Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Colonel A. H. Gleadowe-Newcomen, C.I.E., Commandant of the Cawnpore Light Horse, A.D.C. to three Viceroys of India

1914 Star, with clasp (Major A. H. G. Newcomen); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Major A. H. G. Newcomen); Volunteer Force Long Service (India & the Colonies), V.R. (Captn, A. H. GleadoweNewcomen, Cawnpore L. Horse); Indian Volunteer Forces Decoration, E.VII.R. (Lieut. Col. A. H. Gleadowe Newcomen, U.P. Light Horse) the reverse hallmarked Birmingham 1904, complete with top suspension bar, good very fine (5) £400-500

Arthur Hills Gleadowe-Newcomen was born on 9 November 1893, eldest son of Robert Gleadowe-Newcomen, of Killester House, Co. Dublin. He was educated at Ripon and Durham schools and, according to his entry in Who Was Who, ‘travelled over the greater part of the world, and served 40 years in India, seeing much service, and spent many years exploring; served in Egypt, Soudan, and in South Africa during the Boer War; in Japan and China during the Russo-Japanese war, also in France and Flanders during the European War 1914-15.’ He was Honorary A.D.C. to Lords Curzon, Minto and Hardinge, Viceroys of India. He was awarded the C.I.E. in 1907 and appears to have retired in about 1910, after which he bought a ranch in Alberta, Canada. He happened to be in London on the outbreak of war and immediately volunteered, being gazetted Temporary Major on 5 October 1914. He was invalided in 1915 and returned home to Canada, where he died on 30 May 1928. Details of his other war service remain rather vague and unconfirmed. He claims to have served with an Aussie unit during the Boer war but his name has not been traced. Even his obituary in the Edmonton Times states: ‘Details of his vivid and adventurous life in India are lacking, for Col. Newcomen was of the breed of old soldier who prefers deeds to words, and even those who knew him best, knew but little of his military record... “He had more decorations than any other man I ever met,” declared Col. Jamieson, “He had five whole rows of medal ribbons.” Colonel Newcomen was the author of a Report on the Trade and Commerce of S.W. Persia, of which commission he was in command.