Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An interesting ‘Great War’ C.B.E. group of three awarded to Mr Frank Worthington, a natural born adventurer and acquaintance of Cecil Rhodes, who accompanied Colonel Coryndon as his private secretary on his expedition to Barotse in October 1897, and managed to wreck Rhodes’ bathtub upon his return. Worthington ran the “Secret Ink Bureau” in support of M.I.6 during the Great War, with his services being in high demand from the Americans - led to an interview with President Woodrow Wilson. He also authored several books, most of which he illustrated himself, including Chiromo the Witch Doctor - where some of the stories are specifically about his own adventures in Africa

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) Commander’s 1st type, neck badge, silver gilt and enamel, in Garrard & Co. Ltd case of issue; British South Africa Company Medal 1890-97, reverse Rhodesia 1896, no clasp (Troopr. F. Worthington. M.R.F.); France, Order of the Academic Palmes, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver and enamel, with purple enamel damage, last two mounted as originally worn, toned, generally very fine or better unless otherwise stated (3) £1,800-£2,200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from an Africa Collection.

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C.B.E. London Gazette 30 March 1920: Deputy Chief Censor, War Office.

Frank Worthington was born in 1874, and educated at Repton:

‘I was only a boy of eighteen when I went out to South Africa with the idea of joining an uncle in Rhodesia. Shortly after I arrived in Johannesburg, Jameson crossed the border, and I enlisted in Bettington’s Horse as a trooper at eleven o’clock one morning. I was promoted lance-corporal at twelve, and subaltern the next morning; but three days later we were all disarmed by the British Resident, as Jameson had surrendered to the Dutch at Doornkop.

Then the Matabeleland Rebellion broke out, and I enlisted under Colonel (now Lord) Plumer, and went through the Rebellion. To get across the border from the Transvaal to Bechuanaland was a job. By reason of my youth I did not think I should be accepted unless I was mounted. I therefore bought a pony, and after several adventures I reached Mafeking and enlisted. It was being accepted which led to my meeting Cecil Rhodes....

The next time I saw Cecil Rhodes was under fire, in the Matoppa Hills, I was told off with others as an escort for him.... As we were going down a narrow valley, the Matabele opened fire on us from sides. Cecil Rhodes immediately took command of the party, and although he was a colonel only on paper, he probably gave the first military command he had ever given. It was “Files about,” and we rode, hell for leather, for the open.

When we got to the open, he pulled up and said to the man in command of the expedition, “When you took us up that kloof did you know we could get out at the other side?”

The man’s reply was “No.”

Then Cecil Rhodes ticked him off in his very characteristic manner. He said most severely to him, “If I had been shot in the leg I should have been very much annoyed; in fact I should have been very angry.....”

The next time I met him was towards the end of the Rebellion. I realised that it must come to an end soon, and I thought I might be able to get a job through Rhodes, so one morning I got leave of absence and went off to try and see him.

When I arrived at his camp he was shaving outside his tent... I sat on a stone until a more auspicious moment for approaching him.

Whenever Rhodes looked up, he noticed me; and, as I did not budge, I evidently began to annoy him, for he sent his brother, Colonel Frank Rhodes, to ask what I was doing there.

Frank Rhodes told his brother, who said “Tell him to come back again after the Rebellion. He has plenty of time to get shot yet; but if he comes through I will give him a job.”

A little later Rhodes came and camped among us, so I went to his camp to ask him about my job.

The message came back: “Mr Rhodes wants to you to come to dinner tonight.”

Naturally I had to ask the sergeant-major for leave of absence.

“What do you want it for?” he asked.

“I am invited to dinner with Mr Rhodes.” I replied.

The sergeant-major glared back at me. “Trying to pull my leg, are you, you young ruffian? Are you sure you do not mean Queen Victoria?” and he ordered me off.

I therefore went to the commanding officer, and on assuring him that I had had a definite invitation, he gave me leave.

His manner to me ever after was more like a brother than that of the commanding officer to a trooper; more particularly as we met at dinner that night... The one topic of conversation at dinner was that of rank. I was the only trooper there, and the rest of the seven or eight men were captains, majors, and colonels...

After dinner he started to cross-question me, and one of the first things he asked me was “Can you write?”

