THE VICTORIA CROSS AWARDED TO TROOPER HORACE RAMSDEN, PROTECTORATE REGIMENT, SOUTH AFRICAN FORCES, HAS BEEN SOLD AT AUCTION BY STEPHAN WELZ & CO OF JOHANNESBURG
25 October 1999


( select to enlarge )
Medal entitlement of Trooper Horace Ramsden,
Protectorate Regiment ( North West Cape Colony )

  • Victoria Cross
  • Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal ( 1900 )
    • 1 clasp:
    • "Bechuanaland"
  • Queen's South Africa Medal ( 1899-1902 )
    • 5 clasps:
    • "Orange Free State" - "Defence of Mafeking" - "Transvaal"
    • "South Africa 1901" - "South Africa 1902"
  • King's South Africa Medal ( 1901-02 )
    • 2 clasps:
    • "South Africa 1901" - "South Africa 1902"
  • 1914-15 Star
  • British War Medal ( 1914-20 )
  • Victory Medal ( 1914-19 )
  • King George VI Coronation Medal ( 1937 )
  • South Africa Police Good Service Medal ( 1923 )

The Victoria Cross and campaign medals awarded to Trooper Horace Ramsden, Protectorate Regiment, South African Forces, have been sold at auction by Stephan Welz & Co of Johannesburg. The group realised a hammer price of £52,000, and was purchased by the Michael Ashcroft Trust the holding institution for Lord Ashcroft's VC Collection. The Horace Ramsden VC group has gone on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in the Imperial War Museum, London.


For the award of the Victoria Cross

[ London Gazette, 6 July 1900 ], Game Tree, near Mafeking, 2nd Boer War, South Africa, 26 December 1899, Trooper Horace Edward Ramsden, Protectorate Regiment ( North West Cape Colony ), South African Forces.

On the 26th December 1899, during the fight at Game Tree, near Mafeking, after the order to retire was given, Trooper H.E. Ramsden picked up his brother Trooper A.E. Ramsden, who had been shot through both legs and was lying about 10 yards from the Boer trenches, and carried him about 600 or 800 yards under a heavy fire ( putting him down from time to time for a rest ) till they met some men who helped to carry him to a place of safety.

Horace Ramsden was invested with his Victoria Cross by CinC South Africa, Lord Roberts VC, at Pretoria on the 28th October 1900.


Following the conclusion of the 2nd Boer War in 1902 Horace Ramsden obtained a commission in the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles. During the First World War Ramsden served with Hartigan's Horse in South West Africa where he was taken prisoner by the Germans. Ramsden died on on the 3rd August 1948 in Fish Hoek, near Simonstown, and was cremated at the Maitland Road Crematorium, Cape Town.

Acquisitions

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Iain Stewart, 25 October 1999