GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
814
An extremely rare battle of Tamaai C.G.M. awarded to Private D.
Drady, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who assisted in carrying Dr.
Prendergast to safety with a ‘great number of rebels’ in close
proximity: shortly afterwards his service record was endorsed ‘run’ but
he ‘claimed the benefit of the Queen’s pardon’ in August 1887
CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY MEDAL, V.R., 2nd issue (13th Co. Private Daniel
Drady, R.M.L.I., H.M.S. Cleopatra), officially impressed naming,
together with a modified Royal Navy Meritorious Service Medal, V.R.,
the reverse inscription now reading in engraved capitals for
‘Conspicuous Gallantry’ (Dan. Drady, Pte., R.M.L.I., H.M.S. Cleopatra),
the first with edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise generally very
fine, the last good fine (2) £5000-6000
Out of a total of 12 Conspicuous Gallantry Medals awarded for operations in Egypt and the Sudan 1882-89, four were granted for acts
of bravery in the operations of 1884.
The following joint recommendation for Drady’s C.G.M. was submitted by Surgeon-Major Green, dated 16 March 1884, a submission
duly endorsed by Colonel Tuson, C.B., who commanded the Royal Marines at El Teb and Tamaai, and Major-General Sir G. Graham,
V.C., K.C.B., who mentioned him in despatches (London Gazette 6 May 1884 refers):
‘In the battle of Thursday last, while attending to the wounded, Dr. Prendergast was speared through the chest by one of the enemy and
would inevitably have been killed had not these two gallant Marines carried him to a place of safety at the risk of their lives for there
were a great number of the rebels close up to them.’
Daniel Drady was born in London in December 1859 and enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in December 1877. Having then
served in H.M.S. Cleopatra from January 1881 until December 1883, he was embarked for the U.K. in the Orontes, but with the
commencement of the Suakin operations early in the following year, he was recalled and placed on the books of the Euryalus.
Subsequently landed with the Naval Brigade, he was present at EL-Teb and Tamaai, at which former engagement the Marines were
positioned in the firing line and by their steadiness and gallantry contributed largely to the success of the day’s operations. But, as cited
above, it was for his gallantry at Tamaai that Brady won his C.G.M., on which occasion the Marines were in the square of the 2nd
Brigade, and assisted in forming the rallying line.
Embarked for the U.K. in the Jumna in March 1884, he was presented with his C.G.M. by Queen Victoria at Osborne House that
August. In the following year, however, while stationed at Pembroke, he deserted, but his service record confirms that he ‘claimed the
benefit of the Queen’s pardon’ in August 1887.
815
A rare Naga Hills D.C.M. group of three awarded to Acting Bombardier John Watts, Royal Artillery, for gallantry at
the attack on Konoma in November 1879
DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL, V.R. (Actg. Bombr., R.A., 22nd Novr. 1879); INDIA GENERAL SERVICE 1854-95, 1 clasp, Naga
1879-80 (1783 Bombr., R.A.); ARMY L.S. & G.C., V.R., small letter reverse (23379 Sergt., 6th Bde. Sco. Div. R.A.) contact
marks, otherwise very fine (3) £6000-8000
Ex Magor Collection July 2003.
D.C.M. recommendation submitted to the Queen 10 August 1890 - Attack on Konoma, Naga Hills, 22 November 1879.
Sergeant Watts received his D.C.M. from Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 27 November 1890. He, along with Sergeant H.
McAndrew and Corporal T. Portman received the medal 'for gallantry displayed in the attack on Konoma, on Nov. 22, 1879, during the
Naga Hills Expedition, where these soldiers were especially prominent in tearing down walls to form embrasures, when under a very
heavy fire from the enemy's works, not 40 yards distant, after which they served the gun for three hours at this short distance, being
entirely exposed to the enemy's fire, owing to a part of the wall having fallen, and although the enemy's bullets struck a post round
which they were standing, they maintained the most cheerful behaviour, and took up their carbines and endeavoured to pick off the
enemy as they showed themselves when building up the damage caused by the shells' (Ref The Times).
It was during the attack on Konoma that Captain R. K. Ridgeway won the Victoria Cross which, with these three Distinguished Conduct
Medals, were the only gallantry awards to European troops for the campaign against the Nagas, 1879-80.
Together with an original, but water damaged, portrait photograph, news cutting from The Times, and Telegram to the Officer
Commanding, Argyll and Bute Artillery requesting him to 'Direct Sergeant John Watts, Permanent Staff, to attend at Windsor Castle on
Thursday at 1.30 p.m. in review order to receive from H.M. the Queen Medal for Distinguished Conduct'.
www.dnw.co.uk
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