An emotive Boer War Battle of Colenso Prisoner of War and Great War Battle of Ctesiphon Officer casualty group awarded to Captain C.F.H. Rumbold, 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, later Major, 4th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment attached 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment who having been educated at Harrow, would be commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers with whom he would see Boer War service in South Africa being taken prisoner of war at Colenso on 15th December 1899 before later being released at Waterval on 6th June 1900. He would later see service in Mesopotamia during the Great War and would being shot through the head at the Battle of Ctesiphon on 22nd November 1915. He is now remembered on the Basra Memorial.
Group of 5: Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 4 Clasps: Cape Colony, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Orange Free State; (CAPT. C.F.H. RUMBOLD. R. SCOTS FUS.) King’s South Africa Medal 1901-1902, 2 Clasps: South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; (CAPT. C.F.H. RUMBOLD. RL SCTS. FUS.) 1914-1915 Star; (MAJOR C.F.H. RUMBOLD. E. SURR. R.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (MAJOR C.F.H. RUMBOLD).
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Christian Franklyn Hanes Rumbold was the younger son of the late Charles James Augustus Rumbold, M.A. F.R.G.S. and of his wife, the late Agatha Ellen Rumbold and the great grandson of Sir Thomas Rumbold, 1st Bart and would be educated at Harrow.
After serving for a time in the York and Lancaster Militia, Major Rumbold received a Commission, in December 1895, in the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and with the 2nd Battalion of that Regiment served throughout the South African War. He was present at the Battle of Colenso where he would be taken prisoner of war on 15th December 1899, later being released at Waterval on 6th June 1900 and then taking part in the operations after the capture of Pretoria, receiving the Queen’s South Africa Medal with 4 clasps and the King’s South Africa Medal with 2 Clasps. Suffering from ill-health as a result of this campaign he retired from the Regular Army with the rank of Captain in 1904, and immediately joined the 4th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (Special Reserve) being subsequently promoted Major.
In May 1915, Rumbold left England for Mesopotamia and was attached to the 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. He was killed in action on November 22nd 1915 at the Battle of Ctesiphon, near Baghdad. He was shot through the head and died instantly when ‘getting his Company against splendidly’. Having no known grave he is remembered on the Basra Memorial.
He was described by his Commanding Officer as ‘an excellent Officer and a particularly gallant one.’