The Miniature Awards Of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry D'urban Keary

The Miniature Awards of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry D'Urban Keary - Most Honourable Order of the Bath (Military), 2nd Class (gold and enamels, 22.5 mm x 23.7 mm); Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, 2nd Class (gold and enamels, 18 mm x 30.5 mm); Distinguished Service Order, Victoria (gold and enamels, 19.3 mm); Afghanistan Medal 1878-1880 (silver, 17.6 mm); India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 4 Clasps - BURMA 1889-92, BURMA 1887-9, BURMA 1885-7, CHIN HILLS 1892-93 (silver, 17.6 mm); China War Medal 1900 (silver, 17.6 mm); 1914 Star, 1 Clasp - 5th AUG.-22nd NOV. 1914 (bronze, 20.5 mm x 25.3 mm); British War Medal (silver, 17.4 mm); Victory Medal with MID Oak Leaf (bronze gilt, 18 mm); Coronation Medal 1911 (silver, 17.8 mm); Jubilee Medal 1935 (silver, 18 mm); Coronation Medal 1937 (silver, 18 mm) and Serbia: Order of Karageorge, 2nd Class with Swords (silver gilt and enamels, 17.3 mm x 31.7 mm inclusive of its crown suspension, rosette on the ribbon). Court-mounted with swing bar pinback, as worn by the officer, original lightly soiled ribbons, intact enamels, dark patinas on the silver medals, extremely fine. Accompanied by a Photograph of Keary in Uniform (black and white printed auction catalogue page, on white stock, 180 mm x 245 mm) and assorted research papers.       Footnote: Henry D'Urban Keary was born in Holkham, Norfolk, England on April 28, 1857, the son of Hall William Keary of Bridgenorth, Shropshire, and Helen D'Urban Keary. He was educated at Marlborough College and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, graduating in 1875 and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant, unattached on September 10, 1875. He became a 2nd Lieutenant with the 12th Foot on August 29, 1876 and a Lieutenant with the Army on September 10, 1877. He was appointed to the 12th (Suffolk) Regiment in August 1876 and to the Madras Staff Corps on May 7, 1877 and proceeded to India, where he was later posted to the 1st Madras Infantry. Keary served during the Afghan War of 1879-1880 and was present at the action of Kam Dakka. Following the Afghan conflict, he served with the Madras Pioneers from 1883 to 1885 and served throughout the Burma campaign of 1885-1887 and subsequent annexation, to the end of operations through to 1892 and was mentioned in despatches. While in Burma, he raised the Shwebo Military Police Battalion, which he commanded from 1887 until 1892. He was promoted to Captain with the Indian Staff Corps on September 10, 1888. In 1891, he commanded a company of Mounted Infantry during the suppression of the Wuntho State Rebellion and was mentioned in despatches for the action near Kawbei, which led to his being awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Keary was highly praised, as evidenced by the writings of Sir Garnet Wolsely: "I desire to bring prominently to notice the brilliant services of Captain H. d'U. Keary. I consider that the advancement of this Officer would be of benefit to the Service. The spirit of dash and confidence inspired by his presence at Kawbei and the prompt manner in which he grappled with the situation and turned the hitherto needlessly cautious state of defence into one of vigorous and determined attack, is worthy of special recognition." In another report, Sir James Downes wrote: "Capt. Keary of the Military Police seems to be an officer of great intrepidity and decision for at a critical moment he assumed -- with a position of his Mounted Infantry -- the role of Cavalry, and dispersed the enemy, who were attacking on all three sides." Keary's D.S.O. was announced in the London Gazette on March 18, 1892, "in recognition of services during the operations in the Wuntho District, Upper Burma" and was only one of two awards for these operations. The insignia were presented to him by the Commander-in-Chief in India on October 26, 1892. In the London Gazette on July 12, 1892, the following was published: "War Office, 12 July 1892. The Queen has further been pleased to give orders for the following appointment to the Distinguished Service Order, and promotion in the Army, in recognition of the services of the undermentioned Officer during the recent operations in Hunza and Nagar. To be Companion of the Distinguished Service Order." Keary commanded the regiment in the rebellion in the northern Chin Hills in 1892-1893, for which he was mentioned in despatches and given the Brevet of Major on December 29, 1893. He commanded the regiment from 1892 to 1909, the unit undergoing two changes in title during this period, becoming the 31st Burma Light Infantry in 1901 and the 91st Punjabis in 1904. During the aforementioned period, he became a Major in the Indian Army on September 10, 1897 and commanded during the operations in China in 1900-1902, for which he was again mentioned in despatches (London Gazette on May 14, 1901). He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1903, then on July 31, 1906, Keary married Mabel Louisa Lloyd, daughter of Colonel Malcolm Lloyd, Deputy Commissioner, Burma, at St. James's Church, Piccadilly, London, W., which was followed shortly thereafter