Auction Catalogue

2 April 2003

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. Including a superb collection of medals to the King’s German Legion, Police Medals from the Collection of John Tamplin and a small collection of medals to the Irish Guards

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 961

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2 April 2003

Hammer Price:
£650

The mounted group of eighteen miniature dress medals attributed to Lieutenant-Colonel J. K. Watson, C.M.G., C.V.O., C.B.E., D.S.O., King’s Royal Rifle Corps and Egyptian Army, Order of St. Michael & St. George, gold and enamel, ring suspension; Royal Victorian Order, silver-gilt, gold and enamel; Order of the British Empire, 1st type, Military Division, silver-gilt and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., gold and enamel, complete with top bar; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1889-92; Queen’s Sudan; Queen’s South Africa, 3 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Johannesburg; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals; Coronation 1911; Turkey, Order of Osmanieh, silver, gold and enamel; Order of Medjidie, 4th Class, silver, gold and enamel, rosette on ribbon; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, 5th Class, silver, gold and enamel; Romania, Order of the Crown, 1st type, 5th Class with swords, silver, gold and enamel; Egypt, Order of the Nile, 4th Class, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, rosette on ribbon; Belgium, Order of Leopold II, 3rd Class, gold, rosette on ribbon, centres missing; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 7 clasps, Firket, Hafir, Sudan 1897, The Atbara, Khartoum, Sudan 1899, Gedid, mounted Court style as worn, an impressive group, good very fine and better (18) £380-420

James Kiero Watson was born in 1865, the son of Major-General James Watson. Educated at Clifton College and Sandhurst he entered the Army in 1885 as a Lieutenant in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. His first active service was in Burma 1891-92 where he took part in the operations in the Chin Hills. He was attached to the Egyptian Army during 1894-99 and served in the expedition to Dongola in 1896 as A.D.C. to the Sirdar and was mentioned in despatches and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. He served in the Nile Expedition of 1897 as A.D.C. to the G.O.C. and was awarded the Order of Medjidie 4th Class. Serving in Nile Expedition of 1898, again as A.D.C., he was present at the battles of the Atbara and Omdurman and was twice mentioned in despatches and given the brevet of Major. He served in the Nile Expedition of 1899 as D.A.A.G. of the Flying Column, was again mentioned in despatches and was awarded the Order of Osmanieh 4th Class. In the Boer War, he served as A.D.C. to Lord Kitchener and was present at the relief of Kimberley. For his services he was mentioned in despatches and created a C.M.G. Returning to the Egyptian Army in 1901, he was promoted Major in 1902 and retired from the Army in 1905 and held the post of 1st A.D.C. to the Khedive from 1905-14. He was awarded the C.V.O. in 1912 . Lieutenant-Colonel Watson served in the Great War from 1914 and was Military Attaché in Egypt, 1916-19. At the end of the war he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the C.B.E. and Legion of Honour. He died in 1942.