Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Boer War C.B. group of six awarded to Colonel G. N. Mayne, King’s Own Scottish Borderers, who commanded his regiment in South Africa, and was later Colonel of the York and Lancaster Regiment

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with ribbon buckle; Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Lieut., 1/25th Regt.); India General Service 1854-94, 2 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89 (Captn., 1st Bn. K.O. Sco. Bord.); India General Service 1895-1902, 3 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (Major, 2nd Bn. K.O. Sco. Bord.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Johannesburg (Lt. Col., K.O. Sco. Bdrs.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (Lt. Col., C.B., K.O.S.B.) mounted as worn, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (6) £1400-1800

C.B. London Gazette 31 October 1902.

M.I.D. London Gazette 2 September 1887 (Burma), 5 April 1898 (Tirah), and 10 September & 3 December 1901 (South Africa).

George Nisbett Mayne was born on 28 July 1854, son of Major Robert Graham Mayne, H.E.I.C.S., and was educated at Wellington College, 1866-71. He entered the Army as 2nd Lieutenant, unattached from Sandhurst, and was gazetted as Lieutenant on 13 June 1874 to the 25th (King’s Own Borderers). He accompanied the regiment to India and took part in the 2nd Afghan War of 1878-80 with the Khyber Line Force.

He served on Staff appointment with the Burmese Expedition, 1886-88, and was mentioned in Major-General Sir G. S. White’s despatch dated 10 March 1887 (Medal with 2 clasps). During the Chitral operations of 1895, he accompanied the relief force and commanded ‘C’ Company in the storming of the Malakand Pass on 3rd April (Medal with clasp). He took part in further operations on the North West Frontier, with the Tirah Expeditionary Force in 1897-98, against the rebellious Afridi, Zakka Khel and Orakzai tribesmen. During one phase of the operation in 1897, he commanded four companies of the 2nd Battalion who successfully assaulted and captured the Dargai Heights, accompanied by the 1st/3rd Gurkhas, on 18th October, only to be forced into a difficult retirement for not being equipped to hold such a position so far from their base camp. The undoubted gallantry of this magnificent frontal attack, however, was rather lost sight of and forgotten in the more tragic events of the second attack on the 20th October (2 clasps).

Mayne was posted back to the 1st Battalion and served with that battalion throughout the Boer War in South Africa, 1900-02. Appointed Second-in-Command in December 1898, he commanded the Battalion from September 1900 until February 1902. He took part in operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900, including the battle of Paardeberg (17th to 26th February); the actions at Poplar Grove, Karee Siding, Vet River (5th and 6th May) and the Zand River. At Karee Siding, the battalion suffered the loss of 83 casualties in driving the Boers from the hills.

He also served in the Transvaal in 1900, when, in late May, the battalion crossed the Vaal River and was present at the surrender of Johannesburg, and on 4th June at the reduction of the southern forts at Pretoria. During further operations in the Transvaal, the battalion was employed in small detachments garrisoning the railway lines between Pretoria and Middleburg, and west of Pretoria between July and November 1900, including the action at Zilikats Nek.

In his despatch of 8 September 1901 (London Gazette 3 December 1901) Lord Kitchener, referring to the capture near Damhoek on 10th August of 40 Boers, including Commandant Wolmaarans, chairman of the late Volksraad, said, ‘The majority of these prisoners, who were fully equipped with rifles, horses, and saddlery, were taken by the Volunteer Service company of the K.O.S.B. under Major Mayne.’

In September 1901 the battalion relieved the West Yorkshire Regiment on the Mooi River blockhouse line where, in January 1902, Mayne superintended the construction of a new line. In addition to his two mentions, Mayne was rewarded with the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel and created a Companion of the Bath. He was confirmed as Lieutenant-Colonel in January 1902, and appointed commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment from October 1903, stationed at Mhow, near Bombay. Promoted brevet Colonel in June 1904, Mayne was placed on half-pay in January 1906.

Re-employed during the Great War, Colonel Mayne commanded the 10th (Reserve) Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment. Originlaly raised as a Service battalion at Plymouth in October 1914, it became a Reserve battalion in May 1915 at Harrogate and, in September 1916, was absorbed into the Training Reserve battalions at Rugeley in the 2nd Reserve Brigade. Colonel Mayne commanded the battalion through to the end of 1916. After the war Colonel Mayne moved to Monte Carlo, and died on 6 June 1932, aged 77.