A Collection of Medals Relating to the Battle of Abu Klea

A fine Great War O.B.E. group of ten awarded to Quarter Master & Lieutenant Colonel M. J. Duggan, York & Lancaster Regiment, formerly Royal Scots Fusiliers, who was Mentioned in Despatches for his services in Egypt, South Africa and the Great War

The Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) 1st type, hallmarks for London 1919; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 2 clasps, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (54 Qr. Mr. Sgt., 1/Rl. Sc. Fus.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (Lt. & Qr. Mr., 1/Yk. & Lanc. Rgt.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (Lt. & Qr. Mr., York & Lnc. Rgt.); 1914-15 Star (Q. M. & Major, York & Lanc. R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Q.M. & Lt. Col.); Coronation 1911, the edge inscribed ‘Major & Qr. Mr., Y. & L. Regt.’; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., small letter reverse (1472 C. Sgt., R. Sco. Fus.); Khedive’s Star 1884-6, the Egypt Medal with pitting from star, otherwise generally good very fine or better (10) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals Relating to the Battle of Abu Klea.

View
Collection

One officer and 21 other ranks of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, were present at Abu Klea in the Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment.

O.B.E. London Gazette 12 December 1919 ‘For valuable services rendered in connection with military operations in France and Flanders.’

Mentioned in Despatches four times, London Gazette 27 August 1885 (Egypt & Sudan), 10 September 1901 (South Africa), 1 January 1916 & 10 July 1919 (Great War).

Quarter Master & Lieutenant Colonel Martin Joseph Duggan was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, sometime in 1860. He was educated at the Royal Hibernian Military School, enlisting into the Royal Scots Fusiliers on 16 April 1874, at the age of 14. He served with this regiment through the Egypt Campaign, including the Battle of Abu Klea (Despatches). Duggan was commissioned into the York and Lancaster Regiment in August 1895 and served during the Boer War, including actions at Spion Kop, Vaal Kranz, Pieters Hill and Laing’s Nek (Despatches). During the Great War he served with the 1/4th (Hallamshire) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment, first entering France on 13 April 1915; employed as Adjutant & Quarter Master, Signal Depot, Royal Engineers, Abbeville from 1 January 1918; retired from the Army on 18 October 1920, upon attaining the maximum age limit.

Sold with ten copied pages from his P.R.O. correspondence file, including a letter to the Officer Commanding, 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, dated 12 July 1895, denying his request for a Distinguished Conduct Medal to be bestowed upon Sergeant Major M. J. Duggan, retrospectively for his services in the Sudan.