Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Lance-Corporal W. Humphriss, 11th Hussars

Crimea 1854-56, 2 clasps, Inkermann, Sebastopol (1493, XIth P.A.O. Hussars), regimentally impressed naming; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (1493, 11th Hussars), officially impressed naming; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue (1493, XI P.A.O. Hussars), regimentally impressed naming, the first with refixed suspension claw, heavy contact marks and edge bruising, fine, otherwise nearer very fine (3) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent.

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William Humphriss was born at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and enlisted in the 11th Hussars in London in November 1850, aged 23 years. Although confirmed as present at Inkermann and in operations before Sebastopol, Humphriss did not participate in the famous charge at Balaklava, having been posted to Varna in the previous month; thus Regimental Sergeant-Major George Loy Smith must have been in error when he described how ‘a bullet passed through the back of Private Humphries’ neck, just missing the spinal cord’ in his account of the charge.

He was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in July 1870 and was discharged at Netley in March 1874, aged 42 years, his intended place of residence being “The Churchyard” at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Humphriss appears to have found employment as a gardener to a Major Calvert and afterwards to Lord Strathallan, and was actually living in the Northampton district by 1875.

However, by the time of his death in September 1912, aged 85 years, he was resident at Maid’s Moreton, Buckinghamshire, where he was buried in the local church. Sergeant-Major R. Hockey of the Buckinghamshire Yeomanry, formerly a Sergeant in the 11th Hussars, who attended the funeral, stated that Humphriss was an officer’s servant and did not ride in the charge. Sold with the recipient’s original parchment discharge certificate.