The Carol Benton Collection of Miniature Medals

The mounted group of thirteen miniature dress medals attibuted to Lieutenant-General Sir Henry D’Urban Keary, K.C.B., K.C.I.E., D.S.O., Order of the Bath, Military Division, gold and enamel, ring suspension; Order of the Indian Empire, 15ct. gold and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., gold and enamel, complete with top bar; Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp; India General Service 1854-95, 4 clasps, Burma 1889-92, Burma 1887-9, Burma 1885-7, Chin Hills 1892-93; China 1900, no clasp; 1914 Star with clasp; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1911, silver; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Serbia, Order of Karageorge, 4th Class, with swords, silver and enamel, rosette on ribbon, mounted Court style as worn - ribbons frayed, very fine and better (13) £700-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Carol Benton Collection of Miniature Medals.

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Ex-Oldfield Collection; Keary’s full-size medals were sold at D.N.W. 16 December 2003, lot 869.

Henry D’Urban Keary was born at Holkham, Norfolk, on 28 April 1857, and educated at Marlborough College. Passing out of Sandhurst in 1875, he was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant, unattached, and was appointed to the 12th (Suffolk) Regiment in August 1876, and to the Madras Staff Corps in May 1877. Being posted to the 1st Madras Infantry, Keary served during the Afghan War of 1879-80 and was present at the action of Kam Dakka. He served throughout the Burma campaign of 1885-87 and subsequent operations through to 1892 (Despatches, medal with 3 clasps). Whilst in Burma he raised the Shwebo Military Police Battalion which he commanded from 1887. Promoted to Captain in 1888, three years later he commanded a company of Mounted Infantry during the suppression of the Wuntho State Rebellion, 1891, and was mentioned in despatches for the action near Kawbei, which led to his being awarded the D.S.O.

Sir Garnet Wolsely wrote: ‘I desire to bring prominently to notice the brilliant services of Captain H. d’U. Keary. I consider that the advancement of this Officer would be of benefit to the Service. The spirit of dash and confidence inspired by his presence at Kawbei and the prompt manner in which he grappled with the situation and turned the hitherto needlessly cautious state of defence into one of vigorous and determined attack, is worthy of special recognition.’ In another report, Sir James Downes wrote: ‘Capt. Keary of the Military Police seems to be an officer of great intrepidity and decision for at a critical moment he assumed - with a position of his Mounted Infantry - the role of Cavalry, and dispersed the enemy, who were attacking on all three sides.’ (G.G.O. No. 985 of 16 October 1891).

Keary’s D.S.O. was announced in the London Gazette of 18 March 1892, ‘in recognition of services during the operations in the Wuntho District, Upper Burma’, and was one of only two awards for these operations. The Insignia were presented to him by the Commander-in-Chief in India on 26 October 1892. Keary commanded his regiment from 1892 to 1909, the unit undergoing two changes in title during this period, becoming the 31st Burma Light Infantry in 1901 and the 91st Punjabis in 1904. He commanded the regiment in the rebellion in the northern Chin Hills 1892-93, for which he was mentioned in despatches and given the Brevet of Major (Clasp), and during the operations in China 1900-02, for which he was again mentioned in despatches (Medal).

Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1903 and full Colonel in 1906, Keary was an A.D.C. to the King from 1907 to 1911. When he at last relinquished command of his battalion he was for some months unemployed, but then succeeded to the command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, Secunderabad, and in 1910 to that of the Garhwal Brigade. He was promoted Major-General and created C.B. in 1911, and the following year was appointed Colonel of his old regiment, which in 1922 received the new title of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Punjab Regiment.

At the outbreak of the Great War General Keary brought his brigade to the Western Front in the 3rd (Lahore) Division of the Indian Corps. In October 1914, when the battle of La Bassée was ending, the brigade assisted the British II Corps. On 2 January 1915, General Keary assumed command of the Lahore Division, which, although not actively engaged at Neuve Chapelle or Aubers Ridge, counter-attacked twice during “Second Ypres” and suffered heavy losses thereby. The division had its share of trench warfare during the remainder of the year, and then the Indian Corps left France for Mesopotamia. General Keary’s command joined the Tigris Corps, which was endeavouring to relieve Townshend, besieged at Kut-al-Amara, in January 1916. At the first attack upon Hanna, Keary commanded the force operating on the right bank of the Tigris. In March he commanded a mixed column in the action of Dujaila redoubt, and in April his forces co-operated in the assault upon the Sanna-i-yat position and fought the action of Bait Aisa. He then commanded the advance on the right bank of the Tigris in May after the fall of Kut and the withdrawal of the Turks. For his services during 1916 he was created a K.C.B.

After General Maude had resumed the offensive at the end of the year General Keary’s division experienced heavy fighting in clearing the Turks from the Khudhaira bend position, below Kut, in January 1917. Following the occupation of Baghdad in March, he was placed in command of a column of all arms which fought the first action of the Jabal Hamrin in the vain hope of cooperating with the expected Russian advance. Keary, who had borne his part in the direction of a series of very difficult operations since his arrival in Mesopotamia, was promoted to Lieutenant-General in 1917 and created K.C.I.E.

In October 1917, Keary assumed command of the Meerut Division, in India, eventually passing to that of the Burma Division in August 1918. These posts were no sinecures, as India had now so many troops in the field that training of reinforcements was a heavy task. Keary retired from the Army in December 1919. In addition to the honours mentioned above, he was seven times mentioned in despatches and awarded the Serbian Order of the Karageorge, 2nd class with swords. Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Keary died at Surbiton Court, Surbiton, on 12 August 1937, aged 80. Sold with copied research.