A Very Good Queen's South Africa Medal Lancashire Fusiliers. With Three Clasps, Transvaal, Orange Free State, And Cape Colony

A superb solid silver medal from one of the great British Regiments of the Line.

Known for their valour, determination and courage. The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many centuries and wars, including the Second Boer War both World War I and World War II, and had many different titles throughout its 280 years of existence.During the Second Boer War, the 2nd Battalion saw action at the Battle of Spion Kop in January 1900 and the Relief of Ladysmith in February 1900. The 6th (Militia) Battalion also served in the war, leaving for South Africa with 650 men on 10 February 1900. All three Volunteer Battalions also found 'service companies' of volunteers who served alongside the Regulars, and gained the battle honour South Africa 1900?1902 for their battalions. The Lancashire Fusiliers Boer War memorial is to be found in Whitehead Gardens, known as Clock Tower Gardens,
in front of the Town Hall bordered by Manchester Road and Knowsley Street,
Bury, Greater Manchester. It was originally situated in Market Place,
Bury. It takes the form of a bronze statue of a soldier standing in Fusilier's
dress, waving his cap, on a plinth upon which is the inscription. It
lists the men who died from the Lancashire Fusiliers, regular, militia
and volunteers, in South Africa 1900-1902. There are 170 brave souls names listed.
The memorial was unveiled on 18th March 1905 by the 17th Earl of Derby;
the sculptor was Sir George James Frampton.  read more

Code: 21373

On His Way To Exile in St Helena Bonaparte Seeks Out A New Sword From The Lanes Armoury In Brighton.... {Apparently} You Simply Can Never Guess What {or Who} You Will Discover Next At The Lanes Armoury.

We are most honoured to be described by hundreds of our worldwide regulars, both personal visitors and online, every, single day, as probably the very best and finest gallery of our kind in Europe, and possibly the world!. You can trust that every, single customer, will get our world renown 5* Star Personal Service, selling armoury antiques and militaria thanks to our experience gained through our family trading in Brighton for over 100 years.  read more

Code: 25901

A Fabulous Original Victorian Woolwork Regimental Crest of the Suffolk Regt In Still Highly Vividly Embroidered Colours, and Superbly Executed With Great Skill. With Scrolls of the Regiment's Battle Honours, From Dettingen Up To The South African Wars

Bearing the regiments crest surmounted with Queen Victoria's crown. Very unusually is it surmounted with a Union Flag and a Moon and Crescent flag of Egypt. In a gesso mounted gilt wooden framed. Members of the Suffolks were based in Egypt from - 17 December, 1889 - to 10 February, 1891. The 1st Battalion served in the Second Boer War: it assaulted a hill near Colesberg in January 1900 and suffered many casualties including the commanding officer.
Between 1895 and 1914, the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment was stationed for the majority of the time in India. Garrison postings during this period include; Secunderabad (India) 1895, Rangoon and the Andaman Islands (Burma) 1896 to 1899, Quetta (North West Frontier) 1899 to 1902, Karachi and Hyderabad (Northern India, now Pakistan) 1902 to 1905, Madras (India) 1905 to 1907, Aden 1907, returning to England in 1908.

During its service in India the 2nd Battalion became known as a "well officered battalion that compared favourably with the best battalion in the service having the nicest possible feeling amongst all ranks". The 2nd was also regarded as a good shooting battalion with high level of musketry skills.

The spirit of independence and self-reliance exhibited by officers and non-commissioned officers led to the 2nd Battalion taking first place in the Quetta Division of the British Army of India, from a military effectiveness point of view, in a six-day test. This test saw the men under arms for over 12 hours a day conducting a wide selection of military manoeuvres, including bridge building, retreats under fire, forced marches and defending ground and fixed fortifications.
The 1st Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 84th Brigade in the 28th Division in January 1915 for service on the Western Front and then transferred to Egypt in 24 October 1915.30 It suffered some 400 casualties at the Second Battle of Ypres in May 1915.

The 2nd Battalion landed at landed at Le Havre as part of the 14th Brigade in the 5th Division in August 1914. The value of the 2nd Battalion's 20 years of peacetime training was exemplified at the Battle of Le Cateau on 26 August 1914, a mere 23 days since Britain had declared war on Germany. In this action the 2nd Battalion undertook a fierce rear-guard defence out-manned and out-gunned by superior numbers of enemy. The 2nd Battalion held their defensive position despite losing their commanding officer, Lt. Col. C.A.H. Brett DSO, at the commencement of the action and their second in command, Maj. E.C. Doughty, who was severely wounded after six hours of battle as he went forward to take ammunition to the hard-pressed battalion machine gunners.

Almost totally decimated as a fighting unit after over eight hours of incessant fighting, the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment was gradually outflanked but would still not surrender. This was despite the fact that the German Army, knowing the 2nd Battalion had no hope of survival, entreated them to surrender, even ordering the German buglers to sound the British Cease Fire and gesticulating for the men of the 2nd to lay down their arms. At length an overwhelming force rushed the 2nd Battalion from the rear, bringing down all resistance and the 2nd's defence of Le Cateau was at an end. Those remaining alive were taken captive by the Germans, spending the next four years as prisoners of war and not returning home until Christmas Day 1918  read more

Code: 21639

An Invitation From the Duke of Wellington To Major Gen Bourchier, Noted Veteran of the Battle Of Waterloo. A Personal Invitation From Wellington to Attend The Waterloo Anniversary Celebration Banquet at Apsley House

As a young Captain/Major Lt General Bourchier served in the 11th Light Dragoons in the Peninsular War and with distinguished heroism at Waterloo. For his bravery he was awarded a gold medal and promoted by Wellington to Brevet Lt. Colonel and later became the Colonel of the 3rd Dragoon Guards. His son was awarded the Victoria Cross aged 23 for service in the Crimean War.

This personal invitation from the Duke of Wellington is to attend the special Waterloo anniversary dinner at Apsley House. We also had the 1796 pattern sabre now sold made for the IIth Light Dragoons. The 11th Light Dragoons later became the 11th Hussars. The 11th fought at both the Peninsular War and at the Battle of Waterloo, and were awarded almost 500 medals for Waterloo. After a spell in Ireland the 11th were sent to Spain and Portugal to reinforce Wellington's army. Their strength, normally around 300 in peacetime was raised to 725. They arrived in June 1811 and, as in Egypt, they had a bad start. A dawn attack by the French in woods between Elvas and the Guadiana forced the 11th to retire on to what they thought were friendly portugese lines. When they realised they were French, their commander Capt Lutyens ordered the charge. The shock tactic worked and they were able to drive their way through, but a second line of enemy troops was able to resist them. They lost 8 killed, 22 wounded and 77 taken prisoner.
The regiment had more success at El Bodon near Cuidad Rodrigo on 25th September. By this time they were commanded by Lt Col Cumming, a brave and efficient cavalry officer. A large force of French cavalry was threatening Allied infantry and artillery on the plain in front of the 11th and a squadron of the King's German Legion who were well placed on high ground. Although they were vastely outnumbered the 11th and KGL charged at the enemy again and again, 20 times in all.

The 11th were part of Wellington's great victory over Marmont at Salamanca on 22nd July 1812 but by 3rd April 1813 they had to give up their horses and embark for England much to the regret of Sir Stapleton Cotton who was in command of the cavalry in the Peninsula. It had been a hard two years for them having lost 417 men and 555 horses.

During their time in the Peninsula many changes had been made to the uniforms of the British Army. The Prince Regent had a keen eye for dress and with his newly acquired position of supreme power was determined to push through his ideas dased on continental military trends. The 11th exchanged it's light dragoon Tarleton helmet for a shako. The new jacket was still dark blue but had a buff plastron covering the chest, and white epaulettes, silver for officers. With the return of Napoleon in March 1815 the war with France resumed and the 11th arrived at Ostend on 2nd April. They were in Vandeleur's brigade with the 12th and 16th and had an unprecedented strength of 947 men. They came under heavy attack at Quatre Bras but did not suffer badly. On the 18th June 1815 the Battle of Waterloo began after a terrible night of torrential rain. It was a frustrating morning for the British cavalry who had to stand and watch an infantry battle. Against Wellington's wishes, the heavy cavalry made a brilliant charge that was spoiled by it's failure to re-form. The 11th under the command of Lt Col Money were sent into action when it looked as if the enemy were breaking up. They broke a French infantry square and carried on with the pursuit of Naploeon's fleeing soldiers.
Wellington entered Paris in triumph on 7th July escorted by the 11th and others. The regiment bivouacked on the Champs Elysees and became part of the army of occupation in France and Belgium. On 20th November they eventually arrived home after 3 years on the continent  read more

Code: 19367

An Original, Beautiful, Original Watercolour of a 19th Century Officer Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, H Reginald Coombes

485mm x 379mm frame size. Signed by the artist H Reginald Coombes. A very well painted piece in good condition and most charming style, of one of the officers of one of the great historical regiments of the British Army. The First Battalion of the 27th distinguished itself at the Battle of Maida in Southern Italy in 1806, and together with the Second and Third Battalions formed part of the Peninsula Army, which under the Duke of Wellington cleared Spain and Portugal of the French between the years 1809 and 1812, and finally entered France in triumph. There is not space enough here to recount all the details of the Regiment’s doings in the campaign but the names Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthes, and Toulouse emblazoned on the Colours are sufficient testimony that it played a not undistinguished part therein.

The 27th was the only Irish infantry regiment (out of eight in the army) to fight at the Battle of Waterloo on the 18th June 1815, where the Emperor Napoleon was finally overthrown and his dreams of world-domination dispelled forever. It is perhaps its most cherished battle-honour as there it held a position of vital importance against great odds the whole day and in after years was acknowledged by the Duke of Wellington to have saved the centre of the line.

After a period of peace it found itself in South Africa where between 1837 and 1847 it was engaged in several of the numerous native wars that occurred during those years. From 1854 and 1868 it served in India taking part in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny and helping to preserve law and order in North-West India. In 1881, as a result of the reforms begun in 1870, the Twenty-Seventh became the First Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and a Second Battalion (descended from an East India Company Regiment, the Third Madras Europeans, later the Hundred and Eighth Regiment of the Queen’s Service) came into being; at the same time three Regiments of Irish Militia became the Third, Fourth and Fifth Battalions.

The Second Battalion saw service in the great uprising of the Pathan tribes in the Tirah Valley on the North-west frontier of India in 1897-98, and after the end of that campaign remained in India until January 1902 when it was sent to South Africa to take part in the closing stages of the Boer War. The First Battalion reached South Africa in November 1899 and was part of General Buller’s army sent to lift the siege of Ladysmith. Its first actions were at the battle of the river crossing at Colenso. Some months later, at Inniskilling Hill, the battalion’s Medical officer was awarded a Victoria Cross for rescuing a wounded officer whilst under heavy enemy fire. From late in 1901 to the end of the war in 1902 the battalion constructed and occupied numerous sections of the block-house line which divided the country into large areas surrounded by wire with fortified posts at intervals. Within these areas mounted troops drove the Boers on to the wire fences, where, being caught between two fires, they were forced to surrender.  read more

Code: 22548

A Most Beautiful, Original, Victorian, Merryweather British Fire Service Helmet, In Brass With Gilt Dragon Comb

An original British Victorian fire service helmet, with signs of service use, naturally, and with denting on the crest and skull as usual, but it is simply part of its character, to demonstrate this is not a piece that never saw service but was used as it should, but cared for, and beautifully preserved for posterity.

The traditional two-piece skull has the embossed raised dragon comb, rose bosses, crossed axe and hoses helmet plate, and original leather liner around 75% complete. Overall in every way average condition for age.

The desirable standard pattern of Fire Service helmet used by all British county and city Fire Services in the Victorian era and just past WW1.

