Beschreibung:

A fine Sudan Campaign C.B. group of nine awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel D. F. Lewis, Cheshire Regiment, late the Buffs; wounded and Mentioned for the Defence of Eshowe in the Zulu Campaign, he was attached to the Egyptian Army, 1886-1900, seeing action during the Mahdist War at Gemaizah, and going on to hold important commands during the reconquest, including during the Dongola Expedition, the Battles of Atbara and Omdurman, for which latter services he received the C.B, and at the decisive Battle of Roseires, where he was in overall command. Six times Mentioned in Despatches, he was later appointed Aide-de-Camp to consecutive monarchs and after retirement, in 1907, became The Times War Correspondent with the French at Casablanca and the Spanish at Melilla The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with integral riband buckle, minor enamel damage to obverse wreath, and the reverse central medallion loose; South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (Lieut: D. F. Lewis. 2-3rd Foot.); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, Gemaizah 1888, unnamed as issued; Queen’s Sudan 1896-98, unnamed as issued; Coronation 1902, silver; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, Third Class neck badge, silver, gold and enamel, with mint mark to reverse, with full neck riband; Spain, Kingdom, Order of Military Merit, breast badge, non-combatant’s type, silver-gilt and white enamel, lacking integral top riband bar; Khedive’s Star, undated, unnamed as issued; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 8 clasps, Firket, Hafir, Abu Hamed, Sudan 1897, The Atbara, Khartoum, Soudan 1899, Gedid, unnamed as issued, the Zulu War medal nearly very fine, the rest very fine and better (9) £3,000-£4,000 Footnote C.B. (Military) London Gazette 15 November 1898: ‘In recognition of services in Egypt and the Sudan, including Battles of Atbara and Khartoum.’ Ottoman Order of the Medjidie, Third Class London Gazette 17 January 1890: ‘In recognition of their services in the actions at Toski and Gemaizah whilst actually and entirely employed beyond Her Majesty’s Dominions with the Egyptian Army.’ David Francis Lewis was born on 21 October 1855 in Buttington, Mongomeryshire, the eldest son of the Reverend D. Phillips Lewis, rector of Llandrinio. He was educated at Oswestry School from where he was gazetted sub-lieutenant unattached dated 11 February 1875 and proceeded to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst the same year. In January 1876 he joined the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Foot, ‘The Buffs’, and in 1877 was promoted to a lieutenantcy (ante-dated to 11 February 1875). He served as district adjutant in Natal from April to November 1878 and during the Zulu War with The Buffs, firstly in the action at Inyezane, and then at the investment of Eshowe where, on 11 March 1879, he suffered a bullet wound to the head while out on a working party. He was Mentioned in Colonel C.K. Pearson’s Despatches (London Gazette 16 May 1879). Remaining with the second battalion, he was musketry instructor from 1880 until 1883, promoted Captain 1884 and appointed aide-de-camp to Sir George Bowen, Governor of Hong Kong, 1884-85. In the following year he joined the Egyptian Army seeing much active service including: Second in command of the Frontier Force, he served during Operations on the Frontier and East Sudan as Commanding Officer of the 9th Sudanese Battalion; in the action at Gemaizah, 1888, during the Mahdist War (Ottoman Order of the Medjidie Third class). In 1891 he transferred to the Cheshire Regiment, still attached to the Egyptian Army, was promoted Major in the British Army, and in 1896 he was advanced Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel. During the reconquest of the Sudan, ‘Lewis Bey’ commanded the 1st Brigade in the Dongola campaign 1896, (Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 3 November 1896) and 3rd Brigade in 1898, including the Battles of the Atbara and Omdurman: for his services he was awarded the C.B., and was twice Mentioned in Despatches