Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Afghanistan 1878-80, 3 clasps, Peiwar Kotal, Charasia, Kandahar (Captain G. T. Pretyman. R.A.) the obverse a little polished, otherwise good very fine £600-£800

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

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George Tindal Pretyman was born on 1 March, 1845, and was educated at Wimbledon School and R.M.A. Woolwich. He joined the Royal Artillery on 21 March, 1865, and within a few months went to Canada where he served until July 1870. During this period he was present throughout the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1870 (Medal with two clasps). Pretyman went to India in February, 1875, and was promoted Captain in October, 1877. At the outbreak of the Afghan War in 1878, he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Major General Sir Frederick Roberts and was present at the capture of the Peiwar Kotal and in all the operations in the Koorum and Khost Valleys (mentioned in despatches). He took part in the advance on and occupation of Kabul in 1879, and was present in the engagement at Charasia (mentioned in despatches). He was reappointed Aide-de-Camp to Sir Frederick Roberts in March 1880, and rode with him on the desperate march from Kabul to Kandahar, and was present at the battle of Kandahar on 1 September 1880 (Mentioned in despatches; medal with three clasps; bronze star). For his services during the Afghan campaign he was twice promoted by brevet, first to the rank of Major and afterwards to that of Lieutenant Colonel.

Pretyman was appointed Military Secretary to Sir Frederick Roberts in Madras in 1881, and was Assistant Adjutant-General for the Royal Artillery in India from 1887 to 1889, when he took command of a second class District, Bengal. It was while thus employed that he commanded the 1st Infantry Brigade in the Isazai Expedition of 1892. The enterprise proved a bloodless one and consequently there were no medals or rewards. He was made C.B. (Military) in May 1896, and promoted Major-General in the following year. On the outbreak of the War in South Africa, Lord Roberts offered him the position of Commandant at Headquarters, which he accepted with effect from 23 December, 1899. He was appointed Military Governor of Bloomfontein in 1900, and commanded the Kimberley District in 1901, and afterwards the Northern Cape Colony. For his services he was twice mentioned in despatches and created K.C.M.G. (medal with four clasps). Pretyman returned to India in 1902 with the command of the Secunderabad District, and subsequently the command of the Forces in Madras, 1904, and of the Burma Division, 1906. He retired in 1907 and was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery in September 1908. Major-General Sir George Pretyman died on 3 August 1917.

Note: Pretyman’s full group of medals, together with those of two of his sons, was sold by Buckland Dix & Wood on 12 May 1993. The Afghan medal was named ‘Captn. G. T. Pretyman. R.A.’ He was presumably issued with two medals in error, not an uncommon occurrence when an officer appears on both Regimental and Staff application lists for medals. The above example was sold by Bosleys on 2 March 2008.