Africa General Service 1902-56, 2 clasps, Somaliland 1902-04, Jidballi (Lieut. A. N. Gillies, 59th Scinde Rifs.), good very fine £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Scinde Rifles.

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Archibald Malcolm Gillies, who was born in Lochgilphead in February 1878, was originally commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marines in January 1897, and served in the Mediterranean aboard H.M.S. Royal Sovereign prior to his transfer to Indian Staff Corps in November 1901.

Subsequently appointed to the 59th Scinde Rifles, Gillies was one of four officers from the regiment who gained attachment to the 52nd Sikhs at the time of the Somaliland operations in 1902-04, joining the latter regiment at Sheikh in July 1903. Present in the advance on El Dab, he was attached to ‘E’ Company in the action at Jidballi in January 1904, when the 52nd formed the main face of the square which took the enemy’s assault - Gillies’ horse was wounded under him on the same occasion.

Returning to his duties in the 59th Scinde Rifles, he died as a result of a polo accident at Peshawar in September 1906, regimental sources stating that he was ‘a great loss to the regiment; he was of a most cheerful nature and was a most promising officer’; sold with further information.