A Collection of Medals to the 23rd Foot Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Pair: Major Frederick Morris, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who commanded the North China Field Force and was slightly wounded at the relief of Tientsin in June 1900

India General Service 1854-95, 2 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Hazara 1891 (Captn. F. Morris 1st Bn. R. W. Fus.) possible official correction to ‘Fus’; China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (Major F. Morris, R. Welsh: Fus:) good very fine (2) £1,600-£2,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the 23rd Foot Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

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Frederick Morris was born in France in December 1854m the eldest son of Frederick Morris, R.N., by his wife, Agnes, the daughter and heir of Charles Brandford Lane of Castel Grant and Clermont, Barbados. His father was the third son of Sir John Morris, 2nd Baronet of Clasemont, Glamorganshire.

Appointed a Lieutenant in the 1st Warwickshire Militia in November 1872, Morris gained a regular commission in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in December 1874, and was advanced to Captain in July 1884. He served with the 1st Battalion in the Burma operations of 1885-87, and in the Hazara expedition of 1891 (Medal with 2 clasps). During the former operations, in February 1886, he commanded a patrol ‘despatched to scour the country south of Shwebo... this force destroyed several fortified villages and stockades and, with the exception of a few slight skirmishes, meeting with no resistance, returned to Shwebo.’

Advanced to Major in Jily 1891, and having served in the occupation of Crete 1897-98, Morris was embarked with the 2nd Battalion for China, where, prior to the arrival of Colonel Dorward, he acted as Commanding Officer of the North China Field Force. It was in this capacity that he commanded “A”, “C” and “E” Companies of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, embarked in H.M.S. Terrible, at the relief of Tientsin in June 1900, in which operations, according to regimental sources, he was slightly wounded; another source states that he was badly injured when the battalion’s train was derailed when landing at Taku. Either way, he was invalided home and placed on the Retired List in early 1901. A recipient of the American Military Order of the Dragon, Morris took up the post of Secretary of The Club of Western India at Poona. He died on 3 January 1915.

Sold with some copied photographs and other research.