Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, North West Frontier (Bt. Col. A. F. Macdonell. C.B. 3 Bn. Rif. Bde.) extremely fine and rare £800-£1,000

Alexander Macdonell entered the Army in 1837 as Second Lieutenant. He was promoted Lieutenant, 11 May 1841; Captain, 24 October 1845; Brevet-Major, 12 December 1854; Major, 22 December 1854; Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, 17 July 1855; Lieutenant-Colonel, 1 June 1857; Colonel, 20 July 1858; Major-General, 6 March 1868; Lieutenant-General, 1 October 1877; General, 1 April 1882; Colonel-Commandant Rifle Brigade, 24 January 1886.

He served with the Rifle Brigade in the Kaffir War of 1846-7 (Medal). He also served throughout the Eastern Campaign of 1854, as Aide-de-Camp to Sir George Brown, and was present at the affair of Bulganac, capture of Balaclava and at the battles of Alma and Inkermann. He commanded the 2nd Battalion from May 1855 to the fall of Sebastopol, including the defence of the Quarries on 7th June and the assaults on the Redan on the 18th June and 8th September (Medal with three clasps, brevets of Major and Lieutenant-Colonel, C.B., Knight of the Legion of Honour, Sardinian and Turkish medals, and 5th Class of the Medjidie). He commanded the 3rd Battalion during the Indian Mutiny, including the skirmish of Secundra, siege and capture of Lucknow and subsequent operations (Medal with clasp). He also served in the campaign on the North West Frontier of India in command of the expedition against Sultam Muhammad Khan who attacked the fort of Shabkadar with a body of Mohmands and Bajauris (Medal with clasp). Made K.C.B. in 1881, Sir Alexander died on 30 April 1891.