Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine and rare Egypt D.C.M. group of three awarded to Sergeant R. B. Briscoe, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, later Lieutenant, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who was awarded his D.C.M. and commissioned into the Inniskillings as a reward for his gallantry at Abu Klea, 17 January 1885 - he was subsequently killed in action fighting against the Usutu tribesmen in Zululand, 2 July 1888, and his campaign medals are believed to be uniquely named to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (Lieut. R. B. Briscoe. 2/D of Corn: L.I. 17th. Jan: 1885) rank neatly re-engraved; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 2 clasps, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (Lieut. Robert B. Briscoe. Royl. Innsg. Fuslrs.); Khedive’s Star 1884-6, reverse engraved ‘Lieut. Robert B. Briscoe Royl. Innsg. Fuslrs.’, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (3) £4000-5000

Provenance: J. B. Hayward, May 1979; Sotheby’s, October 1982.

D.C.M. Recommendation submitted to the Queen 25 August 1885 (General Order 109 of 1885).

Robert Bruges Briscoe was born on 27 December 1858 and attested for the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in June 1881. He served during the campaign in Egypt and the Sudan, and was present at the battle of Abu Klea as part of a detachment of 1 officer and 27 other ranks attached to the Mounted Infantry Camel Corps - for his gallantry during the epic battle, when the British square of 1,500 men successfully drove off an enemy force over 8,000 strong, killing over 800 of the Mahdi’s followers in the process, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He was presented with his D.C.M. by Major-General I. Davis at a Brigade Parade in Cairo on 23 September 1885.

Briscoe was commissioned Lieutenant in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 28 November 1885, and joined his new Regiment in South Africa in 1886. He was killed in action in Zululand on 2 July 1888: ‘In the fighting against the Zulu chief ‘Ndabuco in June to July 1888, a composite mounted infantry company was formed. The civil authorities immediately demanded aid from the military to support them in making the arrests, and accordingly the mounted troops stationed at ‘Nkinjeni were moved up to Ndwandiwe, a place about thirty miles from the Ceza mountain. On 1st June the little force advanced, and after bivouacking fourteen miles from their camp, crossed the Black Umvolosi River early in the day. Here they were joined by two hundred friendly natives. Later the Inniskilling contingent moved to ‘Nkonjeni where chief Shangana was operating in the plain of Ulundi. Owing to various unavoidable circumstances it was not until 2nd July that the attacking party, which was under the command of Colonel Stabb, was able to make a start. The force consisted of four troops of the Inniskilling Dragoons, a company and a half of mounted infantry, part of whom were the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, a hundred Zulu police, 150 mounted Basutos, and a levy of 2,000 friendly natives. An officer who was present at the affair gives the following account:

“We marched across the plain of Ulundi, past the old battlefield, to the Hlopekulu hill, keeping the force well together, and arrived a little before noon. Our route had been about twelve miles across an open, but hilly, broken country, and along paths intercepted with swamps and many dongas or deep gullies. The police and Basutos simultaneously rushed up the steep slopes and took the ridge without opposition. Some Uutus, however, fired on them from the ridge below, and they immediately replied with a very heavy fire. Riding up, we found little return fire from the enemy, who were evidentially scattered in the thick bush, and were only occasionally singly.
At this moment we perceived Lieutenant Briscoe, a promising officer of the 27th who obtained his commission for distinguished conduct in the Egyptian campaign, ride up to the edge of the bush, which was lined by Basutos lying down and peering. He was immediately shot through the head, not twenty yards from us. I held Major McKean’s and Brooker’s horses whilst they dragged him a short way down the hill, but found him quite dead. When shot we did not know why he was there, but believed he was coming with a message to Colonel Stabb. He must have been shot by a Usutu lying close to him with some large-bore weapon, for it was a horrible wound.”’ (Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers History refers).

Note: 4 D.C.M.s were awarded to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry for the Sudan campaign 1884-89, of which Briscoe’s is one of two awarded for Abu Klea. The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers did not play any part in the entire Egypt and Sudan campaigns, and hence Briscoe’s campaign medals are believed to be uniquely named to the Regiment. No campaign medal was awarded for the action in Zululand in which he was killed and this group is his full medallic entitlement.