Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Captain H. B. W. Maling, Connaught Rangers, late East Surrey Regiment, who was severely wounded in Gallipoli

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1902 (Lieut. H. B. W. Maling, E. Surrey Regt.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1908-10 (Lieut. H. B. W. Maling, Conn. Rang.); 1914-15 Star (Capt. H. B. W. Maling, Conn. Rang.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt. H. B. W. Maling), mounted as worn, the first with edge bruise, otherwise good very fine (5) £700-900

Herbert Benjamin Whitelock Maling, who was born in 1882, was commissioned in the 4th (Militia) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment in February 1902 and was employed in operations in Cape Colony in April-May 1902 (Medal & 2 clasps). He was among the second draft of his Battalion to arrive at Cape Town and was duly employed in the Namaqualand Field Force for the relief of O’okiep, in which capacity he was present in the action at Steinkopon and mentioned in Colonel F. E. Sullivan’s despatch, dated 20 May 1902; see Brian Kieran’s O’okiep for further details.

Maling subsequently held appointments in the Royal Garrison Regiment and the South Staffordshire Regiment before transferring to the Connaught Rangers in 1907, but it was while on attachment to the King’s African Rifles that he served in the Somaliland operations of 1908-10 (Medal & clasp).

Appointed Adjutant of the 5th (Service) Battalion of the Connaughts soon after the outbreak of the Great War, Maling came ashore at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli on 5 August 1915 and quickly saw action at Sari Bair. It was, however, in an attack on Hill 60 on 21 August that the Battalion suffered its greatest losses, so much so that it was withdrawn to Mudros barely eight weeks after it had come ashore at Anzac Cove. Total casualties in the period in question amounted to six officers killed, 16 wounded; 214 other ranks killed, 355 wounded. Maling, who was severely wounded in the action at Hill 60 on 21 August, was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 28 January 1916, refers). He saw no further action, being employed on garrison duties in India, and was placed on half-pay in 1922.

Subsequently employed as a King’s Messenger for many years, Maling was taken ill in Turkey in 1943 and died shortly afterwards in London.