Medals at B&M
That’s Bishop & Miller Auctions, before you look up the B&M Bargains website, and another auction that lands across publishing dates. This is an online timed event that ends on 30 April, so digital readers have time to get involved. Let’s start with a Victorian Afghanistan 1878-79-80 medal to Private W Webb, 1/12th Regiment. Records show Private William Webb of the 12th ( Suffolk) Regiment of Foot entitled to the Afghanistan Medal with no clasp. Estimate is £200-£300.
Next, the always popular Queens South Africa Medal with two clasps, 'South Africa 1902' and 'Transvaal'. Records show Private Thomas James of Haughley near Stowmarket enlisted age 18 in the Suffolk Regiment and was entitled to the QSA with two clasps, copies of his Service Record and medal entitlement included. Estimate is £140-£200. More popular than that though, how about an Indian Mutiny Medal with clasps for 'Defence of Lucknow' and 'Lucknow'. The name of ‘D. GREIG . 90TH LT.
INFY.’ has been contemporarily re-stamped/engraved, clasps mounted back to front as worn. It comes with a copy of Greig’s Discharge Certificate from the 45th Regiment in June 1878 which states: 'His conduct has been very good and he is in possession of four good conduct badges and Crimean Medal and clasp for Sebastapol, Turkish medal, Indian Mutiny Medal and two clasps for Lucknow and Abbysinian medal, he is in possession of a third class certificate of education. His name has once been entered in the Regimental Defaulters Book and he has once been tried by Court Marshal.' Estimate is £500-£800.
A nice set next that will surely exceed the estimate of £100£150. It’s a Victorian and World War I family grouping of medals with the India 1895 medal with clasp for 'Punjab Frontier 1897-98' and World War I pair of medals including the British War Medal 1914-1918 and Victory Medal. Shoeing Smith Sibley of K Battery Royal Horse Artillery is shown as entitled to the India 1895 Medal with clasp though his initials are recorded as 'T.H.' instead of 'J.A.', known as Albert to his family.
His son, Frederick Richard Sibley, was born 4 December 1893 at Shipton Gorge, Dorset, enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 8th December 1912, he served on several ships including HMS Europa, HMS St Vincent and the battleship HMS Malaya at the time of the Battle of Jutland.
The medal roll shows Frederick entitled to the 1914-15 Star, as well as the British War Medal and Victory medal though his service records shows that he was only issued with the latter two medals while serving on HMS Vivid on 30 June 1922. Also included in the lot are Frederick’s Princess Mary gift tin, an RMLI brass shoulder title and tunic button, a sweetheart brooch which has been fashioned from a RMLI button fretted around the crown and anchor and backed with velvet, and a copy of a photograph of Frederick Sibley in walking out dress.
For collector’s specifically of the Somme campaign, here’s a 1914-1918 British War Medal and Victory Medal. Records show that Private Berie Henry Estlea enlisted and served with the 12th and 8th Battalions The Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment and was attached to the 4th Battalion The Middlesex Regiment with the regimental number G/43058 when he was killed in action on 19 November 1916 at the end of the Battle of the Somme. Also included are copies of his medal index card and memorial details. Estimate is £100-£150. ■