Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Defence of Mafeking, Transvaal (4128 Corpl: Shg: Sth: A. Robertson. 17th Lancers) nearly extremely fine and rare £1,600-£2,000

M.I.D. Lord Roberts 4 September 1901, and in General Orders, Mafeking, 15 May 1900 by Major E. H. Cecil, Chief Staff Officer:

‘Gallantry. - With reference to his remarks on Saturday’s defeat of the enemy in their attack on Mafeking, the Colonel Commanding wishes to place on record the following cases of gallantry and good service that have come to his notice:-

...(b) Lieutenant C. Bridges was ordered by Captain FitzClarence to take a few men and go and remove the Reserve Ammunition from the magazine near BSAP Fort to a place of safety. Lieutenant Bridges took with him Farrier Corporal Robinson, 17th Lancers; Shoeing Smith Robertson, 17th Lancers; Trooper S. Duberly, Trooper Cullis, all of “D” Squadron, Protectorate Regiment, and Corporal Globensky, “A” Squadron. On arriving near the magazine the party found that the enemy had succeeded in occupying the BSAP Fort within 400 yards of the magazine. However, this in no way daunted them, and under a heavy fire, by which one of them, Trooper Duberly, was killed, they successfully removed six boxes of ammunition. Lieutenant Bridges was wounded later in the day when in action with his troop.’

Three men of the 17th Lancers, all shoeing smiths, were present at the defence of Mafeking serving in the Protectorate Regiment. In each case the medal roll shows Cape Colony crossed out as not entitled but this clasp has been present on all three known surviving medals (Kelland, Robertson and Robinson).