Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

A good Boer War D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel R. L. Aspinall, Cheshire Regiment, formerly Yorkshire Regiment, and 15th Hussars, killed in action near Thiepval, 3 July 1916

Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, some enamel damage to wreaths; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Belfast, ‘Capt. R. L. Aspinall, A.D.C. Cav. Div. Staff’, this with contemporary re-engraved naming and tailors copy clasps; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (Capt., D.S.O. ---) unit details erased, both this and Q.S.A. with reverse clasp straps removed to facilitate mounting; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Col., D.S.O., York. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col.); Jubilee 1897, edge inscribed ‘Captn. R. L. Aspinall, 15th (The King’s- -ussars’, this with edge bruising and contact wear obliterating small part of naming detail, therefore nearly very fine, otherwise generally good very fine or better (7) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 27 September 1901. (Presented by the King, 29 October 1901).

Robert Lowndes Aspinall was born on 3 March 1869, and educated at Eton and Sandhurst. He was gazetted to the 15th Hussars on 10 September 1888; promoted Captain, 10 July 1895; retiring from the 15th Hussars, on 25 January 1899. He went out to South Africa 1900-02, with the Yorkshire Regiment, where he served on Sir John French’s staff as A.D.C., (Lady French being his aunt), taking part in operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to November 1900, including operations at Reit Vlei and Belfast; in the operations in the Transvaal, 30 November to December 1900; operations in Orange River Colony, December 1900 to March 1901; operations in Cape Colony, March to May 1902 (D.S.O.; and Despatches London Gazette 10 September 1901).

During the Great War Aspinall commanded the 3rd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment on their mobilization, and later commanded troops of the South Garrison, Redcar. He then raised the 11th Yorkshires (Darlington Pals), before being transferred to the Cheshire Regiment, with whom he went to the front.

Lieutenant-Colonel Aspinall was killed in action near Thiepval on 3 July 1916, whilst commanding the 11th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. He was 47 years of age, and is buried at Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.

The following account of his death is taken from his obituary in The Green Howards Gazette: ‘Lieutenant-Colonel Aspinall went up at about 6:30 a.m. on July 3rd to direct operations from the front line, during an attack on the enemy trenches. He went over the parapet with the Reserve Company, intending to establish his Head Quarters in the enemy front line trench. It was while leading the Reserve Company across no man’s land, under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, that he was struck by a bullet in the right shoulder. On being hit, he fell unconscious and, though at once attended to by stretcher bearers, died almost immediately.’