Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Boer War D.S.O. group of four awarded to Lieutenant H. B. Christie, 1st New South Wales Regiment (Citizen’s Bushmen Contingent), who ‘stayed with a man whose horse was shot and brought him out of fire, his shoulder being dislocated while doing so’ - he later died on active service with the Remount Service during the Great War

Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Lieut. H. B. Christie N.S.W. C.B.C.) engraved in running script with unit added in engraved capitals; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. H. B. Christie) obverse and reverse centres of D.S.O. loose with enamel damage and also minor enamel damage to the obverse wreath, otherwise good very fine (4) £4,000-£5,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Warwick Cary.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 19 April 1901:
‘In recognition of services in connection with the Campaign in South Africa, 1899-1900, dated 29 November 1900 - Lieutenant, New South Wales Bushmen Contingent’.

General Orders by Major-General R. S. S. Baden Powell, Commanding Frontier Force, Rustenberg, 19 July 1900 - Gallantry:
‘Lt. H. B. Christie, 1st N.S.W. Regiment, who, when out with a patrol which was surprised by a party of Boers near Maguto Pass on July 18th, stayed with a man whose horse was shot and brought him out of fire, his shoulder being dislocated in doing so.’
By Order, (Signed) A. T. Godley, Lt. Col. A.H.G. Frontier Force.

M.I.D. London Gazette 16 April 1901:
‘For meritorious services performed - Lieutenant, 1st New South Wales Bushmen Contingent.’

Herbert Bertram Christie was born in 1863 in Erith, Kent, England, the son of Marshall Christie, of Edinburgh and his wife Lucy. He was educated at Bedford School before being commissioned Lieutenant into the 3rd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment on 11 February 1882. Resigning his commission in the Militia on 21 June 1884, he emigrated to Australia the same year where, in 1898, stating his occupation to be that of Station Manager of Cooma, New South Wales, he registered the Wyalong True Blue Gold-mining Company.

Christie served during the Boer War as a Lieutenant in the 1st New South Wales Bushmen, sometimes referred to as the ‘Citizen’s Bushmen Contingent’ as contrasted with the ‘Imperial Bushmen Contingent’, a later contribution. A mounted regiment, 530 strong, under Lieutenant-Colonel H. P. Airey D.S.O., they departed Sydney on 1 March 1900. On arriving in South Africa, the regiment was despatched by sea to Beira, Mozambique from where they had to cross a strip of Portuguese territory and the whole of Rhodesia to get to the Transvaal, where for some months they did good work under Majors-General Baden-Powell and Plumer.

Christie served under Airey during the engagements at the Relief of Rustenburg, 3 - 9 July 1900, during which he held Maguto Pass with a force of twenty men. Remaining at Maguto, on 18 July, Christie was injured on patrol while rescuing an unhorsed comrade, an act for which he was recognised by Baden-Powell in his General Orders and without doubt a major contributing factor to the awarding of his Distinguished Service Order. Christie describes these events in a letter, dated 13 August 1900:

‘On one of these patrols we had a rather narrow squeak of it. Lt. Allen and myself with 20 men were out after horses; I left him to look after some that were in sight and he had taken the men further on, when he rode straight into a nest of Boers. I had proceeded to rejoin him with my 4 men, when I met him in full retreat. They poured in a heavy fire from all parts and chased us for some miles in force. My experience was not a pleasant one, as the last of the men was dismounted and I had to go to his assistance. However I managed to get him up behind me and had proceeded about half a mile when down the horse came. We dived into the long grass until the Boers were out of sight and awaited their return - we then had to walk home. I can assure you I did not appreciate this, as in the fall I had partially dislocated my shoulder, which was rather painful... Being the last two into camp, all thought we were shot or captured; I am glad to say neither was the case, and I am all right again.’

The letter goes on to describe the difficult action which befell a mixed contingent of 275 Australians under Airey when attacked by a superior force of Boers at Koster River on 22 July, Christie arriving with the relief force in time to prevent them having to surrender or be killed. Nonetheless, there were 39 casualties incurred by Airey's bushmen in the six-and-a-half hour fight:

‘They had not proceeded more than 10 miles when they were completely surrounded and outnumbered. At 7 o’clock in the morning the Boers opened a terrible fire on men and horses, 8 of the former were killed and 21 wounded, and 200 of the latter were killed or taken. Hearing firing in the morning at the Pass we started off to the relief, about 300 strong, including 150 of the Protectorate Regiment: arriving on the scene about 1 o’clock. It was not until 4.30pm that we rejoined the Col., and certainly just in time to prevent them having to surrender to the Boers or be shot down. All round the house were the wounded, and numbers of dead and dying horses could be seen; it was far from being a pleasant sight.’

General Baden-Powell publicly thanked Colonel Airey and the Australian Bushmen for the dash and courage displayed during these engagements and Lieutenant Christie was among those especially singled out for eulogistic mention. Christie transferred to the South African Constabulary on 3 October 1900, later returning to New South Wales.

Volunteering for service following the outbreak of the Great War, he was appointed Second Assistant Superintendent in the Remount Service, Royal Army Service Corps, with the temporary rank of Lieutenant in May 1915, his medal index card stating that he served in France from 10 May 1915 (British War and Victory Medals only). Lieutenant Christie died on active service on 9 December 1916, following complications resulting from a fall from his horse and is buried in Highgate Cemetery, London.

Sold with copied research including a period four page hand-typed copy of a letter by the recipient describing his experiences in South Africa, dated 13 August 1900. Also in the same typed style, using the same paper, a period copied extract of Baden-Powell’s General Orders dated 19 July 1900, listing the gallantry of Lieutenant H. B. Christie.

Note: This lot is available for viewing in Swanbourne, Western Australia, by appointment with our Australasian representative, John Burridge.