Three: Sergeant A. Denne, York & Lancaster Regiment

British South Africa Company Medal 1890-97, reverse Rhodesia 1896 (3331 L. Sgt. A. Denne, 2/Y&Lancr. Regt.); Ashanti 1900, no clasp (3331 Sgt. A. H. Denne. York & Lanc: Regt.) high relief bust; Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (3331 Sjt: A. Denne. York & Lanc: Regt.) contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise nearly very fine and possibly a unique combination of awards (3) £1,200-£1,500

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2008. Believed to be one of just two men who qualified for both the British South Africa Company’s Medal and the Ashanti 1900 Medal.

Arthur Henry Denne was born Arthur Henry Makey at Whitfield, near Dover, Kent, on 21 February 1859. At the time of his marriage to Adeline Charlotte Downey at Chatham, Kent, on 12 October 1889, he was serving as a Corporal in the Royal Engineers, stationed at Chatham, and gave his age as 28. Their first born child, Arthur Charles, was born on 1 October 1891, and the birth registered in the surname of Mackey. However, the child was baptised on 17 November 1891, with the surname Denne, and his father was known as Arthur Henry Denne from that date on.

He enlisted in the York & Lancaster Regiment on 17 April 1892, giving his age as 25 years and with no mention of any previous service. Advanced to Corporal in the 2nd Battalion in May 1895, he served in the Rhodesia operations of 1896 and was appointed Lance-Sergeant in July of the latter year. Having then been advanced to Sergeant in February 1897, he was attached to the Staff of the West African Regiment in September 1899 and served in the Ashanti operations of 1900. Discharged in May 1908, having failed to fulfil Army Medical Requirements, he appears to have emigrated to West Africa, but on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he rejoined his old regiment and served in the U.K. as a Regimental Quarter-Master Sergeant in the 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th (Reserve/Training) Battalions. Discharged as ‘unfit for further war service in November 1917’, he was awarded the Silver War Badge.

Sold with copied discharge papers and medal roll extracts.