Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Johannesburg (1550. Serjt. J. Lanphier. 2/Linc Rgt.) nearly extremely fine £200-£240

Provenance: Spink, March 1972.

J. Lanphier served with the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment in South Africa during the Boer War, and was killed in action at the disastrous affair at Nitral’s Nek on 11 July 1900. Early in July 1900 the post at Nitral’s Nek, in the Megaliesberg Mountains, was taken over from Baden-Powell’s force by a squadron of the Royal Scots Greys, five companies of the Lincolnshire regiment, and two guns ‘O’ Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, the whole under Colonel H. R. Roberts. On 11 July the enemy in great numbers attacked the position, and “owing mainly to the defective dispositions of the commanding officer”, the enemy gained possession of the pass and captured the two guns, almost an entire squadron of the Scots Greys, and 90 officers and men of the Lincolns, including Colonel Roberts.

The Lincolns suffered 1 officer and 16 other ranks killed in action at Nitral’s Nek, and a further 4 other ranks subsequently died from wounds received that day. Lanphier was amongst those killed and is commemorated on the Lincolnshire Regiment memorial in Lincoln Cathedral.

Sold with a large quantity of copied research.