Great Britain: A superb and very rare British Army 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers Officer’s Chapka, complete with all original parts, and the iconic ‘Death of Glory’ officers plate bearing the regiment’s first four battle honours for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sevastopol. The 17th Lancers, 'The Death or Glory Boys', took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava in 1854. Adorned with the post 1883 white ostrich feather plume. This cap is sold with a related photograph and obituary, and is attributed to Major The Honourable Lionel Henry Dudley Fortescue, 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers, a Zulu War and Second Boer War veteran, who charged with his regiment at the Battle of Ulundi on 3 July 1879 and was killed in action at Middleburg during the Battle of Diamond Hill on 11 June 1900. A superb example of type, and very rare, being also one of the most iconic military headgear examples.
Condition: Very light stressing to the leather work, this no detrimental and conducive with age and usage, overall this is in Exceptional Condition. the ‘plume’ case has some scuffing to the japanned effect paintwork, this also conducive with age, handling and travel.
Sold together with the following:
A superb 19th Century studio photograph of Major The Honourable Lionel Henry Dudley Fortescue, 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers, shown in full dress uniform wearing his South Africa Medal 1877-1879 with clasp for 1879, carrying his sword and also holding his 17th Lancers Officer’s Chapka, most probably the very same cap being offered for sale. This studio photograph is mounted on card, and is taken by the photographer: Lambert Weston and Son of Dover and Folkestone.
A newspaper cutting obituary with image of Major The Honourable Lionel Henry Dudley Fortescue, 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers, who had been killed in action at Middleburg when fighting against General Botha on 11 June 1900 in the Boer War in South Africa.
The chapka cap is described as follows:
Black patented leather scull, this surmounted with gold wire braid, and a white cloth square top, this with blanco. The heavy gilded lion hook and hinge are fitted on both sides of the cap, along with its brass interlinked scale chin strap. The officers cap plate for the 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers is of two piece construction, and bears the crown of Queen Victoria, the iconic death or glory - skull, crossed bones and wording, with ‘Seventeenth Lancers’ being spelt out in full, and the regiments then battle honours for Alma, Inkerman, Balaclava, Sevastopol, which dates this cap / plate to the very short period between the Crimean War and the regiment’s participating in the Indian Mutiny, when it went on to earn a further battle honour for Central India. The whole is surmounted by a complete and original white ostrich feather plume, which replaced the 1874 authorised black horsehair plume. The inside of the cap bears the old printed makers label for Cators of 56 Pall Mall, London, and the Victoria Royal ‘VR’ cypher. The ostrich plume is complete with its original; japanned ‘plume’ this bearing the makers details for ‘H. Lehmann, Regency House, Aldershot’. H. Lehmann and Son was a military tailors and outfitters in Aldershot.
The chapka, or lance cap, was an item of headdress originally worn by Polish lancer regiments. British forces encountered Polish lancers in French service during the Napoleonic Wars. The British Army's lancer regiments, formed after the Waterloo campaign, subsequently adopted the chapka. The 17th Light Dragoons was converted to lancers in 1822 while serving in India.
This cap is attributed as follows to:
The Honourable Lionel Henry Dudley Fortescue was born on 19 November 1857 in Castle Hill, North Devon, the fifth child and third son of Hugh Fortescue, the 3rd Earl Fortescue and Georgiana Augusta Charlotte Caroline Dawson-Damer. He originally held a commission in the Devon Artillery Militia before passing through the Royal Military College during 1876, and being then commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant into the 5th Dragoon Guards on 11 November 1876, and immediately transferring across to the 17th (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers, the ‘Death or Glory boys’ as they were known owing to their distinctive cap badge.
During 1877 he attended a Garrison Instructors Class at Aldershot, and gained a 3rd Class Certificate, being promoted to Lieutenant on 11 November 1878.
The regiment was sent to South Africa for service in the Natal Colony, with Fortescue being posted there from 24 February 1879, and was then present with it on active service in the Anglo-Zulu War and fought at the Battle of Ulundi on 3 July 1879 when under the command of Sir Drury Curzon Drury-Lowe. The regiment was deployed inside a large British infantry square during the attack by the Zulu Army, which had surrounded the British. When the attack appeared to be wavering, the regiment was ordered to advance: their charge routed the warriors with heavy loss and proved to be decisive. Fortescue is confirmed as having been present at Ulundi.
The regiment was posted to India from 8 October 1879, remaining there until about 1890. For his part, Fortescue went to India with his regiment and was made Adjutant in December 1879, holding this position until February 1885. During his period in India he passed the Garrison Class and also qualified as an Instructor of Signalling whilst at Poona during 1880. Fortescue returned home from 21 November 1884, and on 5 February 1885, he was appointed the Aide-de-Camp to Major General Sir Drury-Lowe, who had been his commanding officer at Ulundi. Sir Drury-Lowe was then the Inspector General of Cavalry in England, and commanded the Cavalry Brigade at Aldershot. Fortescue was promoted to Captain on 6 November 1886, and remained Aide-de-Camp to Drury-Lowe though to December 1889.
Fortescue was appointed Commandant of the Auxiliary School at Aldershot on 1 January 1895, which posting was a school of instruction for yeomanry and volunteer cavalry, and during this period he married Emily Elizabeth Adam, the daughter of the Right Honourable William Patrick Adam C.I.E., M.P., of Blair Adam, Kinros-shire, and Emily Eliza Wylie. Fortescue was promoted to Major on 15 January 1896, and was appointed Assistant Military Secretary, and Aide-de-Camp to Lieutenant General Lord William Seymour, commanding the troops in Canada from June 1898, but resigned his appointment in November 1899, and proceeded to South Africa with his regiment in February 1900.
In February 1900 a contingent from the regiment, comprising Lieutenant-Colonel E. F. Herbert and 500 troops, was deployed to South Africa for service in the Second Boer War, and arrived to Cape Town on the SS Victorian early the next month. Fortescue then saw service during the operations in the Orange River Colony and in the advance on Pretoria, and was near to there when he was killed in action at Diamond Hill on 11th June 1900.
The Crediton Chronicle of 7 September 1901 would record that a memorial in the form of an octagonal cross in memory of Major the Hon. Lionel H. Fortescue (17th Lancers) and other parishioners who have fallen in the South African War had been unveiled in Filleigh churchyard. ‘The memorial (which was modelled from an ancient cross found in a wood at Castle Hill during the time of the late Earl Fortescue) is 13 feet high and of Devonshire granite. It has cost nearly £100, General Sir Redvers Buller, being among the many subscribers. At the base is inscribed: To the memory of one who never wearied in helping others, Lionel H. D. Fortescue, third son of Hugh, 3rd Earl Fortescue, Major, 2nd in command, 17th Lancers.He was born on 19th November, 1857, at Castle Hill. He fell in the action of Diamond Hill in South Africa on June 11th 1900, and was buried hard by the field of battle. Erected by his friends and neighbours of all conditions in the County of Devon. And further dedicated to the honour of all brave men of this parish of Filleigh, who, like him, shall lay down their lives in the service of their country. Fred. J. Harris, Trooper, 7th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry, died, aged 28, at Pretoria, October 1900. Charles Hulland, Private, 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, died at Standerton, June 8th, 1900, aged 17.
Fortescue is also commemorated by name on the Anglo-Boer War Memorial in Exeter.