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

The excessively rare Great War M.C., North West Frontier 1908 operations D.C.M. group of nine awarded to Quarter-Master & Major Norman Reid, Seaforth Highlanders

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘Major N. Reid, 1st Bat. Seaforth Highlanders, 19-9-1918’; Distinguished Conduct Medal, E.VII.R. (S. Mjr. N. Reid, 1/Seaforth Hdrs.); Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (3469 Cr. Sgt., 1/Sea. Hrs.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1908 (Sergt. Major, 1st Bn. Sea. Highrs.); 1914-15 Star (Q.M. & Lieut., D.C.M., Sea. Highrs.); British War and Victory Medals (Q.M. & Major); Coronation 1911, privately engraved, ‘Lt. N. Reid, Seaforth Highrs.’; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 2 clasps, The Atbara, Khartoum (3469 Cr. St., 1st Sea. Highrs.), mounted as worn, the earlier awards with contact marks and a little edge bruising, otherwise generally very fine (9) £5000-6000

M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1919.

D.C.M. London Gazette 14 August 1908:

‘In recognition of services in connection with the recent operations against the Zakka Khel and Mohmands.’

Norman Reid first saw active service in the 1st Battalion in the Nile Expedition of 1898, when he was present at the battles at Atbara and Khartoum. Next present in the North West Frontier operations of 1908, against the Zakka Khel and Mohmands, he was present at, among other affairs, the action at Matta, and was awarded the D.C.M., one of just nine for this campaign (Army Order 252/08 refers). But this was not his only reward, for, in October 1908, he was commissioned as a Quarter-Master & Lieutenant.

Reid first went to France in November 1915, but in January of the following year he arrived in Mesopotamia, in which threatre of operations he served until December 1917, the period March to August 1916 seeing him employed as a Staff Captain in the 19th Infantry Brigade and being mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 19 November 1916). Finally, from January to October 1918, he served in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, having been advanced to Quarter-Master and Major in the former month, and was awarded the M.C.