Beschreibung:

A First Boer War gold C.M.G. and K.C.B. group awarded to Major-General Sir Thomas Fraser Royal Engineers, the senior effective officer remaining after the battle of Majuba Hill, where ‘After being the foremost to scale the mountain, he descended again for the purpose of hurrying up the men, and was one of the last staff officers to quit the ridge’; he subsequently wrote the “Majuba” despatch The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, and breast star in silver, silver-gilt, gold and enamels; The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s breast badge gold and enamels, complete with gold swivel-ring suspension and ribbon buckle; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, 2 clasps, Tel-El-Kebir, The Nile 1884-85 (Major T. Fraser, C.M.G., R.E.); Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1902, silver; Khedive’s Star 1882; Order of the Medjidie, 3rd class neck badge, silver gold and enamel; Order of Osmanieh, 4th class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, the obverse central surround chipped, the reverse arms now devoid of enamel and the centre replaced with a silver plate, generally very fine or better (9) £4500-5000 Footnote Thomas Fraser was born on 15 November 1840, and was educated abroad and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, entering the Royal Engineers in 1862. He was in France following the military operations of 1871, and in Paris during the Communard Revolution and siege. In 1876 he commenced a tour of duty in Turkey and, during the Russo-Turkish War the following year, was specially employed as Military Officer to the Commander-in-Chief of the British Fleet in Bresica Bay. He subsequently accompanied the Turkish Forces in the campaign on the Lom and was present at several engagements, and at the bombardment of Rustchuk (Brevet of Major). He served during the First Boer War as Deputy Assistant Quarter-Master General in the Intelligence Department, under Sir George Pomeroy-Colley, and in command of a body of Scouts. He was present at the action of Majuba Hill, of which he afterwards wrote the despatch. In his despatch published in the London Gazette of 3 May 1881, Major-General Sir Evelyn Wood, Commanding Forces in Natal and Transvaal, wrote: ‘In submitting the accompanying report from Major Fraser, Royal Engineers, the senior effective officer remaining from those engaged on the 27th February, I desired to bring to your notice the good service rendered by this officer. After being the foremost to scale the mountain, he descended again for the purpose of hurrying up the men, and was one of the last staff officers to quit the ridge. While in the act of withdrawal he fell over a rock and injured his hand, but with great endurance and determination he walked from 1 p.m. on Sunday until 2 a.m. on Tuesday without tasting food, ultimately regaining our lines through the Boer position. Had Major-General Sir George Pomeroy-Colley survived he would, I have no doubt, have endorsed all that Major Fraser has written with regard to the conduct of both officers and men in the fight on the Majuba Mountain, and therefore, although the result of the action was disastrous, I feel confidence in submitting for favourable consideration the names of those mentioned in the report.’ Major Fraser gave two accounts of the battle, one in his official report, the other in a private letter written on March 2nd. As the latter is by far the most graphic, and enters into details which are not referred to in the official narrative, it will probably be interesting that some extracts from it should be quoted in preference to the despatch. After giving an account of all the preliminary arrangements made by order of General Colley, and of the start of the column, he continues :- “The night was moonless, but with good starlight. I never had such a climb before, but we (the General, Stewart, and I) knew what we risked if we failed to reach in time and before daylight. So I shov