Orders, Decorations and Medals

Ashantee 1873-74, 1 clasp, Coomassie (Capt. R. N. Buckle, R.E. 1873-7) good very fine and a very rare officer casualty £2000-2500

Richard Nicolls Buckle was born at Dum Dum, near Calcutta, on 19 September 1841. He entered the Royal Engineers in June 1858 as a Lieutenant, aged 16 years 9 months, becoming 2nd Captain in December 1871. He served in the Ashantee Campaign from 10 October 1873, until the Battle of Amoaful on 31 January 1874, when he was killed by a penetrating gunshot wound through the lung and heart and abdomen. He was subsequently mentioned in Sir Garnet Wolseley’s dispatch of 7 February 1874, in which he states: ‘Captain Buckle was, undoubtedly, one of the most accomplished and practical Engineer Officers of his rank in the Service.’

Captain Buckle was the only officer killed at the battle of Amoaful, 31 January 1874, and one of only four officers to be killed during the whole campaign. Sold with copy record of service and other research.