A regimentally unique Great War M.C. group of six awarded to Major A. C. McLachlan, 18th Hussars, who was wounded and taken prisoner at Talana prior to seeing further active service in North Nigeria 1902-03 and in the Great War

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately inscribed, ‘Captain A. C. McLachlan, 18th Hussars, 24th May 1915’; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Talana (Lieut. A. C. McLachlan, 18/Hussars); Africa General Service 1902-56, 2 clasps, N. Nigeria 1902, N. Nigeria 1903 (Capt. A. C. McLachlan, 18th Hussars); 1914-15 Star (Capt. A. C. McLachlan, 18/Hrs.); British War and Victory Medals (Major A. C. McLachlan) generally good very fine (6) £3000-4000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards for the Boer War formed by Doug Jenkins.

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Provenance: Glendining’s, June 1989.

M.C. London Gazette 16 January 1916.

Albert Charles McLachlan was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 18th Hussars on 23 December 1893, and was promoted Lieutenant on 4 August 1899, on the eve of the Boer War. Subsequently employed in the Natal operations, he was wounded and taken prisoner at Talana on 20 October 1899.

On that date, as verified in The 18th Hussars in South Africa, he served in ‘B’ Squadron and acted as his C.O’s galloper and, in common with most of his comrades, and attached elements of the Mounted Infantry, was taken prisoner. The same source states that he was one of 13 men who remained in enemy hands until sent into Ladysmith during the investment, but as a prisoner on parole, he was ‘debarred from taking any further part in the war’. Subsequently attached to the West African Frontier Force, McLachlan participated in the North Nigeria operations of 1902, when he was present at Argungu and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 28 October 1904), and afterwards in the Kano-Sokoto campaign of 1903.

During the Great War, he first landed in France on 19 May 1915 and, in addition to being awarded the Military Cross, was twice Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazettes 1 January 1916 and 15 May 1917) and promoted Major. On 25 May 1915, the date inscribed on the reverse of the recipient’s M.C., the Germans launched a gas attack in their last but one major attack in the 2nd Battle of Ypres.

For the recipient’s related miniature awards, see following Lot.