Orders, Decorations and Medals

A C.B. group of seven awarded to Colonel B. B. Connolly, Army Medical Department

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Jowaki 1877-8 (Surgeon B. Conolly, Army Medical Dept.), note different spelling of surname; South Africa 1877-79, no clasp (Surgeon, A.M. Dept.); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 4 clasps, Tel-el-Kebir, Suakin 1884, El-Teb-Tamaai, The Nile 1884-85 (Surgeon, A.M. Dept.); Turkey, Order of Osmania, 4th Class, silver, gold and enamel, rosette on ribbon; Khedive’s Star 1882, unnamed; France, War Commemorative Medal 1870-71, bronze, unnamed, in glass-fronted wooden case, minor contact marks, very fine and better (7) £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Medical Services formed by Colonel D.G.B. Riddick.

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Benjamin Bloomfield Connolly was born on 10 September 1845, the son of the Rev. J. C. Connolly, late Chaplain, R.N. and Vicar of Brook, Norwich. Educated at the Merchant Taylors’ School and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, gaining a B.A., M.A. and M.D., and at Guy’s Hospital, London, gaining the F.R.C.S. Connolly served in some capacity in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 (Who’s Who states awarded the German Medal). Appointed an Assistant Surgeon on the Staff of the A.M.D. on 30 September 1871, he served with the 40th Regiment from August 1872. Promoted to Surgeon, he served against the Jowaki Afridis during 1877-78, and in the Zulu War of 1879. Active service in the Egypt War of 1882 followed for which he was specially promoted to Surgeon-Major. Serving in Eastern Sudan, he was present at the battles of El-Teb and Tammai for which he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Order of Osmania. On the Nile Expedition, he was commander of the Camel Bearer Company and was present in an attack made on a convoy of wounded for which he was twice mentioned in despatches. Appointed a F.R.C.S.I. in 1889 and promoted to Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel in April 1891, he was placed on Retired Pay on 21 October the same year. Re-employed, he was promoted to Colonel in October 1902 for his services at Woolwich during the course of the Boer War and was awarded the C.B. in 1900. He was still active at the time of the Great War when he was employed as A.D.M.S. for Sussex. Colonel Connolly died on 20 June 1924. Sold with copied research including a photocopied photograph of the recipient, in uniform, wearing his medals which includes a C.B. breast badge but no Franco-Prussian War Medal.