Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

The remarkable campaign service group of nine awarded to Commander A. C. Ackland, Royal Navy, a Midshipman with the Naval Brigade in South Africa and China who went on to witness further active service in his 60s during the 1939-45 War: a King’s Messenger in the Foreign Office in the interim, he was shot in the chest while serving on attachment to the Royal Irish Constabulary in May 1922

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (Mid. A. C. Acland, R.N., H.M.S. Terrible), note surname spelling; China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (Midsn. A. C. Ackland, R.N., H.M.S. Terrible); 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr. A. C. Ackland, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Commr. A. C. Ackland, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, these three privately inscribed, ‘Commander A. C. Ackland, R.N.’; King’s Messenger Badge, oval gilt and enamel lapel badge, ‘On Special Service 1920’, the reverse inscribed, ‘King’s Messenger No. 12’, with pendant silver greyhound, minor enamel damage to the last, generally very fine and better (9) £1800-2200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte.

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Austin Charles Ackland was born at Saffron Walden, Essex, in May 1882 and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in May 1897. Appointed Midshipman in January 1899, he joined H.M.S. Terrible in the same year and quickly witnessed active service in South Africa as a member of Captain E. P. Jones’ Naval Brigade in Natal (Queen’s Medal & 2 clasps); so, too, in China, where he was present at the relief of Pekin (Medal & clasp).

Having then been advanced to Lieutenant in April 1904 and to Lieutenant-Commander in June 1913, Ackland was placed on the Retired List at his own request at the end of the latter year. Recalled by the Admiralty in the summer of 1914, he served in the minesweeper Harrier until transferring to an appointment on the Trade Division Staff in the Admiralty in August 1915, but returned to sea with command of the sloop Snapdragon in January 1916.

Later still C.O. of the Mimosa, another sloop, from April-October 1917, Ackland was attached to the Greek Mission for training purposes from November 1917 until June 1918 and ended the War as C.O. of the gunboat Glowworm. Further active service having ensued in the same vessel in North Russia, for which he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 19 May 1920 refers), he was placed back on the Retired List as a Commander in September 1919.

As per an announcement in the London Gazette 2 March 1920, Ackland next became a King’s Messenger for the Foreign Office and, in a far cry from his days as a young Midshipman on the South African veldt, found himself operating undercover in troubled Eire - his service record reveals that he received a bullet wound in the chest while on attachment to the Royal Irish Constabulary in May 1922.

Recalled from his Royal Messenger duties by the Royal Navy shortly after the renewal of hostilities, Ackland was initially appointed to censorship duties, but was appointed to command of the requisitioned yacht Atmah, formerly the private yacht of Baron Edmund Rothschild, in June 1940. Removing his command to the auxiliary anti-aircraft ship Springbank in September 1940, he was granted the acting rank of Captain and remained similarly employed until the year’s end, when he was transferred to duties ‘outside the Admiralty’ as a M.N.B.D.O.I.’, presumably in the Middle East. He was, however, placed back on the Retired List in late 1941 on account of ill-health. The Commander died in October 1954.