Orders, Decorations and Medals

A K.C.B. group of five awarded to Surgeon-General Sir Henry Hamilton, Indian Medical Service

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s set of insignia, neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck ribbon complete with silver-gilt fitments; breast star, silver, gold appliquè and enamel, in Garrard, London case of issue; Afghanistan 1878-80, 3 clasps, Charasia, Kabul, Kandahar (Surgn., 23 Bl. N.I.); Kabul to Kandahar Star 1880 (Surgeon, 23rd Regt. Bengal N.I.); India General Service 1895-1902, 4 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895, Tirah 1897-98, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897 (Surgn. Lt. Col., I.M.S.), no connection between 1st and 2nd clasps, others with unofficial rivets; China 1900, no clasp (Lieut. Col., I.M.S.), medals with contact marks, nearly very fine and better, the K.C.B. good very fine (6) £2400-2800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Medical Services formed by Colonel D.G.B. Riddick.

View
Collection

Henry Hamilton was born on 7 April 1851, the son of William Hamilton of Coolaghey House, Raphoe, Co. Donegal. Educated at the Royal School, Raphoe and Queen’s University Ireland, he qualified as a Q.C. Belfast, B.A. 1872 and M.D. and M.Ch. in 1875. He entered the Indian Medical Service as a Surgeon on 31 March 1876 and served with the 23rd Bengal Native Infantry in the Afghan War of 1878-80, being present at the action at Charasia, the operations at and around Kabul, the affair at Shekhabad, the march under General Roberts from Kabul to Kandahar and the battle of Kandahar. For his services in the campaign he was mentioned in despatches. He was promoted to Surgeon-Major in March 1888 and to Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel in March 1896. Then on the N.W. Frontier he saw service in the relief of Chitral 1895, where he commanded No. 42 Native Field Hospital; the operations in Samana and in the Kurram Valley for which as Senior Medical Officer he was mentioned in despatches, and then in the Tirah Expedition 1897-98, for which he was again mentioned in despatches and received special promotion to Brigade Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel. During the China Campaign he was P.M.O. of No. 2 General Hospital. Further promotion followed, being advanced to Colonel in October 1902 and awarded the C.B. in 1904. Hamilton attained the rank of Surgeon-General in March 1907 and in 1913 was invested with the K.C.B. He died on 21 January 1932.