Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The group of ten miniature dress medals attributed to Brigadier-General C. M. Ryan, Army Service Corps

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s badge, silver-gilt and enamel; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 1st type badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Defence of Mafeking, Transvaal; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; 1914 Star, with later clasp; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves; Coronation 1911; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s badge, silver-gilt and enamel, mounted court-style for display purposes, enamel damage to both central medallions of CMG, otherwise nearly extremely fine (10) £300-£400

C.M.G. London Gazette 14 January 1916:
‘For services rendered in connection with Military Operations in the Field.’

C.B.E. London Gazette 7 June 1918:
‘For services with the British Expeditionary Force, France.’

D.S.O. London Gazette 19 April 1901:
‘In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa.’

Charles Montgomerie Ryan was born in August 1867, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel E. M. Ryan, Bengal Staff Corps, and was educated at Winchester College and Jesus College, Cambridge. Originally commissioned in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in August 1888, he transferred to the Devonshire Regiment in April of the following year, and then, in September 1890, to the Army Service Corps.

Ryan first saw active service in South Africa, where he served on the Staff as D.A.A.G. from September 1899 until May 1902, and was present at the Defence of Mafeking, where he took part in the actions of 26 December 1899 and 12 May 1900, and had command of the commissariat. For his services at Mafeking he was Mentioned in Baden-Powell’s Mafeking despatch of 17 May 1900 (London Gazette 8 February 1901):

‘Captain Ryan A.S.C. and D.A.A.G. (B.) proved an exceptionally capable and energetic supply officer; onto his shoulders fell the whole work of feeding the entire community - garrison, non-combatants and natives - a duty which he carried out with conspicuous success (practically unassisted), as we took the food supply out of the hands of contractors and merchants; and he lost the services of his two chief assistants, Captain Girdwood, killed, and Sergeant Loney, convicted of theft of Government stores. Captain Ryan’s work has been invaluable and he has mainly contributed to the successful issue of the siege.’

A week or two later, Baden-Powell added Ryan’s name to a list of officers and men worthy of ‘special recognition’, in a despatch sent to Lord Roberts from Ottoshoop on 6 June 1900, a recommendation that resulted in the award of his D.S.O., which insignia, as a newly promoted Major, he received from the General Officer Commanding, Cape Colony in November 1901.

From November 1903 to October 1906, Ryan was Assistant Director of Supplies at Woolwich Dockyard, and from April 1908 to April 1911, Deputy Assistant Director of Quartering, H.Q., in which latter period he was advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel.

A substantive Colonel by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he served during the Great War on the Western Front from 28 October 1914, and from March to July 1915 served as A.A. and Q.M.G., 7th Division, B.E.F., being Mentioned in Field Marshal Sir John French’s Despatch of 14 February 1915 (Ypres-Armentieres). He served as Deputy Director Supplies from July 1915 until September 1918, and for his services during the Great War he was created a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1916; a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1918, and was appointed an Officer of the French Legion of Honour. He died in July 1935.

Note: The recipient’s full-sized Queen’s South Africa and King’s South Africa Medals were sold in these rooms in March 2011.