks, generally very fine or better (6) £600-700

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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Hugh Richard Westmacott attended the R.M.C. Sandhurst as a Queen’s India Cadet and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Welsh Regiment in February 1888. Advanced to Lieutenant in the following year, he was present in operations with the Tirah Field Force on the North-West Frontier of India 1897-98, including the actions at Saransh, Waran and the Bursh Valley (Medal & 2 clasps).

Having then gained advancement to Captain in December 1898, he was actively employed during the Boer War, when he was present at the relief of Kimberley and took part in the operations in the Orange Free Colony, February to March 1900, including those at Paardeberg (17-26 February) and the actions at Polar Grove, Driefontein, Vet River (5-6 May) and Zand River; as well as operations in the Transvaal, May-June 1900, including the actions at Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill (11-12 June), and likewise, east of Pretoria, in July-November 1900, including the action at Belfast (26-27 August). He was afterwards employed in the operations in the Transvaal from November 1900 until May 1902, being appointed a Station Commandant in April 1901, and later still an Assistant Provost Marshal on the Staff (Queen’s Medal & 6 clasps; King’s Medal & 2 clasps). He was given the brevet rank of Major and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 10 September 1901, refers).

Westmacott was placed on the Retired List in May 1903 but was recalled from the Reserve of Officers in September 1914, when he was appointed a Major in the 11th (Cardiff Pals) Battalion, Welsh Regiment. He was duly embarked for France but by early 1916 he was serving as an Assistant Military Landing Officer (Embarkation Duties). This appears to have been his role for the remainder of the war, latterly as an Assistant Embarkation Commandant in the acting rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was however granted the rank of Colonel on relinquishing his commission in July 1919 and died at Bristol in January 1920; sold with copied research.

The I.G.S. 1895 medal is contemporarily re-engraved, not officially