Orders, Decorations and Medals

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, 1 clasp, Tel-El-Kebir (Lieut. J. F. Craig, N/2 Bde. R.A.) pitting from star, otherwise nearly very fine £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Egypt and Sudan Medals 1882-1891 from the Collection of Jack Webb.

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“N” Battery, 2 Brigade, Royal Artillery, was later awarded the Honour Title “The Broken Wheel” for an incident during the battle of Tel-El-Kebir.

It having decided to attack at dawn after an approach march by night, the latter difficult operation was carried out by the two infantry and one cavalry divisions moving in line, in an echelon from the left with all the seven field batteries, also in line, in an interval between the two infantry divisions. The left hand infantry division arrived first at the enemy's entrenchments in the half light and was met by a blaze of fire. Their attack was not at first completely successful but with the aid of their supports they and the other division forced their way into the entrenchments where hand to hand fighting continued.

Meanwhile, the guns had been halted until there was enough light to see what was going on; but, as dawn broke, they were ordered forward to come into action inside the entrenchments in positions from which they could engage the defences in enfilade. N/2 galloped forward with the rest and, in the words of an officer of the battery, writing just after the battle:

"All of a sudden the smoke lifted like a curtain and we found ourselves close to a long line of entrenchments....We at once went on and Major Branker found an angle in the line just in front where the ditch was not so deep, so the right gun galloped straight at it.
It went with a bump into the ditch, and stuck fast on the face of the parapet, with most of the horses over; but a lot of 42nd [Highlanders] rushed to our help, and we lifted and shoved the gun over; but found one of the wheels smashed to pieces".

Though one of its guns had thus come to grief, N/2 brought its remaining guns into action inside the entrenchments and engaged the rearward parts of the defences with effective shrapnel fire in enfilade at 1,000 yards range. The enemy, facing destructive fire from both their front and flank were soon broken up and, with victory secured, N/2 gained their prized Honour Title.

John Francis Craig was born on 26 July 1856, and entered the Royal Artillery as a Lieutenant on 2 February 1876. He was A.D.C. to the Governor of Mauritius from December 1880 to February 1881, and from April 1881 to February 1882. He served in the Egyptian war of 1882, including the battle of Tel-El-Kebir (medal and clasp; bronze star). Promoted to Captain in January 1885, he was Adjutant of the Clare Artillery Militia, 1887-94. He went on half-pay in the rank of Colonel in November 1907, retired in February 1910, and died in 1922.