A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.C. group of five awarded to Captain L. C. Boyle, Royal Engineers, late Railway Pioneer Regiment

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (Lieut., Rly. Pnr. Regt.); 1914-15 Star (Capt., R.E.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Capt.) cleaned, lacquered, mounted court style for display, nearly extremely fine (5) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals relating to the Boer War formed by two brothers.

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M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1917. ‘Temp. Capt. Lewis Collings Boyle, R.E.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 4 January 1917.

The recruiting for the Railway Pioneer Regiment began in Cape Town on about 18 December 1899. Before Lord Roberts commenced his advance from Bloemfontein to Pretoria the first battalion was organised, its work being to assist in protecting the railways and to repair bridges, culverts, and lines when broken. Without outside assistance the corps of Royal Engineers could not have faced the enormous amount of work naturally falling to their department. From the Railway Pioneer Regiment they received very valuable help. The efficiency of the Regiment was greatly assisted by a leavening of Royal Engineer officers. Of such value was the work of the Railway Pioneer Regiment that before the close of the war a fourth battalion had been organised. The battalions were employed chiefly on the Cape-Pretoria railway, but they were also on the Krugersdorp line, and sometimes operated as a fighting force a considerable distance from railways. The regiment also did admirable service on the armoured trains which did so much to make railway traffic possible during the guerilla war stage of the conflict.

In his evidence before the War Commission (vol i p. 445), Lord Roberts said: "An enormous amount of reconstruction was carried out by the Railway Pioneer Regiment and the Railway Companies Royal Engineers. The Pioneer Regiment consisted almost entirely of civilian refugees, mostly mechanics from Johannesburg, and it rendered excellent service. To its aid and that of the Royal Engineer officers and men we were indebted for the fact that the railways very seldom lost touch with the fighting portion of the army, and that we were able to seize Johannesburg and Pretoria, distant about 1000 miles from our base upon the coast, and 260 miles from Bloemfontein, our advanced depot, with such rapidity that the enemy were unable to concentrate their resources and offer a strongly organised resistance”.

With copied roll and gazette extracts, a copied photograph of the recipient taken from the Black & White Budget and research of the Railway Pioneer Regiment.