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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 416

The campaign group of four awarded to Lieutenant H. E. Corner, 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, attached Gold Coast Regiment, West African Frontier Force, late Imperial Yeomanry, who was wounded in action in West Africa at Nkoa, Cameroons in December 1915 and died on 30 October 1917

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (6034 Corpl. H. Corner. 39th Coy. 10th Imp.Yeo.), the reverses of the dated clasps attractively engraved 'Lieut. H. E. Corner 27th Reg.'; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. H. E. Corner.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. H. E. Corner.), nearly extremely fine (4)

Herbert Edward Corner was born at Holford, Bridgewater, Somerset in November 1876 and was a brewer by trade upon his enlisting into the 39th (Berkshire) Company, Imperial Yeomanry at Reading on 12 January 1900. Serving in the ranks out in South Africa from 11 February 1900, Corner was returned home on 16 June 1901. He was thence commissioned 2nd Lieutenant into the 27th Imperial Yeomanry in January 1902, served in South Africa for the second time and was then discharged Lieutenant in November 1902.

Having qualified as an engineer, upon the outbreak of the Great War Corner served with the Public Schools Battalion, Middlesex Regiment from 16 September 1914 and was commissioned once again in December 1914 into the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards. Corner served attached to the West African Frontier Force with the Gold Coast Regiment in the Cameroons from 21 July 1915. In late 1915, Corner was serving in Major F. Anderson's Left Flank Detachment of the 2nd Battalion, Nigeria Regiment who went into action on 23 December 1915, having been based out of Konolak. The History of the West African Frontier Force gives more detail:

'Major Anderson's Column encountered a strong enemy detachment to the west of Nkoa, and failing to drive it back after several hours' fighting, withdrew in face of a hostile counter-movement. The British casualties had been fourteen, including Lieutenant H. E. Corner wounded, and, in view of the enemy strength, Major Anderson applied to Colonel Gorges for reinforcement by a gun and an Infantry Company.'

Having been invalided home on account of those wounds, Corner was also suffering from diabetes and died at Mont d'Or Hospital, Bournemouth on 30 October 1917. Leaving a widow who lived at 5 Stockwell Park Crescent, Brixton, Corner is buried in the Bournemouth East Cemetery; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£480

Starting price
£200