Auction Catalogue

1 December 2004

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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

Lot

№ 297

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1 December 2004

Hammer Price:
£210

Pair: Sergeant F. Wells, West African Frontier Force, late Trumpeter, 1st Dragoon Guards

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902
, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 (3905 Tptr., 1st Dgn. Gds.); Austrian Diamond Jubilee 1908 Medal, contact marks and one or two edge bruises, otherwise about very fine or better (2) £150-200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to Trumpeters from the Collection of Roderick Cassidy.

View Medals to Trumpeters from the Collection of Roderick Cassidy

View
Collection

Frank (Arthur) Wells was born near Sudbury, Essex and enlisted in the 1st Dragoon Guards in April 1896, aged 14 years. Appointed a Trumpeter in September 1897, he deserted in July 1901 while serving with the regiment in South Africa and did not “rejoin” until September of the following year, a period of absence that cost him 21 days hard labour - he avoided imprisonment as a result of a recommendation to mercy being submitted to the Court Martial. Indeed his luck held still further on his release, for within three weeks he was advanced to Lance-Corporal, and, after passing his Rough Rider’s Course, was appointed a Sergeant in November 1907. As verified by his service record, Wells was also awarded the Austrian Diamond Jubilee Medal in December 1908, shortly before being discharged.

He next found employment with the ‘Delhi Punjaub Police’, was married to “Queenie” at Umballa in 1910 and rejoined his old regiment back in Dunbar in March 1915, when, as accompanying research confirms, he was noted to have acquired an interesting series of tattoos since his early soldiering days, these including “Hilda” on his left arm - quite how “Queenie” felt about this remains unknown. Be that as it may, Wells was posted to the Cavalry Depot and advanced to Sergeant in March 1915, but in September transferred to the Nigeria Regiment, West African Field Force, with whom he went on to witness active service. He was finally discharged in January 1919.