MILITARIA

A SMALL COLLECTION OF MILITARY MEDALS TO THE BORDER REGIMENT
AND ITS PREDECESSORS THE 34TH AND 55TH OF FOOT

First China War, 1842, to James Mason, 55th Foot.  On Roll. Died Hong Kong, 1843.

Military General Service Medal with six bars, to Benjamin Parkin, 34th Foot.  On Roll.

Indian Mutiny, 1857-58, to John Higgington, 34th Regt. On Roll.  Born near Roscommon. Enlisted 26.7.1853 aged 17 yrs 10 mths. Discharged 14.10.1858 due to being wounded

India General Service Medal, 1854-95, to 3738 Pte E. Dixon, 2/ Border Regt. On Roll as Edward Dixon.

Crimea Medal, 1854, with clasp Sebastopol, to Ensign G.H. Cope, 55th Regt.

Queen's South Africa Medal with four bars, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and SA 1901, to 7173 Sgt. W. Marshall, Vol. Coy. Border Regt.

Military Medal and Bar and British War Medal to 27643 L.Cpl. J. Arnison, 6th Border Regiment

World War I Trio, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal, 1914-19, to 12210 Private T. Fleetham, Border Regiment.

India General Service Medal, George V Type I, clasp Afghanistan, N.W.F.,1919 to 201529 Pte. T. S. Cartmel, 2/4th Border Regiment.

India General Service Medal, George V, Type II, clasp North West Frontier, 1930-31,to 3380985 Pte. E. Moore, Border Regiment.

Group of three, British War Medal, 1939-45, Defence Medal, both un-named as issued, and GSM George V, with clasps Palestine, 1945-48, andMalaya, to 3857163 WO Cl II J. Spence, Border R.

Territorial Efficiency Medal,  George VI, to 1444934 Pte. A.P. Bacon, Border Regiment

General Service Medal, 1962- , to 24492213 Pte J.W. Sewell, King's Own Border R, with clasp Nortern Ireland

Plaque commemorating the death, (killed in action 19th May, 1917, in Flanders), of 16618 Private Joseph Lowey, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment.  Buried in British War Cemetery, Monchy-Le-Preux,Grave Memorial I.E. 31. Pte Lowey, aged 31, was the son of Ellen Lowey, 62 King Street, Maryport, and the late Richard Lowey

OTHER MILITARIA

Silver gorget, engraved with the Royal Arms with the Hanoverian shield, hallmarked Birmingham, 1814, makers C & B, worn by John Christian, Esq., (1756-1828), later adopting the name John Christian Curwen, who was active as a Colonel in the Cumberland Militia.

Westmorland & Cumberland Yeomanry Cavalry, Merit Award Medal issued each year at the main annual camp, this for 1872, named to J.W. Simpson.

A silver-plated button of the Angus Yeomanry Cavalry, early 19th century.  It would appear that this button, and a second similar one bought with it, are the only surviving record of this militia regiment 

Cap badge in solid silver, of the "Lonsdale" Battalion, the 11th Battalion, Border Regiment.

     I bought this dress uniform of an officer in the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry Cavalry just a few days before I was due to attend a military-themed fancy dress ball.  The Regency-style wife was already a treasured attribute.  The uniform I sold during the evening's proceedings; the wife, I'm pleased to say, 40 years later, and after a total of 55 years, I still have, and strangely, she's still smiling.