Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, North West Frontier (Lieut. G. A. Graham, 2nd Punjab Cvy.) good very fine £360-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers.

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George Augustus Graham was born at Bathwick, Somerset, on 6 August 1833, the fourth son of Captain (later Colonel, C.B.) Charles Graham, Bengal Artillery. He was educated at Cheltenham College and entered the Indian Army as an Ensign in the 28th Bengal Native Infantry in December 1851. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 19 October 1854, and posted to the 2nd Punjab Cavalry on 30 January 1857. During March 1857 he took part in the Bozdar Expedition with the 3rd Sikh Infantry, under the command of Sir Neville Bowles Chamberlain, and was present at the forcing of the Khan Bund, for which he received the thanks of the Bengal Government on 28 January 1858. He was also present at the attack on Shaick Jana at Eussuffzaie, under Major J. L. Vaughan, commanding the garrison at Mardan Fort, and commanded the Head Quarters and a detachment of the 2nd Punjab Cavalry. He was favourably mentioned in Vaughan’s despatch of 2 July 1857, and was promoted to Captain in June of the same year.

On 18 May 1858, Captain Graham was appointed second-in-command of the 4th Regiment (Rifles) Punjab Irregular Force, following the wounding of the previous holder of the post at the siege of Lucknow. The following year, after short tours of duty with the 21st and 33rd Native Infantries, he was posted to general duties at Rawalpindi, and on 25 February 1862 he returned to Europe to see out the final three years of his military service.

On leaving the army Captain Graham collected the last remaining specimens of the Irish Wolfhound and over a period of 23 years, with judicious out-crossing, re-established the breed, collecting over 300 pedigree Wolfhounds. In 1879 he published the book The Irish Wolfhound, which set exacting standards for the quality of the breed, and in 1885 founded the Irish Wolfhound Club, serving as its president until 1908. Captain Graham died at Rednock on 21 October 1909.

For the medals awarded to two of his brothers see Lots 854 and 858.