KHEDIVE’S STAR AND QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL CAMPAIGN TRIO TO SADDLER -PRIVATE -SERGEANT W.C. WILLIAMS, WHO SAW SERVICE WITH THE 20TH HUSSARS AS A SADDLER-PRIVATE AT SUAKIN AND TOFREK IN 1885, GEMAI

THE REGIMENTALLY UNIQUE EGYPT MEDAL 1882-89, KHEDIVE’S STAR AND QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL CAMPAIGN TRIO TO SADDLER -PRIVATE AND SADDLER-SERGEANT W.C. WILLIAMS, WHO SAW SERVICE WITH THE 20TH HUSSARS AS A SADDLER-PRIVATE AT SUAKIN AND TOFREK IN 1885, GEMAIZAH IN 1888 AND TOSKI IN 1889 AND SUBSEQUENTLY SAW SERVICE AS A SADDLER-SERGEANT WITH THE 7TH DRAGOON GUARDS DURING THE BOER WAR.

SERGEANT-SADDLER WILLIAMS IS RECORDED AS HAVING TRANSFERRED BACK TO ENGLAND FROM SOUTH AFRICA PRIOR TO 11TH OCTOBER 1901, AND DIED ON 20TH MAY 1903 WHILST SERVING WITH THE RESERVE SQUADRON OF THE 7TH DRAGOON GUARDS AT CANTERBURY.

Three: Egypt Medal 1882-89, undated reverse, 4 clasps, Suakin 1885, Tofrek, 1888, Toski 1889 (officially named, engraved in serifed sloping upper and lower case capital letters: 2124 Pte. W.C. WILLIAM(S). 20th. HUSrs.); Khedives Star, obverse dated 1884-6 (unnamed, as issued); Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State (officially named, engraved “cavalry style” in sloping upper and lower case capital letters and number: 4253. Sjt. Sad. W. WILLIAMS. 7 / D.G.). Egypt Medal contact marked from the Star, and naming details a little weak at 3 o’clock (as indicated, the final letter “S” in surname only just visible), the Khedive’s Star Good Very Fine and the QSA Almost Extremely Fine, the silver medals attractively toned and undoubtedly a unique combination of medals and clasps to either the 20th Hussars or the 7th Dragoon Guards, only seven Egypt Medals with these four clasps to the 20th Hussars (1 officer and 6 other ranks), Williams being the only one of those seven men to subsequently see service during the Boer War.

Group accompanied by a somewhat faded contemporary studio portrait photograph, head and shoulders, of Wlliams in uniform, wearing his Egyptian campaign medals, by the Egyptian photographer V. Giuntini, the reverse of the photograph inscribed “Uncle Will Williams from Stroud, Gloucester, Gran Williams son”, along with Sergeant-Saddler William’s temperance medals and a commemorative medal for Queen Victoria’s 1887 jubilee, comprising Army Temperance Association India “Cruickshank Cross” in silvered bronze, for 6 months sobriety, Soldier’s Total Abstinence Association Medal for 1 year sobriety, this with its original “Fidelity” top brooch suspender, for 2 years sobriety, and Queen Victoria 1887 Commemorative Jubilee Medal in gilt bronze, this with inset photographic portrait of Victoria at centre (these latter three medals all unnamed, as issued), the portrait photograph of Queen Victoria scuffed, temperance and commemorative medals generally attractively toned and Almost Extremely Fine.

Group also accompanied by extracts 1891 and 1911 census returns, copied extract Register of Soldier’s Effects, transcript WW1 Pension Ledger entry for widow’s pension paid to Saddler-Sergeant Williams’s wife, Mary Deacon Williams, copied extracts medal rolls for Egypt Medal (2), and QSA Medal confirming medals and clasps (Williams’s rank is given as Private on the roll for the Suakin 1885 and Tofrek clasps and on the Gemaizah 1888 and Toski roll as Saddler. Initials given incorrectly on the Suakin 1885-Tofrek medal roll as “EC” but correctly as “WC” on the Gemaizah, Toski medal roll, but same regimental number, 2124, on both rolls).

William Charles Williams (1863-1903) was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The Register of Soldier’s Effects records Williams as having first enlisted (20th Hussars) on 20/4/1883, giving his trade at the time of enlistment as Harness Maker and place of birth as Stroud. Medal rolls confirm that Williams first saw active service with the 20th Hussars during the Suakin Expedition of 1885, taking part in the operations at Suakin, 1st March – 14th May 1885, including the action at Tofrek, 22nd March 1885, and subsequently during the Suakin operations of 1888-89, taking part in the battles of Gemaizah, 20/12/1888, and Toski, 3/8/1889. Following the conclusion of the 1888-89 Suakin campaign, the 20th Hussars returned to England and were stationed at Aldershot.

Williams is recorded in the 1891 census as a 28 year old Saddler-Private, born Stroud, Gloucestershire, and serving with the 20th Hussars at the West Cavalry Barracks, Aldershot.

Williams was discharged from the 20th Hussars in the early to mid 1890’s and subsequently re-enlisted, into the 7th Dragoon Guards, his 7th Dragoon Guards Regimental Number, 4253, indicating that he enlisted into the 7th Dragoon Guards circa January 1897 (the 7th Dragoon Guardsman with regimental number 4199 is recorded as having enlisted on 20/1/1897). The regimental history of the 7th Dragoon Guards records Williams, then a Saddler-Sergeant, as being among the 24 officers and 500 men of the 7th Dragoon Guards who sailed from Southampton for South Africa aboard the Armenian in 8/2/1900. Queen’s South Africa Medal roll confirms Orange Free State and Transvaal clasps and notes that Williams was “Tnsd to England” (transferred to England) prior to the medal roll being drawn up at Harrismith on 11/10/1901. Register of Soldier’s Effects records Williams as having died at Canterbury on 20/5/1903, whilst serving with the 7th Dragoons. At the time of his death, Williams would have been serving with the Reserve Squadron of the 7th Dragoon Guards, then stationed in Canterbury, the other squadrons of the regiment at that time still being on overseas service in South Africa. Williams left an estate totalling £45 12 shillings and 9 pence (£2 3 shillings and 3 pence being credited to his account on 7th March and £43 9 shillings and 6 pence being credited on 8th March), his estate being inherited by his widow, Mary Deacon Williams (nee Watts).

Mary Deacon Williams is recorded in the 1911 census as a 43 year old widowed dressmaker, born Stroud, Gloucester, living at 9 Linscott Road, Lower Clapton, London, with her 79 year old widowed mother, Sarah Watts. in the WW1 Pension Ledgers as receiving an army pension following the death whilst serving of her husband, Saddler-Sergeant Williams.