Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Captain A. R. Peel, South Wales Borderers, attached Nigerian Mounted Infantry, killed in action at Kosseoa, Cameroons, 17 November 1914, the Regiment’s only ‘African’ casualty of 1914

1914-15 Star (Capt. A. R. Peel. S. Wales Bord.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. A. R. Peel.) nearly extremely fine and rare to an officer casualty for this theatre (3) £400-500

Alan Ralph Peel was born on 7 July 1886, the eldest surviving son of Herbert Peel, of Taliaris Park, Co. Carmarthen. He was educated at Cheltenham College, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Commissioned Second Lieutenant in the South Wales Borderers on 24 January 1906, he was promoted Lieutenant in December 1907 and Captain in September 1914. He served with the 1st Battalion in India, 1907-09 and at Pretoria, 1910, before being posted on attachment to the South African Mounted Infantry, where he was based at Harrismith and Bloemfontein, 1911-12. In 1912 he was seconded to the West African Frontier Force (Nigeria Regiment) and in 1914 was seconded to the Nigerian Mounted Infantry.

Captain Peel was killed in action, leading a bayonet charge, at Kasseoa, near Marna, North Cameroons, on 17 November 1914. His commanding officer wrote of him: ‘I had made application for him to join me, knowing his ability. You have the honour of knowing no soldier could have met a more gallant death, viz., at the head of his men, leading the charge and showing an example of great bravery. He was buried with all honours by the Captain of the French company with whom he was operating at the time.’

The Commandant of the Nigerian Regiment also wrote to Peel’s parents as follows: ‘To lighten your great sorrow you have the honour of knowing that your son died in a manner worthily upholding the finest traditions of the Service, and setting an example of valour to the whole regiment, among whom he was so deservedly known as a brave and upright officer and the best of good comrades.’

Peel’s name is recorded on the Zaria Memorial, Nigeria, the only South Wales Borderers Officer so listed, and he was also the only man from the Regiment killed in Africa in the first year of the Great War.

Sold with copied research including a photographic image of the recipient.