The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection

A fine C.B., Boer War D.S.O. group of five awarded to Brigadier-General R. M. B. F. Kelly, Royal Artillery, who was twice wounded and had two horses shot from under him at Faber’s Put in May 1900

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with swivel-ring suspension and riband buckle; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Samana 1891 (Captain R. M. B. F. Kelly, No. 3 Mn. By. R.A.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (Major R. M. B. F. Kelly, D.S.O., R.A.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Maj. R. M. B. F. Kelly, D.S.O., R.G.A.), together with the recipient’s R.A. officer’s cross-belt pouch, a pair of glazed portrait lockets of the recipient and his wife, with precious stone suspension chains, another locket with two photographic portraits of the recipient, one of them coloured, and one of the bullets that severely wounded him at Faber’s Put, mounted for brooch wear, with a South African gold half pond coin of 1894 fitted to the front, the support mounts engraved ‘30 May’ and ‘1900’, with gold reverse pin for wearing, initials officially corrected on the third, minor contact wear, very fine and better (Lot) £4000-5000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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C.B. London Gazette 19 June 1911.

D.S.O. London Gazette 19 April 1900.

Richard Makdougall Brisbane Francis was born in September 1857, the youngest son of General Sir R. D. Kelly, K.C.B., Colonel of the 34th Regiment (see previous Lot). Educated at Marlborough and the R.M.A. Woolwich, he was commissioned in the Royal Artillery in August 1876 and was advanced to Captain in March 1885. He subsequently served in No. 3 Mountain Battery in the second Miranzai Expedition in 1891 (Medal & clasp) and was promoted to Major in January 1894, before taking up appointment as an instructor at the School of Gunnery.

During the Boer War, he served as A.D.C. to Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Warren from November 1899 until April 1900, in which period he was employed in the relief of Ladysmith operations and at Spion Kop, Warren having sent him to the summit to find out the latest information. A fellow gunner later wrote:

‘Well, the shell fire on the road up was too hot, so Major Kelly, R.A., who is on Warren’s staff, and who was leading us up the hill, told us to rest for two hours, and to make a final climb at midnight. This we did, but just before we marched again the troops began pouring down from the top under Colonel Thorneycroft, and finally he himself arrived and ordered us to retire. It was a bitter blow for us at the time, but looking at it now with a clear head, one can see what a death-trap it would have been for us had we got there ... ’

Of his two wounds, which were collected at Faber’s Put on 30 May 1900, his daughter states:

‘One of our guns was not firing and Warren sent father down to see what the trouble was. As he was mounting his pony it was shot, and calling for his other mount it was shot too, the bullet passing through father’s knee as well. He was not going to ride his wounded horse, so he walked down to the gun ... father got the gun going, then came back and was shot on the way, through the jaw and shoulder-blade, piercing the top of the lung. Claud Lowther, the other A.D.C., went to pick him up, first shooting the Boer who shot father, and under his shoulder he found the bullet that hit him, so picked it up thinking mother would like it ... ’

Mentioned in despatches by Buller in March 1900 and by Warren in June 1900, he was awarded the D.S.O., the insignia and warrant being sent to South Africa for presentation in July 1901. Kelly, meanwhile, having recovered from his wounds, served as District Commandant until February 1903, when he returned to take up an appointment as Chief Instructor at the School of Gunnery. Advanced to Colonel in May 1908, he served as Commandant of the R.A., East Lancashire Division (Territorials) 1909-10, and as Commandant in the rank of Brigadier-General of the R.A., Southern Coast Defences, Portsmouth 1910-11, gaining the C.B. in the latter year. He died in February 1915.

Sold with a large quantity of original career documentation, including the recipient’s C.B. warrant, Boer War map and movements orders, assorted letters of appointment, and much besides, in addition to several photographs.