An outstanding large format original full length uniform portrait photograph of Lieutenant George Charles Clyde D'Aguilar, 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers, taken after the first period of his service on secondment to the Egyptian Army during which period he was present at the Battle of Toski on 3 August 1889 with the Egyptian Cavalry, for which he was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Turkish Order of Medjidie 4th Class. D’Aguilar was in the Sudan when he died on service there on 25 January 1894. This exceptional full length photograph, taken of the recipient at some stage between June 1890 and April 1892, when he was last at home in London. The photograph, which shows D'Aguilar wearing all of his medals, is affixed to its original full length board by the photographer, Mayall & Co Ltd. of 73 Piccadilly, London, and additionally, affixed beneath the photograph is his original tunic medal ribbon bar for all three awards, all old ribbons from the period. The reverse of the board is inscribed in ink: ‘Clyde D’Aguilar. Lieutenant 17th Lancers, entered regiment Aug 1882. Served in Egyptian Cavalry and died in Egypt 1893 at Wady Halfa.’ Further label reads: ‘Lt. G.C.C. D’Aguilar. Joined 2nd. Aug. 1882. Served in Egyptian Cavalry and was killed at Wadi Halfa. 1893. Senior Lt. 17. Lancers Jan 1893’. The photographers plate code ‘A/8323’ is also inscribed on the reverse.
Condition: clear image, some tarnishing from age to card mount, generally Good Condition.
George Charles Clyde D'Aguilar was born on 30 January 1862 in Woolwich, London, and was appointed as a Lieutenant into the 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers on 2 August 1882. Posted out to join his regiment in India from 17 October 1882, he was posted home again on 11 May 1886, and then out to India again from 11 August 1887 until 4 February 1889 when he was posted home.
D'Aguilar was posted out to Egypt from 5 February 1889, and was then gazetted on secondment to the Egyptian Army on 26 March 1889 until 26 June 1890 when he returned to England. During this period he participated in the operations in southern Egypt against the Sudanese Mahdist army and was present at the Battle of Toski on 3 August 1889, for which he received both the Egypt and Sudan Medal 1882-1889 with clasp for Toski 1889, and the Khedive’s Star, but was also Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Turkish Order of Medjidie 4th Class.
Since 1882, the British had taken control of Egypt and found themselves involved in the Mahdist War. For this reason, they decided to reform and rearm the Egyptian Army. In 1885 a British general, Sir Francis Grenfell was appointed Sirdar (commander-in-chief) and British officers trained and led the newly formed units. The Sudanese, on the other hand had not renounced their ambition of spreading the Mahdist faith to Egypt. In 1889, the Khalifa Abdallahi inn Muhammad sent the Emir Wad-el-Nujumi and an army 6,000 strong into Egypt for this purpose. The Mahdists avoided Wadi Haifa where most of the Egyptian troops were garrisoned, and camped at Toski by the Nile, 76km north of the Egypt-Sudan border. Here they were attacked by the Egyptian Army, who nearly annihilated the Sudanese after a five-hour fight. The Emir was killed trying to rally his men with only 800 Mahdist warriors escaping. Apart from the officers commanding the Egyptian units, the only British troops participating were a squadron of the 20th Hussars. This battle demonstrated the fighting qualities of the reformed Egyptian Army, including the newly raised Sudanese units that made up four of the six infantry battalions present, and effectively ended the Mahdist threat to Egypt.
D'Aguilar then found himself being fully employed with the Egyptian Army from 1 April 1892, when he retuned to Egypt, and he died whilst on service out there on 25 January 1894, being buried in Khartoum War Cemetery.
