A fine C.M.G. and gold D.S.O. group of five awarded to Colonel Alfred Keane, Royal Artillery

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., gold and enamels; Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Lieut. Alfred Keene, R.A.); India General Service 1854-94, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-87 (Captn. A. Keene, R.A.); Delhi Durbar 1903, silver, contact marks, otherwise very fine and better (5) £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Richard Magor Collection of Medals Relating to India and Africa, and other Fine Awards.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 25 November 1887. One of approximately 150 gold awards of the D.S.O. made before 1888 when they were subsequently made in silver-gilt.

Alfred Keene was born on 17 April 1855, son of Henry G. Keene, C.I.E., Magistrate and Judge in the N.W. Province of India, and Fanny, daughter of Brigadier-General Moore, Indian Army. He was first commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 12 February 1874. He served in Afghanistan 1878-80, and took part in the march from Quetta to the relief of Kandahar, in command of two guns of No. 2 Bombay Mountain Battery (despatches London Gazette 25 January 1881 and Medal).

In the Burmese expedition of 1886-87, Captain Keene had command of No. 1 Bombay Mountain Battery, was again mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 2 September 1887) and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (Medal with clasp). He subsequently commanded the Artillery contingent at the Delhi Durbar in 1903, was promoted to Colonel in 1904, and retired on half-pay in 1905. At the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Colonel Keene was employed at the War Office, later as a Staff Captain, for which he was created a C.M.G. in January 1918. Colonel Keene died shortly afterwards, on 21 April 1918.