Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

The poignant group of five to Lieutenant-Colonel W. E. Venour, 58th Vaughan’s Rifles (Frontier Force), killed in action in October 1914 at Givenchy-les-Labassée, shot dead by Germans dressed in Gurkha uniforms taken from the dead

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Chin-Lushai 1889-90 (Lieutt., 28th Bo. Infy.); India General Service 1895-1902, 3 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897, Tirah 1897-98 (Captn., 5th Pjb. Infy.); 1914 Star, with clasp (Lt. Col., 58/Vaughans Rif.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col.) together with Bronze Memorial Plaque (Walter Edwin Venour) the first two with light contact marks, very fine, otherwise extremely fine (6) £2000-2500

Walter Edwin Venour was born on 17 May 1864, son of General Edwin Venour, Indian Army. He was educated at Weymouth College and was gazetted into the West India Regiment as Lieutenant in September 1885. In January 1889 he was transferred to the Indian Staff Corps, and took part in the Chin-Lushai expedition of 1889-90 (Medal with clasp), and in the first Miranzai expedition of 1891. Having been posted to the 5th Punjab Infantry in July 1890, and appointed Double Company Officer in 1896, he took part in the operations on the Samana and in the Kurram Valley, on the North West Frontier of India, in 1897-98 Medal with two clasps). He also took part in the Tirah expedition, at and around Divatoi, and the action of 24 November 1897, in which he was slightly wounded (Clasp).

In 1900 he was appointed Second in Command of the Khyber Rifles, and during the time he held that appointment he officiated as Commandant of that corps and as Political Officer, Khyber. In 1906 he was appointed Staff Officer to Sir Harold Deane, Chief Commissioner North West Frontier Provinces. He obtained his Majority in September 1903, and was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel and Commandant of 58th Vaughan’s Rifles (Frontier Force) in May 1911.

His regiment sailed from India with the Expeditionaty Force at the outbreak of the Great War, and, on the occasion of his death had been ordered to recapture some trenches which the Germans had occupied. ‘We attacked in the dark, and drove out the enemy, some of whom fell back into a trench some thirty yards or so behind. The enemy were dressed in Gurkha uniforms taken from the dead, and the Colonel, who had just come to this part of our position, as it was getting light, thought they were Gurkhas and was shot as he was looking over the parapet. Death was instantaneous, the bullet passing through the brain.’

Thus in their first action in the Great War the Battalion lost its Commanding Officer, and also its Adjutant, Captain Black. Lieutenant-Colonel Venour is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery.