Baldwin & Sons
Auction 101 28 September 2016
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ORDERS, DECORATIONS AND MILITARY MEDALS, Groups to Men Awarded The Victoria Cross, The Campaign Pair to Colonel R. K. Ridgeway, V.C., C.B., 44th Gurkha Regiment of Bengal Infantry, awarded the Victoria Cross for Gallantry at Konoma in the Naga Hills when he was severely wounded, comprising India General Service Medal 1854-95, 2 clasps, N.E. Frontier 1891, Naga 1879-80 (Capt. R. K. Ridgeway, 44th Bengal N.I.); India General Service Medal 1895-1902, 3 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897, Tirah 1897-98 (Lt. Coll. R. K. Ridgeway, V.C. I.S.C.) official correction to 'V.C.'. Good very fine. (2)
Victoria Cross London Gazette, 11 May 1880
This pair is from the collection of Colonel R B Jay, who died on 23 June 1964, and who was the author of Men whose Fathers were Men, printed under the pseudonym "Centurion", and published by A H Baldwin & Sons Ltd. His collection was for many years held at Norwich Castle until disposed of by auction. The whereabouts of the Victoria Cross itself is not known.
Richard Kirby Ridgeway, the second son of R. Ridgeway, Esq., F.R.C.S., and Annette, daughter of R Adams Esq, of Cavanagh, County Cavan, was gazetted from Sandhurst to HM's 96th Regiment as Ensign on 8 January 1868. He became Lieutenant on 14 February 1870 and was transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps in 1872. Appointed to the 44th (Sylhet) Regiment of Native Infantry, he served as Adjutant from 1874 to 1880 and in February 1875 took part in the punitive expedition to Ninu after the attack by Naga tribesmen on Lieutenant Holcombe's survey party (mentioned in despatches).
On 14 October 1879 the Nagas again carried out an unprovoked attack this time on the Local Commissioner, Mr Damant, who was killed together with Jemadar Prem Singh and 10 Sepoys of the 43rd Gurkhas. An expedition was mounted to restore order in Naga territory; the force comprising a small party of the 34th NI, a detachment of 300 Gurkhas of the 43rd NI and the whole of the 44th NI, under Colonel Nuttall, with two 7-pounder mountain guns. The Field Force was commanded by Brigadier-General J. L. Nation, and, having taken to the field, a detachment of the 43rd attacked and secured the village of Sephima on 15 November. On 21 November the Field Force prepared to attack the fortified Naga village of Konoma on the following day.
'This village, which bore the finest fighting reputation throughout the Naga hills, was situated on a sort of rocky island in a valley, and was strongly fortified in terraces, with stone walls and towers. The attack was made by 500 rifles, three-fourths being 44th, with their two 7-pounder guns, and one fourth 43rd, together with 26 Frontier Police. The stoutness of the defence created surprise. True, it was probable that several thousand men were behind the walls and stockades of Konoma, and that half of them were equipped with firearms, including many Sniders and Enfield's, but such preparations, and such stubborn resistance, were a new feature in Naga warfare. The village was first shelled by the two guns, but without effect on the fortifications, so Colonel Nuttall decided to storm the place. The outlying fortifications were soon taken, but then the attackers found themselves faced by the inner lines, a stone-faced scarp, surmounted by a loop holed stockade, the whole about twelve feet high. The guns were brought up to within seventy yards, and the gateway was more or less shattered. Two assaults on the stockade were made; these were led with the greatest gallantry by Lieutenant R K Ridgeway, Adjutant of the 44th, who was severely wounded as he reached the gateway, where he heroically remained until the men were able to force an entrance.'
The 44th's assault, which cost the lives of Major C. H. Cock, D.A.A.G., Lieutenant H. H. Forbes, 44th, Subhadra-Major Norbie Sahib, 44th, and seventeen men, came to a standstill at nightfall. The artillery detachment had used all its ammunition during the day-long fight and although the force prepared for another major assault on the following day, the Nagas evacuated Konoma during the night, retreating to entrenched positions in the Chaka Mountains. After further operations the Nagas sued for peace in March 1880. Ridgeway in the meantime was evacuated and returned to Europe on furlough. On 8 January 1880 he was promoted Captain and on 11 May 1880 was gazetted with the Victoria Cross for gallantry at Konoma. Ridgeway was prevented from attending an investiture due to his wounds, and his Cross was sent to him in Ireland by the War Office on 2 June 1880.
Having passed the staff college in 1883, he was appointed D.A.Q.M.G., Bengal Army, in August 1884, and the next year was appointed to the Boundary Commission in North West Afghanistan. On 23 May 1885 the Illustrated London News declared: 'Portraits of two officers of the Bengal Staff Corps, Assistant Commissioners of the British-Afghan Boundary Commission, who are still acting in that capacity on the northwest border of Afghanistan, find place in this number of our Journal. Lieutenant-Colonel R. K. Ridgeway, V.C., commanded the party which came from India towards the end of last year, with the engineers and scientific gentlemen of the survey, escorted by a detachment of Punjab Native Infantry and Bengal Cavalry, performing a circuitous march of 745 miles from Rindli, on the Quetta railway, along the edge of the desert south of Candahar, and thence northward to the Heri-Kud valley, so as to avoid the towns and villages of the Ameer's dominions. Colonel Ridgeway met Sir Peter Lumsden at Kushan, 60 or 70 miles west of Herat on 22 October and subsequently proceeded to Bala Murghab eastward by the route through Khushk and Kila Nau, re-joining the Chief Commissioner's [Colonel West Ridgeway's] headquarters at Bala Murghab in December.'
Promoted Major in 1888, he served as A.Q.M.G, at Army Headquarters, India, in 1889-90, and in 1891 returned to command his regiment, re-styled in 1889 the 44th (Gurkha) Regiment of Bengal (Light) Infantry. During Ridgeway's tenure of command, lasting until 1895, the corps was again re-titled to become the 44th Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment of Bengal Infantry in 1891. He took part in the Manipur expedition of 1891 (mentioned in despatches), and was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1894. He returned to his earlier post of A.Q.M.G. in 1895, and was promoted Colonel in 1898. He served in the Tirah campaign as A.A.G., 2nd Division in 1897, and was A.A.G., Peshawar, 1898-1900. Colonel Ridgeway was created a C.B. in 1905 and retired in 1906. He attended the Garden Party for Victoria Cross recipients at Buckingham Palace in 1920, and died at Harrogate on 11 October 1924.
Refs: Lummis Files (NAM); History of the 8th Gurkha Rifles 1824-1949; The Victoria Cross (Creagh); The Indian Army of the Empress (Harfield).
ex DNW auction, 2 March 2005, lot 90
Estimate: £20,000-25,000
Victoria Cross London Gazette, 11 May 1880
This pair is from the collection of Colonel R B Jay, who died on 23 June 1964, and who was the author of Men whose Fathers were Men, printed under the pseudonym "Centurion", and published by A H Baldwin & Sons Ltd. His collection was for many years held at Norwich Castle until disposed of by auction. The whereabouts of the Victoria Cross itself is not known.
Richard Kirby Ridgeway, the second son of R. Ridgeway, Esq., F.R.C.S., and Annette, daughter of R Adams Esq, of Cavanagh, County Cavan, was gazetted from Sandhurst to HM's 96th Regiment as Ensign on 8 January 1868. He became Lieutenant on 14 February 1870 and was transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps in 1872. Appointed to the 44th (Sylhet) Regiment of Native Infantry, he served as Adjutant from 1874 to 1880 and in February 1875 took part in the punitive expedition to Ninu after the attack by Naga tribesmen on Lieutenant Holcombe's survey party (mentioned in despatches).
On 14 October 1879 the Nagas again carried out an unprovoked attack this time on the Local Commissioner, Mr Damant, who was killed together with Jemadar Prem Singh and 10 Sepoys of the 43rd Gurkhas. An expedition was mounted to restore order in Naga territory; the force comprising a small party of the 34th NI, a detachment of 300 Gurkhas of the 43rd NI and the whole of the 44th NI, under Colonel Nuttall, with two 7-pounder mountain guns. The Field Force was commanded by Brigadier-General J. L. Nation, and, having taken to the field, a detachment of the 43rd attacked and secured the village of Sephima on 15 November. On 21 November the Field Force prepared to attack the fortified Naga village of Konoma on the following day.
'This village, which bore the finest fighting reputation throughout the Naga hills, was situated on a sort of rocky island in a valley, and was strongly fortified in terraces, with stone walls and towers. The attack was made by 500 rifles, three-fourths being 44th, with their two 7-pounder guns, and one fourth 43rd, together with 26 Frontier Police. The stoutness of the defence created surprise. True, it was probable that several thousand men were behind the walls and stockades of Konoma, and that half of them were equipped with firearms, including many Sniders and Enfield's, but such preparations, and such stubborn resistance, were a new feature in Naga warfare. The village was first shelled by the two guns, but without effect on the fortifications, so Colonel Nuttall decided to storm the place. The outlying fortifications were soon taken, but then the attackers found themselves faced by the inner lines, a stone-faced scarp, surmounted by a loop holed stockade, the whole about twelve feet high. The guns were brought up to within seventy yards, and the gateway was more or less shattered. Two assaults on the stockade were made; these were led with the greatest gallantry by Lieutenant R K Ridgeway, Adjutant of the 44th, who was severely wounded as he reached the gateway, where he heroically remained until the men were able to force an entrance.'
The 44th's assault, which cost the lives of Major C. H. Cock, D.A.A.G., Lieutenant H. H. Forbes, 44th, Subhadra-Major Norbie Sahib, 44th, and seventeen men, came to a standstill at nightfall. The artillery detachment had used all its ammunition during the day-long fight and although the force prepared for another major assault on the following day, the Nagas evacuated Konoma during the night, retreating to entrenched positions in the Chaka Mountains. After further operations the Nagas sued for peace in March 1880. Ridgeway in the meantime was evacuated and returned to Europe on furlough. On 8 January 1880 he was promoted Captain and on 11 May 1880 was gazetted with the Victoria Cross for gallantry at Konoma. Ridgeway was prevented from attending an investiture due to his wounds, and his Cross was sent to him in Ireland by the War Office on 2 June 1880.
Having passed the staff college in 1883, he was appointed D.A.Q.M.G., Bengal Army, in August 1884, and the next year was appointed to the Boundary Commission in North West Afghanistan. On 23 May 1885 the Illustrated London News declared: 'Portraits of two officers of the Bengal Staff Corps, Assistant Commissioners of the British-Afghan Boundary Commission, who are still acting in that capacity on the northwest border of Afghanistan, find place in this number of our Journal. Lieutenant-Colonel R. K. Ridgeway, V.C., commanded the party which came from India towards the end of last year, with the engineers and scientific gentlemen of the survey, escorted by a detachment of Punjab Native Infantry and Bengal Cavalry, performing a circuitous march of 745 miles from Rindli, on the Quetta railway, along the edge of the desert south of Candahar, and thence northward to the Heri-Kud valley, so as to avoid the towns and villages of the Ameer's dominions. Colonel Ridgeway met Sir Peter Lumsden at Kushan, 60 or 70 miles west of Herat on 22 October and subsequently proceeded to Bala Murghab eastward by the route through Khushk and Kila Nau, re-joining the Chief Commissioner's [Colonel West Ridgeway's] headquarters at Bala Murghab in December.'
Promoted Major in 1888, he served as A.Q.M.G, at Army Headquarters, India, in 1889-90, and in 1891 returned to command his regiment, re-styled in 1889 the 44th (Gurkha) Regiment of Bengal (Light) Infantry. During Ridgeway's tenure of command, lasting until 1895, the corps was again re-titled to become the 44th Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment of Bengal Infantry in 1891. He took part in the Manipur expedition of 1891 (mentioned in despatches), and was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1894. He returned to his earlier post of A.Q.M.G. in 1895, and was promoted Colonel in 1898. He served in the Tirah campaign as A.A.G., 2nd Division in 1897, and was A.A.G., Peshawar, 1898-1900. Colonel Ridgeway was created a C.B. in 1905 and retired in 1906. He attended the Garden Party for Victoria Cross recipients at Buckingham Palace in 1920, and died at Harrogate on 11 October 1924.
Refs: Lummis Files (NAM); History of the 8th Gurkha Rifles 1824-1949; The Victoria Cross (Creagh); The Indian Army of the Empress (Harfield).
ex DNW auction, 2 March 2005, lot 90
Estimate: £20,000-25,000