Dominic Winter Auctions
Los 493
* Viscount Northland. A fine WWI casualty group to Lord Northland, Coldstream Guards, who not only served as Aide-de-Camp to his father, the Governor of New Zealand, was commanding officer of the Ulster Volunteer Force (Dungannon Battalion), he was killed in action on the Western Front when shot in the head by an enemy sniper on 1 February 1915. Queen's South Africa 1899-1901, two clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa (Lieut: Visct: T.U.C. Northland. Coldstream Guards.), 1914 Star (Lieut: Viscount Northland. C. Gds.), British War Medal (Capt. Viscount Northland.) with supporting QSA dress miniature award and Great War bronze Memorial Plaque (Thomas Uchter Caulfield Viscount Northland), extremely fine plus two black and white portrait photographs of the recipient in uniform (one wearing his QSA medal) 18.5 x 13.5cm another photograph of the recipient leading his men off to war, a cape of the Coldstream Guards, grey melton cloth with gilt metal regimental cape clasps and chain, 3 buttons to the right breast, red cotton lining and bearing name badge inscribed 'Lord Northland', 92cm long, an officers mess jacket, red cloth with blue facings and embroidered Coldstream Guards collar badges, the lining tatty but with name tag inscribed 'Lord Northland', 58cm long plus white suede sword belt with silvered and gilt enamelled regimental buckle, inscribed '1900 Northland' plus a WWI period Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) For God and Ulster Irish lapel badge, bronze issue, reverse stamped 'L 2130', it is contained in a mourning envelope inscribed 'Badge worn by Capt Neil Mackinnon Coldstream Guards when helping the Dungannon Batt U.V.F. at Barons Court Camp of instruction undert the ... of Frank Townsend. Neil Mackinnon was killed on Nov.8.1915 in the Cameroons', original pocket diary for the period 11 September 1914-30 January 1915, and transcript plus newspaper cuttings etc. (Qty: A carton)Viscount Thomas Caulfield Knox (1882-1915) was the son of Uchter John Mark Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly and Hon. Lord Northland was born in Dungannon, Northern Ireland and lived at Northland House, Dungannon. He was educated at Eton and then at the Military College Sandhurst. Lord Northland joined the Coldstream Guards in 1900 and served in South Africa fighting the Boers. He acted as Aide-de-Camp to his father who was the Governor of New Zealand (1897-1904). He rengaged for service with the regiment on the outbreak of WWI (Captain). He took a very active interest in the Ulster Volunteer Force and was a most enthusiastic and popular officer. He was chiefly instrumental in organising and training the 4th (Dungannon) Battalion of the Tyrone Regiment (U.V.F.) which numbered 2500 men for which Lord Northland was the commanding officer of the battalion. He was also an enthusiastic Orange man, and was elected the Deputy Grand Master of the County Tyrone Grand Orange Lodge and District Master of Killyman District Orange Lodge. Lord Northland was serving with the 2nd Battalion at Cuinchy, near La Bassee on 1 February 1915 when he was killed in action having been shot in the head by a sniper and died immediately. A memorial service was held in Dungannon with all shops and businesses being closed for the occasion. Lord Northland is buried in Cuinchy Communal Cemetery, France. (A photo of his grave included in the lot). Extracts from his diary 28 September 1914 "When morning came one of our groups got left in the open as the fog rose rapidly. Snipers got all three men, but one crawled in. Something had to be done and a volunteer, Dobson, crawled out and found 1 dead and the other severely wounded. It was a risky and Dobson recommended for the V.C" 21 October 1914 "I dashed up to the firing line opposite where Iay down - which unfortunately was in the exposed part where the 1st supporting half-platoon had laid. The firing now became general and we could see no Germans as the hedge protected them from view. - I tried to control the fire as much as possible calling out for 3 rounds distributed on first one section and then another, of the fence. Then a man four off me was hit in the face and started to groan and then a man to my right was slightly hit and tried to crawl off. I thought he was shamming and told him if he did not come back at once I would shoot him myself ...". See lot 389.
