Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Egypt and Sudan Medal awarded to Lieutenant A. D. Homfray, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, late Royal Monmouthshire Engineers, who succumbed to disease in Upper Egypt on the eastern bank of the River Nile

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, The Nile 1884-85 (Lieut: A. D. Homfray. 2/D of Corn: L.I.) abrasively cleaned and polished (although all naming perfectly clear), good fine £200-£240

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the 46th Foot and its Successor Units.

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Augustus Devereux Homfray was born in Malpas, Monmouthshire, around 1859, the son of Lorenzo Augustus Homfray. Granted a commission on 10 December 1878 as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Monmouthshire Regiment - with favour of His Grace The Duke of Beaufort - he witnessed initial service with the Royal Monmouthshire Engineers and was raised Lieutenant in the London Gazette of 23 April 1880. Transferred to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and keen to be placed on active service, he is noted in the Historical Records of the 32nd Regiment as having volunteered for service in Egypt; transferred from the 1st to 2nd Battalion, D.C.L.I., alongside Lieutenant J. T. Bowles, Homfray embarked for service overseas on 4 December 1884.

Serving on the Nile, Homfray was soon seized with fever at Keneh. The Star of Gwent, dated 18 December 1885, takes up the story:
‘The arduous work which he had to undertake, coupled with climatic influences, brought on enteric fever, to which the young Lieutenant succumbed on the 2nd April last, thus putting an end to a career full of hope and promise. Death of loved ones is ever harrowing to the feelings of fond parents, and this is even more the case when it takes place thousands of miles from home... Yet Mr. and Mrs. Homfray must have derived some consolation from knowledge of the fact that their son died a noble death, for he fell while fighting for his Queen and country.’

Sold with extensive copied research, including the above newspaper article and correspondence to the Duke of Beaufort.