Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Nandi Operations and Great War group of five to Major H. C. Hart, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Nandi 1905-06 (Captain, Rl. Warwick Regt) officially impressed naming; 1914 Mons Star (Capt., R.War.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Major); Coronation 1911 (Capt., 2nd Rl. Warwick Regt.) mounted as worn, good very fine (5)

Harold Charles Hart was born on 30 March 1874, the eldest of twin sons of General Sir Reginald Hart, V.C., G.C.B., K.C.V.O., and educated at Wellington College and privately at Simla. In March 1906, after a short attachment to the Queen’s Surrey’s, he obtained a commission in the 3rd battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Promoted to Captain, he was seconded for duty with the 3rd King’s African Rifles and in 1903 joined the Camel Corps at Gobwen. It was while on leave in England in early 1905 that he received a cable from his brother, Reggie, telling him to return as soon as possible for the Nandi Operations. A hair-raising journey ensued but by November Harold was out on patrols with the Nandi Field Force, finishing the campaign as commander of the Swahili Company at Fort Nandi (medal with clasp).
After two more years in Africa he returned to the Royal Warwicks in England and remained on home service until 1912, when he joined his father in South Africa as a Military Secretary on the Staff. In the previous year he attended the Coronation of King George V with a detachment of his regiment.
Returning from the Cape in June 1914, he was able to join the 1st battalion in France in August, subsequently seeing service at Le Cateau, where he was originally reported missing, and afterwards in the retreat from Mons and at the Battles of the Marne and Aisne. From early September until late November he acted as a Staff Captain to the 10th Infantry Brigade and in January 1915, as a recently promoted Major, he assumed temporary command of the 2nd battalion which fought in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. He was, however, invalided home soon afterwards and for the remainder of the War he served with the Reserve Battalion. Major Hart resigned his commission in 1921 having spent the last months of his career on service in Ireland, where he commanded half of the Battalion at Limerick. Sold with a copy photograph of the recipient in uniform wearing his medals.