Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Trumpeter H. Smith, 1st Life Guards

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 2 clasps, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea ([684 Tru]mpr., 1st L[ife Gds.]); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., small letter reverse ([684 C]orpl., 1/Lif[e Gds.]); Khedive’s Star 1884-86, the first with bent replacement suspension post and the second with slack suspension claw, heavy contact marks and edge bruising with resultant loss of some naming detail, fair, together with two related prize awards, comprising 1st Life Guards’ Athletic Sports Meeting 1890, silver medal, for 1st Prize in the 250 Yards Championship Race, ‘Won by Corporal H. Smith’, and Royal Military Tournament, bronze medal, the reverse engraved, ‘1894, Home District, Winner, 1st Prize, Sword v. Sword, Mounted’, and the edge, ‘Corpl. H. Smith, 1st L.G.’, these two very fine or better (5) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to Trumpeters from the Collection of Roderick Cassidy.

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Henry Smith was born at Ramsey, Huntingdonshire and enlisted in the 1st Life Guards at Windsor in December 1874, aged 14 years. Appointed a Musician in December 1877, he served as a Trumpeter in Egypt and the Sudan between September 1884 and July 1885, when he participated in the Gordon Relief Expedition and was present at Abu Klea. Smith, who later served as a Corporal (unpaid), reverted to being Musician in December 1886 and was discharged in December 1895.

Sold with two original photographic portrait postcards, one of them depicting the recipient in his Life Guards Trumpeter’s uniform, and annotated in ink, ‘Uncle Harry’.