Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (Lt. A. Y. Spearman, 1/R. War: R.) good very fine £340-£380

Alexander Young Spearman was born in Prome, Burma, in 1872, the son of Colonel H. R. Spearman, Indian Army, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in June 1892. Promoted Lieutenant in December 1896, he served with the 1st Battalion in the re-conquest of the Sudan, and was present at the Battle of Omdurman on 2 September 1898.

Promoted Captain in December 1899, he served with the 28th Mounted Infantry in South Africa, and took part in the operations in the Transvaal, the Orange River Colony, and Cape Colony. He was taken Prisoner-of-War at Boschbult on 31 March 1902. Promoted Brevet Major on 22 August 1902, he subsequently served with the 1st Battalion on the North West Frontier of India in 1908, where he took part in the operations in Zakka Khel country, the Mohmand country, and the engagements of Matta and Kargha. The Regimental history contains the following detail:
‘A more serious affair was the work of the Mohmand Field Force in April when, however, only four companies of the Royal Warwickshire were employed. One Company, formed of the Battalion Scouts, under Brevet-Major Spearman, was at Matta from April 3 to 16 to check the Mohmand Raider. On April 17 they went out again to Shabkadr, and on the next day they advanced to Garhi Sadar, where they dug themselves in. In the afternoon of 19 April they were ordered to fall back to Matta, and whilst retiring in the dark they had one man killed and one wounded.’

Major Spearman died of morphia poisoning at home in London, October 1911.

Sold with a copied extract from the Regimental newsletter The Antelope showing a group of officers from the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, including Spearman, during the Zakka Khel Expedition in 1908.