Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part II)

A well documented French Medaille Militaire Crimea group of three awarded to Private C. Pulfer, 1st Royals

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (2003 Charles Pulfer, 2 Battn. 1st [Ro]yals), regimentally impressed naming, worn in places due to bruising; French Medaille Militare, silver-gilt; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue (2003 C. Pulfer, 2nd Battn. 1st Royal), regimentally impressed naming, the second lacking all of its blue enamel work and slightly dented in places, contact marks and edge bruising, fine or better, together with a Diamond Jubilee 1897 commemorative medal, the reverse of which is embossed, ‘Presented By Mrs. Turner, Rochdale, The Mayoress’, quite probably at a special civic gathering for local veterans of the Crimea (4) £1000-1200

Charles Pulfer was born in Suffolk and enlisted in the 1st Royals at Beccles in November 1844, aged 17 years. In his subsequent career of 21 years with the Colours, he witnessed active service with the 2nd Battalion in the Crimea, where he distinguished himself by his ‘constant zeal and alacrity in the performance of his duty in the trenches before Sebastopol from 22 April to 8 September 1855’, deeds that won him the French Medaille Militaire (French Minister of War’s decree dated 16 August 1856 refers). Pulfer was discharged at his own request at Cork in June 1866, having also been awarded the Army L.S. & G.C. Medal.

Sold with a good quantity of original documentation, including his Soldier’s Account Book; bestowal document for the French Medaille Militaire (dated 20 April 1856); Parchment Certificate of Discharge (dated 19 June 1866), and an officer’s letter of reference written on the same day (‘He has invariably been of excellent character ...’); Royal Chelsea Hospital Out-Pensioner’s Certificate (dated 20 June 1866); a series of correspondence appertaining to the recipient’s pension, including a Royal Chelsea Hospital communication turning down an application for an increase in his allowance, addressed to a Surgeon at Rochdale Infirmary (dated 25 August 1902), and, with better news, a second communication from the same establishment awarding the recipient an ‘additional 6d. a day for distinguished conduct in the Field’ (dated 23 November 1904); together with a tobacco tin containing a quantity of old Crimea medal riband; and the 1939-45 War campaign awards (4) awarded to C. B. Pulfer, an 8th Army man, in their addressed card forwarding box.