Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Boer War Interest, Kipling’s ‘Absent Minded Beggar’ related items: National Commemorative Medal, 1900, medals, unsigned [by F. Bowcher for Spink], wounded but undaunted soldier, rev. Union flag around national flowers, 45mm (8), in silver (2) in fitted cases; in bronze-gilt (2), 1 in damaged fitted case; in white metal (4), 3 in card boxes of issue; 22mm (10), in bronze-gilt with enamelled brooch bar (4), in silver (6), 1 with silver arrow suspension, 1 in card box of issue; an aluminium plaquette by Grueber, obv. ‘Absent Minded Beggar’ image in relief with the words ‘”A gentleman in kharki”’ and ‘Transvaal War’, rev. the Kipling poem, 58 x 39mm; silver vesta case, 55mm x 43mm, featuring the ‘Absent Minded Beggar’ in relief; silver cigarette case, 61mm x 82mm, decoratively engraved to front with image of the ‘Absent Minded Beggar’ and ‘To Colour-Segeant Selby from Captain T. M. Keene’, ‘Boer War 1900-1901’ and ‘A memento of 18 months active service’; The Absent-Minded Beggar, by Rudyard Kipling - the poem on a silk triptych, emblazoned by an image of the poet and “A gentleman in kharki”, approx. dimensions (open) 57 x 28cm.; another triptych of identical design, on paper; a small softback copy of ‘At the End of the Passage’ by Rudyard Kipling, from very fine to extremely fine (24) £300-£400

"The Absent-Minded Beggar" is an 1899 poem by Rudyard Kipling, set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and often accompanied by an illustration of a wounded but defiant British soldier, "A Gentleman in Kharki", by Richard Caton Woodville. The song was written as part of an appeal by the Daily Mail to raise money for soldiers fighting in the Second Boer War and their families. The fund was the first such charitable effort for a war.

Captain T. M. Keene and Colour Sergeant J. P. Selby served during the Boer War with the 1st Volunteer Special Service Company, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.