The earliest fire brigade was Roman and that is the first fire brigade of which we have any substantial history was created by Marcus Licinius Crassus. Marcus Licinius Crassus was born into a wealthy Roman family around the year 115 BC, and acquired an enormous fortune through (in the words of Plutarch) "fire and rapine." One of his most lucrative schemes took advantage of the fact that Rome had no fire department. Crassus filled this void by creating his own brigade?500 men strong?which rushed to burning buildings at the first cry of alarm. Upon arriving at the scene, however, the fire fighters did nothing while their employer bargained over the price of their services with the distressed property owner. If Crassus could not negotiate a satisfactory price, his men simply let the structure burn to the ground, after which he offered to purchase it for a fraction of its value. Emperor Nero took the basic idea from Crassus and then built on it to form the Vigiles in AD 60 to combat fires using bucket brigades and pumps, as well as poles, hooks and even ballistae to tear down buildings in advance of the flames. The Vigiles patrolled the streets of Rome to watch for fires and served as a police force. The later brigades consisted of hundreds of men, all ready for action. When there was a fire, the men would line up to the nearest water source and pass buckets hand in hand to the fire.

Rome suffered a number of serious fires, most notably the fire on 19 July AD 64 and eventually destroyed two thirds of Rome.
In the UK, the Great Fire of London in 1666 set in motion changes which laid the foundations for organised firefighting in the future. In the wake of the Great Fire, the City Council established the first fire insurance company, "The Fire Office", in 1667, which employed small teams of Thames watermen as firefighters and provided them with uniforms and arm badges showing the company to which they belonged.
However, the first organised municipal fire brigade in the world was established in Edinburgh, Scotland, when the Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment was formed in 1824, led by James Braidwood. London followed in 1832 with the London Fire Engine Establishment. No chinscale, some small split perishing on the skull above top right of the badge, see photo two in the gallery.  read more

Code: 25332

Pair Of Rare Original WW2 British St John & Red Cross Badges. Original Ann Hopkin Badges 1945 Red & White Enamel with Gold Rose Petals Borders.

Two Tudor Rose badges, a special badge for members serving under the India Office, worn on the collar of the greatcoat ½ an inch above the inner step of the step opening or the collar of the jacket. Ann Hopkin who was a Welfare Officer in India with the St John and Red Cross Service Hospital Welfare between 1945 and 1946.

Bearing small apertures to enable stitching them upon a collar

https://museumandarchives.redcross.org.uk/objects/8350

20mm Across  read more

Code: 25597

A Shinto Samurai Yari Pole Arm Signed Yamashiro Kami Fujiwara Norishige, Probably Yamashiro-no-Kami Fujiwara Kunishige, Early Edo Period

A beautiful Edo Period Samurai Horseman Ryo-Shinogi Yari Polearm on original haft, signed.
With original pole and iron foot mount ishizuki. Four sided double edged head. The mochi-yari, or "held spear", is a rather generic term for the shorter Japanese spear. It was especially useful to mounted Samurai. In mounted use, the spear was generally held with the right hand and the spear was pointed across the saddle to the soldiers left front corner. The warrior's saddle was often specially designed with a hinged spear rest (yari-hasami) to help steady and control the spear's motion. The mochi-yari could also easily be used on foot and is known to have been used in castle defense. The martial art of wielding the yari is called sojutsu. A yari on it's pole can range in length from one metre to upwards of six metres (3.3 to 20 feet).
The longer hafted versions were called omi no yari while shorter ones were known as mochi yari or tae yari. The longest hafted versions were carried by foot troops (ashigaru), while samurai usually carried a shorter hafted yari. Yari are believed to have been derived from Chinese spears, and while they were present in early Japan's history they did not become popular until the thirteenth century.

