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

A Queen’s Sudan pair to Captain G. Caldecott, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, killed in action at the Battle of Omdurman

Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (Capt., 1/R. War. R.); Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 2 clasps, The Atbara, Khartoum, unnamed as issued, second with edge bruise, otherwise nearly extremely fine and a very rare casualty (2) £3500-4000

Guy Caldecott was born in Rugby on 12 November 1867. He attended the Royal Military College in 1885 and in the following year was posted as a Lieutenant in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. With them he served in India, 1886-92 where he became proficient in Hindustani.

He was promoted to Captain in August 1892. His next overseas posting was in Malta, 1896-97 and thence to Egypt, arriving there on 21 January 1897. With the 1st Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment he took part in the Sudan expedition, being present at the battle of the Atbara, 8 April 1898.

Caldecott was killed in action at the battle of Omdurman, 2 September 1898, being hit by a ball which passed through his temple and came out through the jugular vein; he died of his terrible wound an hour later.

There were surprisingly few fatal casualties at Omdurman, just three officers, if you include the Hon. H. Howard of the Times, and some 25 men killed.