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Auction: 11011 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 63

A Well Documented and Rare Naval Brigade Officer´s Q.S.A. to Midshipman, Later Lieutenant, the Hon. I.L.A. Carnegie, Royal Navy, Who Was Wounded and Twice Mentioned in Despatches for His Command of A Naval Brigade Gun During the Defence of Ladysmith Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, one clasp, Defence of Ladysmith (Mid: Hon: I.L.A. Carnegie, RN, H.M.S. Powerful), impressed naming, toned, good very fine, with the following small series of rare original Boer War ´on active service´ letters written by Midshipman Hon. I.L.A. Carnegie, Royal Navy: - A letter addressed to his brother, Douglas, the envelope with assorted postmarks and dates 30.10.1899 to 27.11.1899 - Four letters to his mother, the envelopes all addressed to ´The Dow. Countess of Northesk, 6 Hans Crescent, London S.W.´ and with assorted postmarks, including ´Ladysmith, Natal´ and ´Simonstown´, and differing dates in March 1900 - A letter to a friend, Lewin, without envelope, dated at ´Wagon Hill, 14th Feb. 1900´; and an old handwritten copy of a letter sent to a Mr. Rawnesley, this having been dated at ´The Lady Helen Battery, Caesar´s Camp, Jan. 17th 00´, and describing his first experience of enemy shellfire; the whole contained in an old envelope with outer ink inscription, ´Ian´s letters from South Africa 1899 & 1900´ (lot) Estimate £ 2,000-3,000 Lieutenant The Hon. Ian Ludovic Andrew Carnegie, a younger son of the 9th Earl of Northesk; joined Royal Navy as Cadet, May 1897; appointed Midshipman, July 1897, and served in H.M.S. Powerful; landed with the Naval Brigade for the Defence of Ladysmith during the war in South Africa, and was wounded during the campaign, ´I am just off to the front. I don´t like to tell mother but in case I do get shot Asst. Eng. Shirwell, H.M.S. Powerful, is looking out for my gear ... We are going up tonight in armoured trains and I believe we are going through to Ladysmith. The Boers have cut off the wires and we may have to fight our way through ... I am off in half an hour, Goodbye´ (letter to his brother included in lot refers); upon arrival in Ladysmith he was given a hot reception ´We arrived at Ladysmith about 10 a.m. on Monday and were greeted by three 6-inch 94-pound shells which came over one after another and landed about 200 yards from us´ (copy of a letter written from ´The Lady Helen Battery, Caesar´s Camp, Jan. 17th 00´, describing his first experience of enemy shellfire refers); a letter written at ´Caesar´s Camp, Friday Feb. 23rd Feb.´ gives further insight into his responsibilities during the defence, ´I am in command of a 12-pounder 12-cwt. gun and am detached from the rest of the Navy who are on the other side of the town. I have travelled about a good deal with my gun on this hill and Wagon Hill which is next to it and have always been near to Buller´s people when they have tried to come in. I came here three days ago to stop the Boers working on the river. We cannot quite make out what they are doing but it looks like the beginning of a bridge or a dam. They cannot show their noses there now as we give them a few shells when we see them work. It is rather fun as the Boer 6-inch ´Long Tom´ is only 5000 yards from here, which is quite a short distance for him and he fires at us when we fire, so we have to be very quick getting under cover, but we are quite safe as he has hit the gun pit several times and cannot make any impression as there is quite 15 feet of earth and sandbags and stones between us and him´; Carnegie was Mentioned in Captain Lambton´s Despatch of 11.1.1900: ´Mr Carnegie has had charge of a 12 pr. gun at Caesar´s Camp since Nov. 27th 1899, which he has fought successfully under, at times, a hot fire´; he was also mentioned in Sir George White´s Despatch of 2.12.1899, and noted for early promotion, becoming Sub-Lieutenant on 151.1901, and Lieutenant on 15.7.1902. He received his medal for the Defence of Ladysmith personally from the hands of the King.

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£1,500