My answers to his questions satisfied him, for, he said, “When you are disbanded go to the Administrator’s office in Bulawayo for your job. You can say I sent you.” (A Page from My Life, Roughing it with Cecil Rhodes, article by recipient which was published in The Graphic December 1927, refers)

Rhodes secured a job for Worthington as personal secretary to Major R. Coryndon:

‘In time, Cecil Rhodes sent up Major “Bob” Coryndon (afterwards Sir Robert Coryndon, later Governor of Uganda, and afterwards of Kenya Colony) on the expedition to Barotseland, now Northern Rhodesia.

I begged to be allowed to go with the expedition, and was accepted. We went by wagon to Francistown, and Rhodes made a special journey from Bulawayo to say good-bye to us. He made us a little speech: “Good-bye; you are going North to do my work. I shall look after you.” He shook hands with Sir Robert, then with me, and then with the five policemen who represented our armed forces.

Coming down once from the North I got a bad attack of prickly heat.

As soon as Rhodes saw me he said, “What is the matter with you?” I replied I did not know, adding that the rash was not painful but very irritating.

He sent for his doctor and had me vetted. The doctor said it might be blood poisoning or prickly heat, and advised a bath containing carbolic acid.

In Rhodes’s bathroom was a large bath made of a solid, highly-polished block of granite. I poured in a lot of carbolic acid, and the relief was enormous. I therefore added more and more, with the result that I took all the skin off one part of my body and all the polish off the bath.

When Rhodes saw it, he said, with characteristic bluntness, “You have burnt my bath.”

“Yes, and I have burnt myself too,” I replied.’ (Ibid)

Further details about the expedition to Barotse are given in Northern Rhodesia in the days of the Charter, by G. Gelfland:

The British South Africa Company had now consolidated its position south of the Zambesi and was at last ready to extend its powers to the north. On 22 August 1897, Lewanika received a letter from the Governor of the Cape Colony informing him that the British Resident, Major Coryndon, had arrived in June and asking him to send canoes to escort him to Lealui. Coryndon was accompanied by his secretary, Mr Frank Vigers Worthington and his tiny British South Africa Police force of five men. Their journey from Bulawayo had been difficult because many of their oxen died while pulling the over-laden wagons through the heavy sandy road. At Kazungula they were met with by Lewanika’s son, Letia, who escorted them to Lealui with sixty canoes. Coryndon arrived there on 20 October 1897, and camped near the capital. He was given a tremendous welcome by 10,000 people who had gathered to greet him. Thereafter he and his party proceeded by barge to the assembly, of Khotla, where the king was seated with forty old men on his left, and watched his regiments filing past. When the ceremony was over, the king took Major Coryndon and Mr Worthington to dine with him.’

Worthington was later appointed Secretary for Native Affairs, and then became a judge. He retired in 1914, and returned to the UK. Worthington almost immediately became Deputy Chief Postal Censor. As part of his responsibilities he ran the “Secret Inks Bureau” in support of M.I.6 during the Great War. His abilities were nationally recognised, and the Americans requested his assistance:

‘Major Dansey of the Intelligence Department, War Office, attached to Balfour’s mission, is taking copious memoranda on censorship. He personally may be well acquainted with the theory but can have but little practical knowledge. War Office have promised me that, if our Government request it, they will lend us their best technical experts capable of explaining to ours the organisation and practical workings of this vitally important department. Frank Worthington, Deputy Chief Censor, second in command, who understands the work better than any Englishman living, has promised me he will go to America if asked. War Officer agree with me no need to await arrival of Dansey to decide this matter. Please consult proper people and have Ambassador officially instructed to ask for loan of Worthington and assistants if you want them.’ (Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Vol. 2, The Ambassador in Great Britain to the Secretary of State, 13 April 1917, refers)

The following year this led to a meeting between Worthington and President Woodrow Wilson. Subsequent appointments for Worthington included as Deputy Director General Ministry of Pensions; Chief Postal Censor, 1939-40; Member of the Standing Interdepartmental Committee on Censorship; Member of the Linguistics Committee, Ministry of Labour 1939; and Committee of Imperial Defence 1938-40. He also wrote several books, most of which he also illustrated - including Chiromo the Witchdoctor; Little Wise One and Sunday at the Zoo. In later life Worthington resided at Westfield Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk and died in January 1964.

Sold with three of Worthington’s publications : Chiromo The Witch Doctor And Other Rhodesian Studies; The Little Wise One; and The Zoo On Sunday, additionally with copied research, including several photographic images of recipient.