Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Hampshire Yeomanry Cavalry (Carabiniers), Lieutenant Colonel A. C. Nicholson’s Full Dress Uniform, comprising 1871 pattern plated helmet complete with all gilt metal fittings and fine quality frontal plate, this complete with chamois leather cover and named carrying tin; correct pattern white horse hair plume together with its carrying tin; full dress shoulder belt and pouch hallmarked en-suite Birmingham 1894, the silver pouch with gilt metal mount being St. Edward’s crown over HYC; full dress waist belt complete with ornate rectangular gilt plate this mounted with a post 1902 cap badge in gilt and silver; full dress sword slings and sword knot; an 1896 pattern heavy cavalry sabre by Henry Wilkinson, London, Serial No. 28496, the 87.5 cm bright blade with single fuller and etched with crowned VR cypher, panels of scrolling foliage and initials ‘ACN’, together with its plated full dress scabbard (surface rust patches) and tan leather carrying case again initialled ACN; a tin for a round pattern forage cap named A. C. Nicholson, Hants Carabiniers (lacking hat); full dress uniform in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel blue cloth with white facings and piping, gold lace throughout, the cuffs with the ornate lace patterning for a Lieutenant Colonel, skirt pockets with white piping and gilt buttons, all the buttons are post 1902; two pairs of overalls complete with double white cloth side seams (slight mothing); a pair of aluminium i.d. tags bearing Nicholson’s name and rank; one undress linen waist belt and a similar shoulder belt; various small pieces of horse tack and sundry pairs of spurs; a group of silver plated livery buttons for the Nicholson family; a pair of puttees named to A. W. Nicolson; sundry KC period Rifle Brigade buttons and one Captain’s laced epaulette, very good condition overall (parcel) £3,000-£4,000

Arthur Carleton Nicholson was born on 2 July 1864, the youngest son of William and Isabella Nicholson. Educated at Winchester College, he graduated from Christ Church, Oxford, in 1885 with a Bachelor of Arts. He served in South Africa 1900-01 with the 50th (Hampshire) Company, 17th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, and took part in the operations in the Transvaal, January 1901; in Orange River Colony, December 1900 to May 1901; and in Cape Colony, 30 November 1900 to April 1901. The 17th and 18th Battalions I.Y. were the only yeomanry entitled to the clasp for Rhodesia for their part in the operations in that country in 1900. Nicholson was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 10 September 1901) and received the Queen’s Medal with 5 clasps. Major and Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel, 10 August 1901. Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholson did not serve overseas during the Great War. Resident at Hartham Park, Corsham, Wiltshire, he was a J.P. and D.L. for that County and held the office of High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1929. He died on 11 February 1945, aged 80.

For the recipient’s medals, see lot 904.

Note: Owing to recent legislation, specialist shipping will be required for this lot.