Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare African group of three to Lieutenant Colonel C.E. Keith-Falconer, Northumberland Fusiliers, one of the original Rhodesian Pioneers who was killed in action in the Boer War

BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY MEDAL 1890 97, undated reverse, 1 clasp, Mashonaland 1890 (Capt., B.S.A.C.P.); QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (Lieut.-Colonel, North'd. Fus.) officially impressed naming; KHEDIVE'S SUDAN 1896-1908, 5 clasps, Firket, Sudan 1897, Abu Hamed, The Atbara, Khartoum (Bt. Lt. Col., 5th Fusiliers) the last four clasps contemporary tailor's copies, nearly extremely fine and very rare (3)

Cecil Edward Keith-Falconer was born in October 1860, educated at Charterhouse, and joined the Northumberland Fusiliers in January 1883. He acted as A.D.C. to Lord Loch when Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Victoria from 1887 to 1889, and subsequently at the Cape of Good Hope from 1889-1890. On 13 April 1890, he joined the B.S.A. Police and rode with the Pioneer Column, in command of 'C' troop, on their march onto Mashonaland. He was promoted Captain in 1892 and passed through the Staff College with honours. He next served with the 13th Soudanese battalion in the Dongola Expeditionary force under Lord Kitchener in 1896, and acted as Brigade-Major to Colonel H. Macdonald at the engagements of Abu Hamed, Berbera, Atbara, and finally at the battle of Omdurman. In recognition of these services he was three times mentioned in despatches, promoted to Brevet-Major in March 1898, and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1898, and received the Khedive's medal with four clasps. Keith-Falconer went to South Africa in October 1899, and was killed in action near Belmont on 10 November 1899, in the reconnaissance made by Colonel Gough, 9th Lancers. He is buried in the cemetery at Orange River.