October 2004 Medal Newsletter

Forthcoming Auction, 30 November 2004
Our November auction of orders, decorations and medals has been rescheduled to take place on 30 November.

In the last newsletter we concentrated on gallantry awards, this month we focus on just one particularly noteworthy item: the Field Marshal's baton in gold with hallmarks to Lord Lucan (estimate £50,000-60,000).

The Highly Important Field Marshal’s Baton to The Earl of Lucan for His Many Achievements, Including the Command of the Cavalry Division in the Crimea Where he Directed the Movements of the Heavy and Light Brigades at Balaklava
The Baton, overall length 55cm. including the 18ct gold top and bottom mounts (Hallmarks for London 1887), is covered in its’ original Imperial purple velvet and studded with eighteen gold lions; the base inscribed ‘From Her Majesty Alexandrina Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to Field Marshal The Right Hon. ‘The Earl of Lucan G.C.B.’; surmounted by a superbly modelled equestrian gold figure of St. George with the dragon, extremely fine in its’ original ‘Garrard, London’ Imperial purple velvet covered case of issue. Estimate £50,000-60,000.

Field Marshal George Charles Bingham, Third Earl of Lucan, G.C.B. (1800-1888), one of the most celebrated personalities of the Victorian era, born in London and educated at Westminster, entered the British Army as Ensign in the 6th Foot, 1816; in 1818 he became Lieutenant in the 8th Foot, obtained a Company in the 74th Foot in 1820 and two years later was gazetted to the 1st Life Guards; was appointed to the 17th Lancers from as Major in 1825 and rose to the command of that regiment as Lieutenant Colonel the following year. He was present in the Balkan campaign in 1828 attached to the Russian Staff (Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class). From 1826 to 1830 he was M.P. for County Mayo; succeeded as the third Earl of Lucan 30.6.1839 and in the following year was elected a representative peer of Ireland. Appointed Colonel in the army in 1841 and Major General in 1851.

On 21.2.1854 Lord Lucan was appointed to the command of the Cavalry Division of the Eastern Army in Turkey - the Heavy Brigade (Colonel Yorke Scarlett) and the Light Brigade (Lord Cardigan). He served in the Crimea with distinction, notably at Balaklava on 25.10.1854 where some two thousand advancing Russian Cavalry were driven back by the brilliant charge of the Heavy Brigade made under Lucan’s direction. After defeating and breaking the Russian Cavalry in the morning with less than half their number, he launched the famous ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ in the afternoon, in accordance with what seemed to be the reasonable meaning of the Commander-in-Chief Lord Raglan’s ambiguous order to advance; ‘Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns. Troop of Horse Artillery may accompany. French Cavalry is on your left. Immediate.’ All subsequent efforts to prove that Lucan was wrong in his interpretation of that order, to advance ‘ into the valley of death’, failed.

During the operations on the 25th October Lord Lucan was wounded in the leg by a bullet. The Light Brigade was reduced from over 600 mounted men to less than 200 and two heavy cavalry regiments were depleted. Lord Lucan vindicated himself in the House of Lords 19.3.1855 and for his services in the Crimea received the Medal with four clasps, the French Legion of Honour, 3rd Class, the Turkish Order of the Medjidie, 1st Class and on 5.7.1855 he was created K.C.B. Colonel 7th Hussars, November 1855; promoted Lieutenant General 1858 and General 1865; was transferred to the Colonelcy of the 1st Life Guards 1865 and was advanced to G.C.B., 1869. Lord Lucan’s achievements were rewarded with his promotion to Field Marshal 21.6.1887. Lord Lucan’s baton is one of approximately eight Field Marshals’ batons to be offered for sale in the past fifty years.

For further information, please contact JOHN HAYWARD (020 7563 4049), RICHARD BISHOP (020 7563 4053) or MARK QUAYLE (020 7563 4064).

Prices Realised
Click here to view the prices realised for the 22 July auction

NEW REFERENCE WORKS FOR MEDAL COLLECTORS
The Spink Book Department maintains a website list of both new and second hand books on orders, medals and decorations. The list can be accessed here. Below are details of two recently published specialist works of reference that will interest collectors

Cambodian Decorations of Honor
Geoffrey Oldham and Brett Delahunt. Papercase, 130 pages, illustrated in colour. Price: £25
(Available from PO Box 105-867, Auckland City, Auckland, New Zealand email medals@ihug.co.nz)

This book records and illustrates Cambodian Decoration since Cambodian Independence in 1954 to the present day including the practice of the current and previous regimes in granting such honours and awards.

No Complaint or Failure: The Commissariat and Transport Service in Egypt and the Soudan 1882-89
by Mark Reid. OMRS, 2004. Casebound, 186 pages, illustrated in colour and b&w. Price: £19.95 (including postage)
(Available from the General Secretary, OMRS, PO Box 1904, Southam CV47 2ZX, cheques made payable to OMRS/payment by Credit or debit card is available via the Society's website www.omrs.org.uk)

Written by a member of the Orders and Medals Research Society and also published by the OMRS, this book includes a description of each phase of this widespread and long-lasting campaign together with an annotated medal roll for both the Commissariat and Transport Staff and the Commissariat and Transport Corps.

Catalogues
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Buying Medals on the Spink Website
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