An extremely rare Great War C.M.G., Edward VII Aden operations D.S.O. group of four awarded to Brigadier-General F. P. English, Royal Dublin Fusiliers

The Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., breast badge converted for neck wear, silver-gilt and enamels; Distinguished Service Order, E.VII.R., silver-gilt and enamels; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Cape Colony, Talana, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (Lt. Col., Rl. Dub. Fus.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lt. Col., Rl. Dub. Fus.) the second lacking upper suspension bar, enamel work chipped in places, especially on the obverse of the left arm of the D.S.O., otherwise very fine and better (4) £3500-4000

C.M.G. London Gazette 4 June 1917.

D.S.O. London Gazette 14 April 1905: ‘In recognition of services during the operations connected with the protection of the Aden Boundary Commission, 1903-4.’

Frederick Paul English was born in October 1859, the son of J. T. English, J.P., of Bradford Manor, Bradford, Devon. Educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in January 1879. Advanced to Lieutenant in January 1881, he served as an A.D.C. to the G.O.C. Egypt between 1885-87 and in a similar capacity to the G.O.C. Ceylon between 1887-88. English was further advanced to Major in November 1894, in which year he was serving as Adjutant of Volunteers.

Returning to normal regimental duties with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1897, he was actively employed throughout the Boer War, being twice slightly wounded and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 8 February 1901), and given the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel. In addition to being present with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in their heroic uphill assault at Talana, he also fought with the regiment at Lombard’s Kop, in the relief of Ladysmith operations (slightly wounded 20 January 1900), including Spion Kop, Vaal Krantz, Pieter’s Hill and the Tugela Heights, and afterwards was variously employed in Cape Colony, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, west of Pretoria, including the action at Frederickstad (slightly wounded 31 July 1900).

English next saw active service as a column commander in Aden between 1903-04, gaining advancement to substantive Lieutenant-Colonel in March of the latter year. It was for his part in these operations, and more particularly his leadership of the force sent to punish the Naklain tribe, that he was awarded the D.S.O., a story that received suitable coverage in the home press:

‘The expedition, under Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel English, was sent out to destroy the chief village and crops of the Naklain tribe, as punishment for the shooting of Government camels and the looting of His Majesty’s mails. The tribe is very warlike, and their country had never hitherto been penetrated.

After leaving As Suk camp, the British column began to wind among the mountains, which rise very abruptly from the plain, and, as they met with no opposition for a considerable time, they began to think there would be no resistance. Suddenly, without warning of any sort, a ragged volley was opened on the advance-guard, apparently from some very broken ground, fifty to a hundred yards in front.

This seemed to be a pre-arranged signal, for from the hills on both flanks the firing was taken up, the enemy constantly changing their positions after firing. The guns were brought into action almost at once, and the infantry, extending at the double, soon covered a wide front and swept along the hills parallel to the advance.

After the surrounding hills had been shelled, the whole column moved forward, the infantry pushing the enemy back step by step until the village of Naklain was reached. While parties of men were told off to keep down the enemy’s fire from points of vantage, others proceeded to blow up the houses with gun-cotton, and the more inaccessible houses were shelled.

The crops were then destroyed by the men with their bayonets and swords. There was a fierce fire while this was proceeding, the enemy evidently not having expected such a reprisal. The work having been completed, the arduous retirement commenced, the enemy following the force step by step the whole way back, at one time coming to comparatively close quarters and necessitating a most careful management of the rear-guard.

As Suk was reached after a trying march of twenty miles, the troops being under fire most of the time, with scarcely any water and exposed to a burning sun. The British casualties were seven men of the Dublin Fusiliers wounded (one since dead) and one native and one gunner slightly wounded.’

On his return to the U.K., where he received his D.S.O. from the King at Buckingham Palace in July 1905 and was given the Brevet of Colonel in the same month, English took command of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, in which capacity he served until early 1908. He retired as a substantive Colonel in July of the following year. Recalled in August 1914, he acted as C.O. of No. 1 Section, Tyne Garrison, Co. Durham, work that obtained him two more ‘mentions’ and the C.M.G., in addition to the honorary rank of Brigadier-General with effect from January 1918.

Sold with original C.M.G. warrant and statutes; D.S.O. statutes and M.I.D. certificate (dated 27 July 1917).