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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 384

A Victorian officer's campaign pair awarded to Lieutenant A. Fisher-Hall, Royal Navy

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Sierra Leone (Mid. A. W. Fisher-Hall, H.M.S. Fox.); Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (Midn. A. W. Fisher-Hall, R.N. H.M.S. Niobe.), light contact wear, overall very fine (2)

One of 87 Sierra Leone clasps awarded to H.M.S. Fox and 129 single Cape Colony clasps issued to Niobe.

Archibald William Fisher-Hall was born at Southampton on 21 October 1880 and joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet on 15 July 1894. He was later posted to the cruiser Fox which soon took part in the Hut Tax War in Sierra Leone between 1898-99. As the situation in the country deteriorated the Cape of Good Hope Squadron assembled a Naval Brigade of around 250 men to help.

These men, along with a number from the 3rd West India Regiment, where able to relieve the hard-pressed column under Major Norris. The Navy List relates Fisher-Hall's services in the following passage:

'…was employed in boat expedition to Port Lokko, covering the landing of troops, etc; Old Port Lokko was shelled and destroyed; landed at Manoh Salya when that place was shelled and destroyed and 80 refugees rescued'

His commander's remarks upon leaving the vessel in June 1898 noted his steadiness.

Fisher-Hall was posted briefly to Blake before joining Niobe on 6 December, still being with her on the Cape of Good Hope station the next year when the Anglo-Boer War broke out. He was part of the landing party from that vessel which occupied Walfish Bay on 10 February 1900. The unit built a defensive fort but where not present for long before they returned to Niobe.

The next month Fisher-Hall was posted away from the warship for a course, after which he was advanced Sub-Lieutenant on 15 March 1900. Joining Irresistible as a Lieutenant on 4 February 1902 he continued to serve for several years but retired, no longer fit for duty on 8 January 1912.

Fisher-Hall died on 22 April 1913 and the Portsmouth Evening News relates that his 'death has taken place after a long illness'. Suggesting the underlying health problem which had caused his retirement was to blame for his passing; sold together with copied research including a blog post on the landing at Walfish Bay, Navy List and Portsmouth Evening News extracts as well as service papers.

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Sold for
£650

Starting price
£140