The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection

Three: Lieutenant-Colonel J. M. Camilleri, 13th Bengal Infantry, late Royal Malta Fencible Artillery and East Yorkshire Regiment

India General Service 1854-95, 2 clasps, N.E. Frontier 1891, Chin Hills 1892-93 (Ltt. J. M. Camilleri, 13th Bl. Infy.); India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (Captn. J. M. Camilleri, 13th Bl. Infy.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 7 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen, South Africa 1901 (Major J. M. Camilleri, I.S.C.) contact marks and a little polished, otherwise nearly very fine and rare (3) £1800-2200

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

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John Mary Camilleri was born on 26 June 1865, and was first commissioned on 14 January 1885, in the Royal Malta Fencible Artillery. He was appointed Second Lieutenant in the East Yorkshire Regiment in July 1887 and transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps in November 1888, being attached to the 13th (Shekhawati) Bengal Infantry. He took part in the expedition to Manipur in 1891 (Medal with clasp); in Burma 1892-93, operations in the Northern Chin Hills (Despatches G.G.O. 733 of 1893, clasp); on the N.E. Frontier of Assam in 1894, Abor Expedition; on the N.W. Frontier of India in 1897-98, Malakand, as Brigade Transport Officer to 1st Brigade, 2 August-October 1897, including the action at Landakai (Despatches London Gazette 5 November 1897); Operations to Bajaur and in the Mamund country, Buner, including attack and capture of the Tanga Pass (Despatches London Gazette 22 April 1898, medal with clasp); in Tirah in 1897-98 (Clasp).

Camilleri served in South Africa 1899-1901 as a Special Service Officer and afterwards on the Staff, including the Relief of Kimberley; operations in Orange Free State, February-May 1900, including operations at Paardeberg (17-26 February), actions at Poplar Grove, Driefontein, Vet River (5-6 May) and Zand River; operations in the Transvaal in May and June 1900, including actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill (11-12 June); operations in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, June-October 1901, including actions at Wittebergen (1-29 July), (Despatches London Gazette 16 April 1901, Brevet of Major, Queen’s medal with 7 clasps).

Appointed Second in Command, 13th Rajputs, 8 June 1908, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and Commandant of the regiment on 13 November 1910. Lieutenant-Colonel Camilleri died in India on 20 September 1912.