Military Awards from the Collection of John Tamplin

India General Service 1854-95, 2 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89 (Lieutt. R. W. Fuller, Royal Arty.) some official corrections to naming, otherwise good very fine £200-250

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Military Awards from the Collection of John Tamplin.

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Richard Woodfield Fuller was born on 28 September 1861, son of Major A. R. Fuller, Bengal Artillery. He was educated at Wellington College, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and joined the Royal Artillery on 27 July 1880, as a Lieutenant, becoming Captain on 14 January 1889. He served in Upper Burma 1885-89, was mentioned in despatches and received the medal with two clasps. He served during the operations in Chitral in 1895, with the Relief Force (Medal and clasp). Promoted to Major on 14 September 1898, he was next present in the Tibet campaign of 1903-04, taking part in the action at Niani, in the operations at and around Gyantse, and in the march to Lhassa (despatches London Gazette 13 December 1904, medal with clasp, brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel).

Major Fuller commanded No. 7 British Mountain Battery R.G.A. in Tibet during the assault on Gyantse, and it was his guns that made the important final breach that allowed the Gurkhas and Fusiliers to successfully storm the fortress: ‘In the meanwhile Fuller was directed to make the breach. So magnificent was the shooting made by his guns that a dozen rounds of common shell, planted one below the other, had made a hole large enough for active men to clamber through. The enemy quickly saw the purport of the breach. Dozens of men could be distinctly seen hurrying to the wall above it.’ (Fuller’s Tibet medal was sold in DNW sale of 28 March 2002, Lot 560).

He served on the North West Frontier of India in 1908, taking part in the operations in the Mohmand country and the engagement at Kargha. For services in this campaign Fuller was mentioned in despatches and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette 14 August 1908), ‘In recognition of services in connection with the recent operations against the Zakka Khel and Mohmands.’

He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 14 July 1908; was given the Brevet of Colonel on 11 September 1909, and promoted Colonel on 16 July 1913. Colonel Fuller served in the Dardanelles in 1915 (despatches), and in France in 1916. He was Temporary Brigadier-General from March 1915 and retired on 25 August 1916, becoming Honorary Brigadier-General on 21 June 1918.