Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1901-2 (W. A. Amesbury, Esq., Asst. Engr. P.W. Deptt.) extremely fine, scarce £180-220

Provenance: John Tamplin Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, September 2003.

Walter Angelo Amesbury was born on 6 September 1875. He served as an Assistant Engineer in the Public Works Department in India during the Waziristan operations of 1901-02, but it is not known when he joined that department. In July 1909 he joined the Indian State Railways as a Temporary Engineer, becoming a temporary Store-keeper in March 1918, and a District Controller of Stores in September 1918, in which position he remained until his retirement in 1927. He was on the establishment of the North-Western Railway from March 1918, the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway from July 1923, and the East Indian Railway from July 1925.

Amesbury was also appointed, in April 1911, a Second Lieutenant in the Simla Volunteer Rifles. He was transferred to the Supernumerary List in April 1914 and disappears from the Indian Army List early in 1917, presumably because of his important employment on the railways.