The Barrett J. Carr Collection of Boer War Medals

Five: Sergeant C. Christopher, Royal Marine Light Infantry

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (Pte., R.M.L.I., H.M.S. Sybille); 1914 Star, with clasp (PO. 9660 Pte., R.M. Brigade); British War and Victory Medals (Act. W.O. 2, R.M.L.I.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (PO. 9660 Private, R.M.L.I.), very fine and better (5) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barrett J. Carr Collection of Boer War Medals.

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Collection

A total of 272 Queen’s South Africa Medals were awarded to the ship’s company of H.M.S. Sybille, 80 of them with single “Cape Colony” clasp.

Charles Christopher was born near Dorchester in October 1879 and enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in April 1898. Posted to the Portsmouth Division, he served as a Private in H.M.S. Sybille from October 1900 until she was wrecked in Lambert’s Bay on 16 January 1901, thereby becoming the only Royal Navy ship to be lost during the Boer War. Having struck a reef in poor weather, the Sybille was abandoned by her crew, the whole being taken off in five boats over a period of ten hours - at the subsequent Court Martial, four officers were severely reprimanded for her loss as a result of assorted navigational errors.

In September 1914, Christopher joined the R.M. Brigade, with whom he served in the Antwerp operations, and in April-July 1915 he served in a similar capacity in the Dardanelles. In fact he remined employed in the Mediterranean theatre of war until being recalled for service in France from May 1916 to the end of hostilities, in which period he was advanced to Sergeant (Acting Warrant Officer 2). He was demobilised in August 1919 and died in July 1951.