The original warfare of the bushi was not a thing for "commoners"; it was a ritualized combat usually between two warriors who may challenge each other via horseback archery and sword duels. However, the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 changed Japanese weaponry and warfare. The Mongol-employed Chinese and Korean footmen wielded long pikes, fought in tight formation, and moved in large units to stave off cavalry. Polearms (including naginata and yari) were of much greater military use than swords, due to their much greater range, their lesser weight per unit length (though overall a polearm would be fairly hefty), and their great piercing ability. Swords in a full battle situation were therefore relegated to emergency sidearm status from the Heian through the Muromachi periods.  read more

Code: 25187

A Simply Stunningly Mounted Handachi Katana Shinto Period Circa 1650. Handachi Kabutogane, Shibabiki,

Shakudo and gold fittings with a pair of top quality gold and shakudo tiger menuki under the orginal Edo period silk wrap tsukaito, over black giant rayskin, samegawa. Bulls blood ishime stone finish lacquer, sukashi mokko tsuba in the form of clan mon crests. The sword is mounted in a beautiful matching suite of original Edo period gold and shakudo handachi fittings, with kabutogane, shibabiki, and ishizuki. Han-dachi originally appeared during the Muromachi period when there was a transition taking place from Tachi to katana. The sword was being worn more and more edge up when on foot, but edge down on horseback as it had always been. The handachi is a response to the need to be worn in either style. The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behaviour on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu to stop the spear exanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesized in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality. The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they were trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

As part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai that tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace. Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art. Often times swordsmiths were more famous than the people who used them. The blade shows a dramatic sophisticated suguha hamon straight with a few natural age pit marks. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.

Overall 39.75 inches long, blade tsuba to tip 25.65 inches long  read more

Code: 23354

A Set of Exceptionally Beautiful & Fine Antique Edo Period Complete Suite of Samurai Tanto Mounts { Koshirae } Of Exceptional Quality Fuchi-kashira, the Kashira Of Jurōjin 寿老人 The Old Man of Longevity. With a Wooden Blade

Although for many years samurai swords {all edged tanto are called swords by tradition} with such wooden blades, have often titled as a samurai Doctor's swords, as it has a wooden blade, it is actually incorrect, a suite of sword koshirae have always been revered as much as the blade, and when a blade is stored in its shirasaya storage mount, the sword is disassembled, and a wooden blade is hand carved to identically replicate its real blade, in order to correctly re-fit the mounts together, as if the real blade was present.
However, for centuries now, and especially in Europe, sword koshirae have be highly prized collector's pieces, being works of sublime art in their own right. Thus a set of fabulous antique sword mounts and fittings such this have long been collector's items, separate from the once fitted blade.

Jurōjin (寿老人 'Old Man of Longevity') is one of Japanese mythology's Seven Gods of Fortune or Shichifukujin. He is the god of longevity. Jurōjin originated from the Chinese Taoist god, the Old Man of the South Pole or Star of the Old Man. He is known as the immortal of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), and may have been a historical figure of the period. Jurōjin is identified as the personification of the imagined Southern Polar Star. While paintings and statues of Jurōjin are considered auspicious, he never developed a following in Japan independent of the other Seven Gods of Fortune.

For example a very rare and fine tsuba alone could today fetch up to £40,000 by a master maker. and sword mounts, the fuchi kashira and menuki can now be worth many thousands of pounds. Superb quality Edo period tanto koshirae {sword fittings} with a blade formed wooden blade and habaki tsunagi. The full suite of matching, patinated, honey coloured copper, fushi, kashira, and tsuba bear a stunning kashira that depicts a carved figure of Jurōjin, one of the Japanese seven deities, the tall headed god of happiness, wealth and long life one of the Shichi-fuku-jin (Seven Gods of Luck), particularly associated with longevity. He is supposed to have once lived on earth as a Chinese Taoist sage. He has a white beard, wears a scholar's headdress and he reads from a scroll containing the world's wisdom. The seven are drawn from various sources but have been grouped together from at least the 16th century. They are Bishamon, Daikoku, Ebisu, Fukurokuju, Jurojin, Hotei, and the only female in the group, Benten. He is sometimes confused with Fukurokuju another of the Several Gods of Fortune, who by some accounts inhabits the same body as Fukurokuju. As such, the two are often confused.
The carving of the copper is beautifully executed and the figure has an most charming and jolly smile.

All the matching fittings are in beautiful condition. Only the lacquer of the saya has areas of wear and surface cracking. Overall 59 cm, saya 44cm, tsuka, 15cm  read more

Code: 20993