Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Regimentally unique ‘Tirah’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Colour Sergeant S. Donald, Royal Scots Fusiliers

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (Sgt. Stewart Donald. R. Sco: F...); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 2 clasps, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (...0 Pte. S. Donald. 1/R..c: Fus:); India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (.... S. Donald 1st Bn. Ryl Sco Fus.); Khedive’s Star 1884-6, with additional hook suspension to reverse, and later ring suspension, mounted for wear, heavy contact marks, good fine (4) £4000-5000

D.C.M. Recommendation submitted to the Queen 9 July 1898 (Army Order 135 of 1898).

Stewart Donald was born in Perth, Scotland, and attested for the Royal Scots Fusiliers at Ayr, in June 1883. He served with the Regiment in Egypt and the Sudan, August 1884 - August 1885. He was one of 22 men of the Regiment to serve at Abu Klea, when he was attached to the Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment.

Donald served with the Regiment in India, September 1896 - March 1904, in particular with distinction during the Tirah campaign 1897-98. For the latter, ‘preparation was being made to deal with the more formidable outbreak of the Afridis, and Sir William Lockhart, commanding the Punjab Army Corps, was assembling the Tirah Expeditionary Force, with the frontier post of Kohat as its base. Between them the Afridis and the Orakzais could bring more than 40,000 men into the field... The terrain, too, was most intricate and difficult....

On 16th August [1897] the Royal Scots Fusiliers were ordered to send their headquarters and one wing of the battalion to Kohat. Before Sir William Lockhart could move there was a good deal of confused defensive fighting in the passes. On 27th August two companies of the regiment were engaged as part of Major-General Yeatman-Biggs’s force in an action at the Ublan Pass, where Captain Baird Smith and Lieutenant North were seriously wounded. When, on 18th October, Lockhart began to advance, the Scots Fusiliers were not with him, being split up in parties on various duties... It was not until 11th November, when Westmacott had taken Saran Sar and the expedition was far into the Tirah country, that they were ordered to Maidan to join the main force. Their machine-gun detachment, under Captain de le Bere, was with the Kurram column, and the rest were now attached to the force which Sir William himself took up on the 27th from Bagh to join Gaselee’s column and attend to the Chamkannis, Massizais, Mamuzais, and other septs of the west. Lieutenant-Colonel Spurgin commanded one of the two sections of this force, and the Scots Fusiliers had six casualties...

On the 7th [December], as part of a scheme for changing the base of operations from Kohat to Peshawur, the Second Division, under Yeatman-Biggs, with which were Lockhart and the Scots Fusiliers, started down the Bara valley to Barkai. There was a good deal of mixed fighting, and many hardships from the winter cold, before a junction was effected with the Peshawur column under General Hammond. This was in effect the end of the Tirah War, and on the last day of December the Fusiliers reached Peshawur and entrained for Sialkot. Their casualties were one man killed and nine wounded, among whom was Captain F. de Sausmarez Shortt. Five men were missing, and one, Colour-Sergeant John Walker, after being wounded and taken prisoner, was released many weeks later by the Afridis... For this sharp little campaign, in which only the headquarters and four companies were engaged, the regiment gained another honour, “Tirah,” for its colours.’ (The History of The Royal Scots Fusiliers (1678-1918), by J. Buchan refers)

Donald was awarded the Regiment’s only D.C.M. for the Tirah campaign. He advanced up the ranks and faced reduction several times before settling at Sergeant, in October 1895. He served as Colour Sergeant Instructor of Musketry, Permanent Staff, 3rd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers prior to being discharged 31 January 1907, having served 23 years and 221 days with the Colours.