Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

A Great War M.B.E. group of six awarded to Quartermaster and Captain H. C. Crowden, Royal Irish Fusiliers, late Royal Horse Artillery, who was severely wounded at Diamond Hill on 11 June 1900
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 1st type breast badge, silver, hallmarks for London 1919; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill (78790 Sjt. H. C. Crowden. R.H.A.) this a somewhat later issue; British War Medal 1914-20 (Q.M. & Lieut. H. C. Crowden.); Victory Medal 1914-19, naming erased; Delhi Durbar 1911, silver (78790 B.Q.M. Sjt. H. C. Crowden. R.H.A.) later impressed naming; Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (78790 B.Q.M. Sjt. H. C. Crowden. R.H.A.) this a somewhat later issue, mounted court-style for wear, edge bruising and contact marks, generally nearly very fine

Three: Gunner R. Crowden, Royal Artillery
Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (2088682 Gnr. R. Crowden. R.A.) mounted court-style for wear, nearly extremely fine (9) £500-£700

Noonans, May 2022 (QSA only).

M.B.E. London Gazette 12 December 1919.

Henry Clarence Crowden was born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire, on 12 April 1872 and attested for the Royal Horse Artillery on 3 April 1890. He served with ‘C’ Battery in India from 12 November 1892 to 1 January 1899, and was promoted Corporal on 8 February 1894. Transferring to the Army Reserve on 29 January 1899, he was recalled for War service on 9 October 1899, and served with ‘O’ Battery in South Africa during the Boer War from 27 October 1899 to 18 August 1900, being severely wounded at Diamond Hill on 11 June 1900.

Crowden saw further service in India from 20 October 1901 to 9 July 1904, and again from 21 September 1906 to 19 March 1913, and was promoted Sergeant on 30 October 1901, and Battery Quartermaster Sergeant on 13 November 1906. He is confirmed on the roll for ‘N’ Battery for the Delhi Durbar Medal, and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, together with a gratuity of £5, on 1 January 1909. Appointed to the Permanent Staff of the Somerset Royal Horse Artillery (Territorial Force) as Acting Sergeant Major on 20 March 1913, he was discharged to pension, no longer physically fit, on 4 August 1914.

Commissioned Quartermaster (Lieutenant) in the 1st (Service) Battalion, British West Indies Regiment on 10 December 1915, Crowden served with them during the Great War in Egypt from 7 January 1916, before being invalided back to England with hepatitis in August 1916. He joined the 2nd Garrison Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, on 9 November 1916, before transferring as Quartermaster to the 1st Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was promoted Honorary Captain on 10 December 1918, and for his services during the Great War was created a Member of the Order of the British Empire. He relinquished his commission on 1 September 1921, and died at Blaby on 31 December 1933.

Note: The Queen’s South Africa Medal, Delhi Durbar Medal, and Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Roll were all re-issued on 1 May 1923, the recipient presumably having lost his originals.
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Henry Russell Crowden, son of the above, was born in Meerut, India, on 11 February 1896 and served as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery (Territorial Force). He died in Leicester in 1960.

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