Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Ashantee 1873-74, 1 clasp, Coomassie (1951. Gunr. W. H. Harris. 17th Bde. R.A. 1873-4.) edge bruising and polished, otherwise nearly very fine and rare to unit £400-£500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Simon C. Marriage Collection of Medals to the Artillery.

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Collection

47 medals without clasp to unit, and 6 with Coomassie clasp.

William Henry Harris was born in the Parish of St Paul’s, London, and attested for the Royal Artillery at Westminster on 3 March 1871, aged 25 years 4 months. His discharge papers, dated 1 September 1879, confirm that he was in possession of the ‘Medal & Clasp for the Ashanti Expedition’, but that his Character and Conduct had ‘been very bad on account of abuse and drunkenness.’ His name ‘appeared thirty six times in the Regimental Defaulters Book and he had been tried four times by Court Martial.’

Sold with copied discharge papers.