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Auction: 14003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 57

A Boer War 'Lombard's Kop' D.C.M. Group of Three to Colour Sergeant C. Smart, Alias C. Harris, Leicestershire Regiment
a) Distinguished Conduct Medal, E.VII.R. (4390 Corpl: C. Smart. Leicester: Regt)
b) Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, four clasps, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Orange Free State (4390 Corl. C. Smart, 1: Leic: Regt), unofficial rivets between 3rd and 4th clasps
King's South Africa 1901-02, two clasps (4390 Serjt: C. Smart. Leicester: Regt), surname officially renamed on 1st and 2nd, generally very fine (3)

D.C.M. London Gazette 27.9.1901 4390 Corporal C. Harris, 1st Bn. Leicestershire Regt.

The 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment's Queen's South Africa Medal Roll annotates 'Alias C. Smart' next to 4390 Sergeant C. Harris medal entitlement. The King's South Africa Medal Roll reverts to '4390 Sgt. C. Smart'. Thus explaining the correction of the naming of the first two medals.

Serving as Harris throughout the Boer War, Charles Albert Smart distinguished himself, 'On the 29th October [1899], the battalion formed part of the 8th Brigade, when it became engaged in the action at Lombard's Kop, on which occasion, the four mules of its Maxim gun having been shot and the native drivers having run away, it became subjected to a very heavy fire from all kinds of projectiles and the gun had to be abandoned. Corporals Gillespie and Harris, for their endeavour to recover it by hand, were later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for service in the field. The casualties were three men killed and 18 wounded.'

Smart died in 1912.

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£1,600