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Auction: 25003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 332

The rare mounted campaign group of five miniature dress medals worn by to Lieutenant-Colonel H. Ross-Johnson, The King's Regiment, who served as an officer with a Sudanese Battalion during the 1899 campaign against the Mahdist forces

India General Service 1854-95, 2 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Chin Lushai 1889-90; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals; Khedive's Sudan 1896-1908, 1 clasp, Sudan 1899, mounted as worn, good very fine (5)

Hastings Ross-Johnson was born at Meerut, India on 25 February 1864, the son of Henry Ross-Johnson. Commissioned Lieutenant on 6 May 1885 with the King's Regiment he was posted to the 2nd Battalion in India in November 1885, arriving during their campaign in Burma. The Regiment was employed hunting Dacoits in Upper Burma at the time and Ross-Johnson remained with them after their return to India.

They were back in Burma just two years later for the Chin Lushai expedition mounted against the tribes of the Chin Hills area. Johnson served as transport officer for this expedition, responsible for ensuring the movement of their supplies through the difficult, jungle covered hills. Advanced Captain on 16 January 1891, while they were stationed at Dinapore they served in Aden the next year before returning to Britain.

Ross-Johnson was seconded to the Egyptian Army in March 1899; his service papers note that he was advanced to the rank at Omdurman. Whilst there he commanded a Sudanese Battalion in actions against the Khalifa's Mahdist Army. The continued success of the Anglo-Egyptian armies eventually culminated in the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat which saw Reginald Wingate's column crush the surviving Mahdist's and kill the Khalifa.

Remaining with the Egyptian Army, Ross-Johnson until 1903 when he returned to Britain and retired in 1906. Settling in Suffolk he set about restoring Mettingham Castle, Bungay, he was still there when the Great War began, and the now 50 year old Ross-Johnson answered the call of duty.

Appointed Lieutenant-Colonel while commanding 7th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on 28 December 1914 he entered the war in France on 25 September 1915. Seeing action at the Battle of Loos, Ross-Johnson was not to stay long, being invalided after the Battle. He was to serve the rest of the war in Britain working to train new recruits. Retiring again after the conflict he died at Mettingham Castle on 18 December 1931; sold together with copied research.

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Estimate
£240 to £280

Starting price
£190