The fine South Africa Boer War Sherwood Foresters September 1901 Distinguished Service Order and Great War Home Service Training Battalion Commanding Officers June 1919 Order of the British Empire group awarded to Lieutenant Colonel and Honorary Colonel R. Britten, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, formerly Derbyshire Regiment - the Sherwood Foresters. Britten was from Clifton, Somerset and was educated locally at Clifton and then Malvern before being commissioned in 1885. He saw service as the Adjutant of the 4th Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment during the Boer War when on operations in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and in action at Wittebergen, being one of three officers of his battalion to be gazetted with the Distinguished Service Order in September 1901, this being for the operations in the Orange Free State. He award was presented to him by His Majesty King Edward VII during an investiture held on 29th October 1901. He then resigned his commission and joined the Militia in June 1902, and was given command of the 4th Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment - the Sherwood Foresters in 1908, but relinquished his commission early the following year. With the Great War he returned to uniform as the commanding officer of the 14th Reserve Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment - the Sherwood Foresters from November 1914, and saw service with this unit and in command for the duration of the war. It was converted into 13th Training Reserve Battalion in October 1916, and then became the 53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion from October 1917. Brittan was appointed an Officer of the Military Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in June 1919, and later devoted himself to the Boy Scout movement in his local area, namely Failand near to Portbury, Somerset.
Group of 3: Distinguished Service Order, D.S.O., Victoria VRI cypher, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with top bar, this with modified back strap to facilitate mounting; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Officer, O.B.E., 1st type, Military Division, with hallmarks for London and date letter ‘c’ for 1918; Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 4 Clasps: Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen, South Africa 1901; (CAPT. R. BRITTAN, DERBY: REGT.), mounted court style for wear on old ribbons, and housed in an old Baldwin case, together with the recipient's miniature medals and tunic ribbons.
Condition: only very light loss to enamel work on wreath of first on observe, otherwise Good Very Fine or better.
Reginald Brittan was born on 26th January 1865 in Clifton, Somerset, the son of the Reverend C. Britten of Darley Abbey, Derbyshire, and of Julia Britten, daughter of Harley P. Gisborne of Allestree, Derbyshire, and was educated at Clifton School followed by Malvern College, before being commissioned into the British Army via Sandhurst as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Derbyshire Regiment - the Sherwood Foresters on 29th August 1885.
Promoted to Captain on 21st July 1892, he became Adjutant of the 4th Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment - the Sherwood Foresters on 1st March 1895, and as such then saw service as the Adjutant of the 4th Battalion out in South Africa during the Boer War when on operations there from 11th January 1900 through to 10th May 1901, and taking part in the operations in the Transvaal to the west of Pretoria between July and 29th November 1900, and including the action at Wittebergen, and then in the operations in the Cape Colony between 30th November 1900 and April 1901. During this period they formed part of the 21st Infantry brigade under General Bruce Hamilton.
For his gallant and distinguished services during the Boer War, he was awarded a Mention in Despatches in the London Gazette for 10th September 1901, and appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in the London Gazette for 27th September 1901, he being one of three officers of the 4th Battalion to be gazetted with this award on this occasion, with a further three men being awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The insignia being presented to him by His Majesty King Edward VII during an investiture held on 29th October 1901. He then retired on 21st June 1902 in order to join the Militia.
Appointed a Major in the Sherwood Foresters Militia, Brittan went on to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of the 4th Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment - the Sherwood Foresters in 1908, it having been retitled as such in 1902. He was promoted to Honorary Colonel on 31st December 1908, and resigned his commission on 1st January 1909, being granted permission to retain his rank, and wear the prescribed uniform. As of 1911 he was living in Portbury, Somerset.
With the outbreak of the Great War, Britten was recalled to service as a Lieutenant Colonel and Honorary Colonel, and found himself posted to assume command of the 14th Reserve Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment - the Sherwood Foresters, a part of the 91st Brigade in the 30th Division, and based at Lichfield in Staffordshire. He had command from 7th November 1914 through to October 1916 when it converted into 13th Training Reserve Battalion of 3rd Reserve Brigade at Brocton, being also known as the 13th (Young Soldier) Battalion, which he then continued to command, and was with it when it was retitled as the 53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion in October 1917. A basic recruit training unit based at Rugeley, it was part of 1st Reserve Brigade. It moved around October 1918 to Clipstone. He continued as such through to the end of war when he gave up command and was demobilised on 14th March 1919.
For his distinguished war services and his command of his unit, he was appointed an Officer of the Military Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the King’s Birthday Honours as published in the London Gazette for 3rd June 1919. As of 1939 he was living in Failand near to Portbury, Somerset, having devoted himself to the Boy Scout movement in his local area. Brittan died in Failand on 22nd September 1949.
