Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A unique group of three medals to Private Alfred John Martin, ‘A’ Squadron, 21st Lancers, a ‘Charger’ at Omdurman, 2 September 1898

Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (3536 Pte., 21/Lancers) suspension refitted and damaged; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (3536 Pte., 21st Lancers) last two clasps loose on ribbon; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 1 clasp, Khartoum (3536 Pte., 21st Lcrs.) engraved naming, minor contact marks and edge bruising, very fine (3) £2000-2500

Alfred Martin was born in the Parish of St. Mary’s, Ashford, Kent in October 1873. At the time of his enlistment on 28 November 1892, Alfred Martin was living with his mother, step-father and several siblings at 1 East Mountain Cottages, Kennington, Ashford, and was a Bricklayer by occupation. Travelling to nearby Canterbury, Martin joined the 21st Lancers. He remained in England until 9 March 1894 when he was part of a draft that sailed to India to join the 21st Lancers at Secunderabad. Despite the many temptations of the East, the regimental magazine for 28 November 1894 reported that he had been awarded one penny a day extra for ‘good conduct’. In October 1896 he sailed with his regiment to Egypt. Initially based at Cairo, Martin was posted to ‘A’ Squadron commanded by Captain W. M. Doyne.

On 2 September 1898 the 21st Lancers took a historic part in the bloody Battle of Omdurman. Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. Martin, the 21st were taken by General Kitchener to move forward on the left to ‘Annoy the enemy and prevent any withdrawal to Omdurman’. As they moved forward they saw what appeared to be a relatively small number of enemy firing at them, and so from canter to trot to charge the whole regiment advanced; ‘A’ Squadron on the extreme left. What soon became apparent was that behind this line of enemy skirmishers, hidden in a dry riverbed, were several thousand dervishes not prepared for flight but determined to fight.

Winston Churchill, a supernumerary Lieutenant attached to the 21st Lancers wrote: ‘In all, out of 310 officers and men, the Regiment had lost in the space of about two or three minutes five officers and 65 men killed and wounded and 120 horses. Nearly a quarter of its strength’. Two officers were awarded the Victoria Cross for the action: Lieutenant The Hon. R. H. L. J. de Montmorency and Captain P. A. Kenna. For their part in the battle the Regiment was awarded the Battle Honour ‘Khartoum’. Alfred Martin was lucky to emerge unscathed from the charge. His name is on a list signed by Colonel R. H. Martin the day after the battle as being present at or south of Kerreri Ridge. On 19 October 1898, at a garrison parade in Cairo, Alfred Martin was presented with his Khedive’s Sudan Medal. Four weeks later he sailed home, to be stationed in Ireland, firstly at the Curragh and then at New Bridge. On 1 April 1900 at the Curragh he was presented with Queen’s Sudan Medal.

In the meantime the South African War had broken out. The 21st Lancers did not take part in the war although some officers did go. Only three officers and three soldiers are on the 21st Lancers medal roll for South Africa - 3536 Private Alfred John Martin being one of them. Martin and one officer are on the roll for the three state bars; Martin’s discharge papers additionally list his entitlement to the two date bars - his Q.S.A. and hence his group being unique to the 21st Lancers. Other soldiers from the 21st Lancers did go to South Africa on detachment from their parent regiment and were attached to other cavalry regiments but the medals they received were named to those other regiments.

Martin returned to England on 7 July 1902 and on 14 March 1903 he was discharged to the Reserve. He re-enlisted under Section ‘D’ for a further four years in the Reserve on 24 December 1904.

With copied research including the paper ‘3536 Private John Martin, 21st Lancers (Empress of India’s): a Unique Group of Medals to an Omdurman Charger’, by Brigadier (retired) Brian A. H. Parritt, C.B.E., which appeared in the Journal of the Orders and Medals Research Society, December 2007 from which the above is taken.