Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Major E. S. Hill, Royal Engineers

India General Service 1854-95, 4 clasps, Jowaki 1877-8, Burma 1887-89, Burma 1889-92, Chin-Lushai 1889-90 (Lieut. E. Hill. Royal Engrs.) last three clasps added later; Afghanistan 1878-80, 1 clasp, Kabul (Lieut. E. S. Hill. R.E.) mounted court style for wear, good very fine (2) £1200-1600

Edmund Stephen Hill was born in Welton, Northamptonshire on 24 February 1851. He was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 15 December 1871 and promoted to Captain in December 1883 and to Major in June 1890. He retired with a pension on 16 March 1892. He served in India and Burma, October 1874-March 1892. Served in the Jowaki campaign 1877-78, with the Bengal Sappers & Miners under the command of Brigadier-General Ross. Then, commanding the 5th Company Bengal Sappers & Miners, he served in the Afghanistan War 1878-79 - being part of General Biddulph’s division of the Quetta Field Force and was employed in engineering work along the Khojak and Gwaja Passes. Served in the second phase of the war in 1880, as Assistant Field Engineer, Khyber Line Force under Sir R. O. Bright, and was present in the operations around Kabul. Then served in the Chin-Lushai Expedition 1889-90, with the Burma Column under Brigadier-General W. J. Symons - where he was in command of the Burma Company Queen’s Own Sappers & Miners. He also took part in the Poukhan Expedition 1889 under Brigadier-General Wolseley. For his services in the Afghan War and later expeditions he was four times mentioned in despatches. He died in Start Hill, Bishop’s Stortford on 7 April 1933.

There is reason to believe that Major Hill wore his I.G.S. Medal with just the one clasp, ‘Jowaki 1877-8’ - this medal together with the Afghanistan Medal with one clasp being acquired in that state in the fairly recent past. His papers clearly state his entitlement to the clasps, ‘Burma 1887-9’ and ‘Chin-Lushai 1889-90’ and further state his participation in the Poukhan Expedition 1889 which would entitle him to the clasp, ‘Burma 1889-92’.

Sold with copied service paper; extracts from rolls, army lists, regimental and campaign histories; and the article, Burma and the Northeast Frontier - A confusion of clasps, by Martin Fuller, published in Dixon’s Gazette. The article refers directly to the pair of medals to Major Hill.