Campaign Groups and Pairs 1052


Five: Private Robbi Surur, King’s African Rifles


East and Central Africa 1897-99, 1 clasp, Uganda 1897-98 (No. 543 Rabbi Surur, Pte., 3 K.A.R.), locally impressed naming in large capitals; Africa General Service 1902-56, 6 clasps, Jubaland, Nandi 1905-06, East Africa 1902, East Africa 1905, East Africa 1906, Somaliland 1908-10 (No. 543 Pte. Rabbi Surur, 3 K.A.R.), locally impressed naming in large capitals; 1914-15 Star (543 Pte. Robbi Surur); British War and Victory Medals (543 Pte. Robbi Surur, 3/K.A.R.) the second with several crude rivets and, like the first, with contact marks, edge bruising and polished, thus fine or better, the Great War awards very fine or better, rare (5)


£800-£1,000 Provenance: Richard B. Magor Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, July 2003.


Rabbi Surur enlisted in the 3rd Battalion, King’s African Rifles in 1893, and served with the 3rd Battalion, K.A.R. in Uganda (although his name does not appear on the latest published roll).


All of the ‘East Africa’ clasps are verified, and one of them, for the 1902 operations, is undoubtedly rare, probably less than 100 having been issued. The Nandi roll shows that he was already in possession of the medal, so this would seem to confirm the first clasp for Jubaland.The 1902 expedition was accompanied by Lieutenant R. Meinertzhagen, Royal Fusiliers, one of whose duties was to avenge the torture and murder of a white settler. When he reached the village concerned, all of the locals were dancing around the mutilated body of their victim, which had also been used as a latrine. Meinertzhagen immediately ordered that all of the offenders be despatched by bullet or bayonet, an order that was carried out to the letter. The local Political Officer, Mr. MacClean, apparently refused to give his consent or to interfere with the punishment.


Rabbi Surur, whose character was described as ‘Exemplary’ on his discharge in July 1916, was also the recipient of a King’s African Rifles L.S. & G.C. Medal, awarded to him in 1911..


1053 Five: Stoker J. Christmas, H.M.S. Terrible, Royal Navy, later Bedfordshire Regiment


Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (J. Christmas, Sto. H.M.S. Terrible.); China 1900, no clasp (J. Christmas. Sto. H.M.S. Terrible.); 1914-15 Star (15467 Pte. J. Christmas. Bedf: R.); British War and Victory Medals (15467 Pte. J. Christmas. Bedf. R.) heavy edge bruising and contact marks to first two, these good fine; the Great War awards very fine (5)


£400-£500


Joseph Christmas was born in Royston, Hertfordshire, on 29 July 1874, and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class in H.M.S. Victory on 19 September 1895. Promoted Stoker on 2 July 1896, he transferred to H.M.S. Terrible on 24 March 1898, and served in her during both the Boer War and the Boxer Rebellion. Transferring to H.M.S. Racer on 25 August 1903, he was invalided out of the Service on 4 May 1905. Following the outbreak of the Great War, Christmas attested for the Bedfordshire Regiment on 7 September 1914, and served with the 8th Battalion on the Western Front from 30 August 1915. He was discharged on 7 January 1919, and was awarded a Silver War Badge.


x1054 Five: Officers Chief Cook S. D. Letton, Royal Navy


Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (S. D. Letton, Dom. H.M.S. Rambler); 1914-15 Star (168491 S. D. Letton. O. Ch. Ck. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (168491 S. D. Letton. O.C. 1 R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (168491 S. D. Letton, Off. Cook 1Cl., H.M.S. Agamemnon) light contact marks, otherwise good very fine, the first scarce (5)


£380-£420


110 Queen’s South Africa Medals, all without clasp, were awarded to the ship’s company of H.M.S. Rambler, employed on survey work in South Africa.


Sidney David Letton was born at Fratton, Hampshire in November 1873 and entered the Royal Navy as a Domestic 3rd Class in June 1892. He subsequently served in the surveying vessel H.M.S. Rambler from November 1897 to March 1901, in which period he was advanced to Domestic 1st Class - the Rambler arrived at Simonstown in November 1899, fresh from survey work off the River Congo, where 40% of her crew became ill with fever. She carried out similar duties off South Africa ‘for the benefit of the navigation of transports close to the coast’, and with the support of the Chief Hydrographer, Rear-Admiral Sir W. H. J. Wharton, her captain, Commander H. E. P. Cust, successfully applied for the award of the Queen’s South Africa Medal to his crew.


Advanced to Officer’s Chief Cook in October 1907, Letton was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in May 1909 and appointed Captain’s and Cabin Cook aboard the royal yacht Victoria & Albert in February 1911, in which post he excelled until recalled to regular duty on the advent of hostilities in August 1914. The royal yacht’s loss became the captain of the battleship Agincourt’s gain, for he subsequently served as the latter’s cook from August 1914 to October 1917, a period that undoubtedly witnessed his plates being severely rattled at Jutland - if only because of the Agincourt’s expenditure of 144 12-inch shells and 111 6-inch shells, in addition to some frantic zigzagging. Letton’s final wartime appointment, following a period of leave, was at the submarine base Maidstone, and he was demobilised in March 1920.


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