Orders, Decorations and Medals

Ashantee 1873-74, no clasp (Capt. C. G. Slade, 2nd Bn. Rifle Bde. 1873-4) minor edge bruise, otherwise good very fine £350-400

Charles George Slade was born on 17 July 1837, and was educated at Westminster. He was gazetted Ensign in the Rifle Brigade in February 1855, and in January 1856 landed in the Crimea where he served with the 1st Battalion until its return to England in June. He was Instructor of Musketry from 1858 until October 1861, and shortly afterwards proceeded to Canada. Two years later he exchanged into the 2nd Battalion and joined it at Meerut in March 1864. In 1867 he exchanged into the 3rd Battalion at Rawul Pindi and served with it until invalided home in 1869. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion at Dover in October 1870, and accompanied it to Ashantee in November 1873, where he took part in the second phase of the Ashantee war of 1874.

In May 1884 he was appointed to the command of the 2nd Battalion at the Curragh, and served with it there and at Aldershot and Woolwich. He subsequently rose to the rank of Colonel in the Army, on being appointed Commandant of the School of Musketry, Hythe, where he remained until July 1894, when he was retired under the age clause. He was a member of the Small Arms Committee which was instrumental in introducing the Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle into the service, and was also a part inventor of the well-known “Slade-Wallace” equipment. He was a capital rifle shot and did much to encourage and improve the rifle-shooting of the various Battalions he served in. He rendered valuable assistance to the editor when The Rifle Brigade Chronicle was first started in 1890, and the 2nd Battalion Collection of Riflemen’s Medals was first commenced by him two years later. He died in London on 6 September 1897, aged 60.