The Upfill-Brown Collection

A fine Boer War D.S.O. group to Colonel F. W. Woodward, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER, V. R., silver-gilt and enamel, lacking upper suspension bar; QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Defence of Kimberley, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Lieut., 1st L. N. Lanc. Reg.); KING'S SOUTH AFRICA, 2 clasps (Capt. & Adjt., D.S.O., L. N. Lanc. Rgt.); BRITISH WAR and VICTORY MEDALS, MID. (Col.); Italy, ORDER OF ST. MAURICE AND ST. LAZARUS, 5th class breast badge, gold and enamel, obverse chipped; KIMBERLEY STAR 1899-1900, date letter 'b' KHEDIVE'S SUDAN 1910-21, 1 clasp, Zeraf 1913-14, this loose on riband, unnamed; France, CROIX DE GUERRE 1914-1917; Italy, WAR CROSS; Egypt, ORDER OF THE NILE, 3rd class badge, silver, gilt and enamel in case of issue; Turkey, ORDER OF THE MEDJIDIE, 3rd class badge, silver, with gold and enamel centre, mounted court style for display excepting the last two, generally good very fine and a rare combination of awards (12)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The AA Upfill-Brown Collection.

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D.S.O., London Gazette, 27 September, 1901, 'In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa.'

Colonel Francis Willoughby Woodward was born in 1872 and entered the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1893. Promoted to Lieutenant in 1896, he subsequently saw service during the Boer War, acting as Signalling Officer in the Defence of Kimberley. After the relief of that town, he went on to witness further action at Lindley and Rhenosrer River, and was twice mentioned in despatches and awarded the D.S.O., receiving the latter from the hands of King Edward VII in October 1902. From March 1906 until March 1916 he was employed with the Egyptian Army, Governor of the Upper Nile 1911-16, participating in the Zeraf Valley operations in Sudan, 1913-1914, and afterwards returned to the European theatre, taking command of the 22nd (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment. He was next posted to Italy, where he saw service between November 1917 and November 1918, and afterwards assumed command of the 1st Battalion of his old Regiment, the Loyal North Lancashires. Colonel Woodward was five times mentioned in despatches during the course of the Great War, in addition to receiving the French Croix de Guerre and Italian St. Maurice and Lazarus Officer's badge, and War Cross. He died in 1926.