Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

A Relief of Chitral D.S.O. group of five awarded to Major H. E. S. Abbott, C.B.E., D.S.O., Royal Engineers













(a) Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels

(b) Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, small white enamel flake to one reverse arm

(c) Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Lieut H. S. Abbott, R.E.)

(d) India General Service 1854-94, 2 clasps, Hazara 1888, Hazara 1891 (Captn. H. E. S. Abbott, R.E.) second clasp loose as issued

(e) India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Relief of Chitral 1895 (Major H. E. S. Abbott, R.E.) the medals polished, otherwise nearly very fine or better
£2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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Herbert Edward Stacey Abbott, the son of General H. E. S. Abbott, Bengal Infantry, was born on 6 April 1855, and educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, and the R.M.A., Woolwich. He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 17 August 1874, and went to India in 1877. He served in the Afghan War as Assistant Engineer, Khyber Line Force and Khyber Brigade from 1878 to 1880. Thereafter he was employed in the Public Works Department in the Punjab. He became Captain in August 1885 and served with the Hazara Expeditions of 1888 and 1891 (despatches London Gazette 20 October 1891).

Promoted to Major in 1894, he served with the Chitral Relief Force in 1895, for which he was mentioned in despatches and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette 21 January 1896) in recognition of his services. He was presented with the insignia of the Order in 1896 and was invalided to England the following year, returning to India in 1898. Advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1901, he became officiating Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department in the Punjab, 1903-04, and retired to England with the Brevet promotion of Colonel in October 1906. He was re-employed in 1909 as War Office Inspector of Territorial Buildings, and in charge of building at the Duke of York’s Headquarters, Chelsea. During the First World War, in which his only son was killed in action, he was employed on special duty in the London District 1915-19. He was made C.B.E. in the War Honours List of January 1919.

Ref: The Distinguished Service Order 1886-1923 (Creagh).