A Collection of Medals formed by the Reverend Canon Nigel Nicholson, OStJ, DL Zhob Valley Expedition


Owing to local disturbances in the valleys of the Kundar and Gomal Rivers, the Zhob Field Force, under the command of Major- General Sir George White, V.C., K.C.B., K.C.I.E, mounted an expedition in October 1890 to deal with the Kidarzai and Sherani tribes. With a view to learning as much geography as possible, and to extend British political influence as widely as the opportunities would permit, the march from the Zhob Valley across the hills that form its northern boundary was carried out in three columns. Nicolson was appointed to command No.2 Column of the Field Force, consisting of 2 Guns of No. 7 Mountain Battery, 1 Company of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1 Troop of the 18th Bengal Lancers, and 2 Companies of the 30th Bombay Infantry. The Column left the Zhob Valley at a point north-east of Shina Khula, and marching via Maidan, Kach, and Barak Shazai, crossed the Khaisor Plain and moved onto Thanishpa, where it met up with the other two columns. Throughout the march Nicolson’s column was escorting the agent to the Governor-General in Baluchistan. After a short halt at Thanishpa to enable supplies to be brought up, Nicolson’s column marched north on the 16th October to Nigungi on the River Kundar, and then onto Appozai, arriving on the 28 October, the day before General White’s column. Whilst General White’s column then pressed on into Kidarzai territory, and successfully dealt with the local tribesmen, Colonel Nicolson’s column was given the job of making a camel road through the main pass from Baluchistan, Chua Khel Dhana: ‘a stupendous defile, bounded by perpendicular rocks rising 3,000 feet on each side of the rift, which in places narrows to a width of only eight feet’, and also the Zao Pass- both works were successfully accomplished under most unfavourable weather conditions. During the two month expedition the two columns marched an aggregate of 1,800 miles, of which 828 miles were over new routes which had never before been followed by a British force. Although no clasp was given to the India General Service Medal for this expedition, Nicolson was again Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 19 May 1891).


The following year Nicolson was selected to raise the 24th Baluchistan Regiment on the Quetta frontier, and in June 1891 was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Queen. Promoted Major-General in November 1894, he was appointed to the Command of the Mhow District in India, April 1895, and achieved his final rank of Lieutenant-General in July 1899. In 1903 Nicolson was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 130th Baluchis. General Nicolson died in Madras on 7 August 1904, aged 61. For much of the latter half of his career he was greatly concerned with the threat posed by the Russian Bear on British India, and was closely involved in the plans to stop a potential Russian advance through Afghanistan. To this end, and supported in his endeavours by Lord Roberts, he travelled extensively through the Frontier country, producing plans and detailed maps, and contributing greatly to the increased knowledge of the local geography.


The Nicolson Cavalry Boot


In 1877 Nicolson designed a Cavalry boot having a gusset on the instep, the object of this being to enable it to be got on and off easily. Owing to the difficulty in getting good patterns made, the pair intended for submission to the Government was not prepared until late in 1878, by which time the outbreak of the Second Afghan War caused the matter to be put on one side as far as submission to the Government was concerned. However, Major Staveley, Commanding D/2 Royal Artillery, approved of them, and had all the boots of his officers altered to the Nicolson pattern before heading into Afghanistan. Nicolson also taught a native bootmaker in Karachi to make or alter boots to this pattern, and several officers had new boots made to this design en route to the front. However, despite the success of the boots in Afghanistan, and a subsequent three month trial at Aldershot, the pattern was not found to be suitable, despite Major Staveley’s opinion that ‘...the boots answer most admirably; they were easy to get on and off, no lacing was required, and they were as weather-tight as any other boots, and I should adopt the same plan again if I was ever going on service.’


Sold with the following related documents &c.: Bestowal Document for the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B., named to Colonel Malcolm Hassels Nicolson, and dated 3 June 1893, in accompanying envelope; Various telegrams to the recipient congratulating him on the award of the C.B.; Papers relating to the Nicolson pattern Riding Boot, designed by the recipient, 1877-78; Copy of ‘Is an Invasion of India by Russia Possible?’, by General Roberts, dated December 1883; Translation of General Kouropatkine’s Plan for a Russian advance on India, dated June 1886; Copy of Notes on the Strategy of the Siege of India, the response to the proposed Russian advance, dated Quetta, December 1887; Memorandum on Afghan Affairs, dated Quetta, April 1887; Two copies of the recipient’s Diary of his travels in Afghanistan and the North West Frontier, May to July 1887; Paper by the recipient entitled Government and Amir of Afghanistan, dated Quetta, October 1887; Various other Papers and documents relating to the possible Russian advance on India, including four sketch maps by the recipient showing the possible routes of any advance; Address printed on silk to the General Officer Commanding, Mhow District, on the occasion of Her Majesty´s Diamond Jubilee; Copy of the recipient’s last Will and Testament, dated 14 June 1903 and related documents, including the Nicolson Settlement Trust Account, dated June 1906; Various letters to the Recipient, including those from the recipient’s parents, and one from Lord Roberts; Various newspaper cuttings of the recipient’s obituary; and two portrait photographs of the recipient.


www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224  |  Page 225  |  Page 226  |  Page 227  |  Page 228  |  Page 229  |  Page 230  |  Page 231  |  Page 232  |  Page 233  |  Page 234  |  Page 235  |  Page 236