Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: Captain A. Rattray, Scottish Horse, late Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry and Commander-in-Chief’s Bodyguard

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (Capt., Scottish H.) naming officially re-impressed; King’s South Africa, 2 clasps (Capt., Scot. H.) very fine (2) £150-200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Langham Collection of Medals to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

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Captain Andrew Rattray was the fifth son of John Rattray, Broom of Dalreoch, Dunning, Perthshire. He enlisted into Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry in 1899, and served in South Africa with Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry 1899-1900, with the Commander-in-Chief’s Bodyguard 1900-01, and with the 1st Scottish Horse 1901-02. He took part in the Relief of Ladysmith, including action at Colenso (wounded); operations of 17-24 January 1900, including action at Spion Kop; operations of 5-7 February 1900, including action at Vaal Krantz; operations on the Tugela Heights and action at Pieter’s Hill. Took part in the operations in Natal, March to June 1900, including action at Laing’s Nek, and in subsequent operations in the Transvaal. He was promoted Sergeant in Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry in 1900, was discharged and enlisted into the C.-in-C.’s Bodyguard in October 1900, being promoted Sergeant-Major. After discharge he enlisted in the 1st Scottish Horse, was appointed Lieutenant in 1901, and was present at the actions at Moedwil and Rooiwal, being promoted Captain and mentioned in despatches.

Andrew Rattray was one of nine brothers, two of whom served with him in the Scottish Horse during the Boer War. He resigned his commission after the war, thereafter spending some time in the Argentine, and finally settled in Kenya, where he became a renowned hunter. On his farm outside Nairobi, he domesticated zebra, which he sent all over the world to zoos; he also fought a leopard to death with his bare hands. With one hand he clutched the leopard’s throat, and the other he thrust into the beast’s mouth in an effort to suffocate him. This he managed to do but he was severely mauled in the process. His devoted native servants carried him over two hundred miles to Nairobi, where he received lengthy, but successful, medical treatment. Andrew became the white hunter to Lord Furness, shipping magnate and colliery owner. The Viscount’s young daughter, The Hon Averill Furness, fell in love with the fifty-year old hunter, and they were secretly married. Lord Furness was furious and disinherited her. The couple lived together in the bush until Andrew suddenly became ill and died. He was fifty-one - his wife was twenty-four. The story goes that Averill secluded herself alone in the bush and drank herself to an early death. The incident is recorded by Gloria Vanderbilt in her book Double Exposure.