by a promotion to Brevet of Colonel on September 10, 1906. Keary was Aide-de-Camp to His Majesty the King from September 2, 1907 to November 30, 1911 and was promoted to Colonel on January 20, 1910. When he at last relinquished command of the battalion, he was for some months unemployed, but did succeed to the command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, Secunderabad (1909-1910), followed by his establishment as Brigade Commander (Colonel on Staff, India) from January 20, 1910 to November 13, 1911. He was promoted to Major-General on December 1, 1911 and created a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in 1911. He was named Brigade Commander, India from November 14, 1911 to October 12, 1914, then named Brigade Commander, Garwahl Brigade, British Expeditionary Force from October 13, 1914 to January 7, 1915. The Garwahl Brigade consisted of the 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles, the 1st Battalion, 39th Garwahl Rifles and the 2nd Battalion, 39th Garwahl Rifles. After the Battle of Givenchy (December 18 to 22. 1914), the Corps Commander showed his appreciation of the work, as evidenced by the message to the Division: "I congratulate you on the good work done last night, which shows what can be done by enterprise and care. Please send my hearty congratulations to Major-General Keary, the Leicesters, and the 2/3rd Gurkhas, for their gallant behaviour." General Keary assumed command of the Lahore Division on January 2, 1915 and although not actively engaged at Neuve Chapelle or Aubers Ridge, counter-attacked twice during the Second Battle of Ypres (April and May 1915) and suffered heavy losses. In the book "The Indian Corps in France", page 288, in states that during the Second Battle of Ypres: "When General Keary moved up to his advanced headquarters near St. Jean, he found the road strewn with corpses and dead animals. He himself had a narrow escape, for a shell, bursting in close proximity to his car, blew his kit off the road, but luckily did no more serious damage." On May 7, 1917, a letter was received from General Smith-Dorrien, the extract reading: "Having read the very complete and excellent report on the week of the Lahore Division in the heavy fighting near Ypres, on the 26th and 27th April, 1915, the Commander of the 2nd Army is confirmed in the views he formed at the time, that the Division had been handled with great skill and determination by Major-General Keary." From April 28th until its departure on May 3rd, the Division was under the orders of Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert Plumer, commanding Plumer's Forces, with Sir Herbert Plumer writing as under to General Keary on May 2nd: "Will you please convey to the Brigadiers, Commanding Officers, and all Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and men of your Division, my thanks for the assistance they have rendered in the recent severe fighting, and my appreciation of the way in which they have carried out the very arduous duties entrusted to them while under my command. I deeply regret the very heavy casualties they have suffered." In addition, General Sir James Willcocks sent the following message to General Keary: "Please convey to all ranks of Division my own and all their other comrades' best congratulations on having taken part in the battle near Ypres. We are proud of you all. Well done." The division had its fair share of trench warfare for the remainder of the year but were called to duty elsewhere, as the Indian Corps left France for Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), as part of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force. General Keary's command joined the Tigris Corps, which was endeavouring to relieve Townshend, besieged at Kut-al-Amara, in January 1916. At the first attack upon Hanna, Keary commanded the force operating on the right bank of the Tigris River. In March, he commanded a mixed column in the action of Dujaila redoubt, while in April, his forces co-operated in the assault upon the Sanna-i-yar position and fought the action of Bait Aisa. He commanded the advance on the right bank of the Tigris in May, after the fall of Kut and the withdrawal of the Turks and for his services during 1916, he was created a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. After General Maude had resumed the offensive at the end of the year, General Keary's division experienced heavy fighting in clearing the Turks from the Khudhaira bend position, below Kut, in January 1917. Following the occupation of Baghdad in March 1917, he was placed in command of a column of all arms, which fought the first action of the Jabal Hamrin in the vain hope of co-operating with the expected Russian advance. Keary directed a series of very difficult operations after his arrival in Mesopotamia, was promoted to Lieutenant-General on August 1, 1917 and created Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire. He was named Divisional Commander, India from October 16, 1917 to August 12, 1918. In October 1917, Keary assumed command of the Meerut Division in India, eventually passing to the Burma Division in August 1918. He was named Divisional Commander, India beginning on August 13, 1918. By 1918, India now had so many troops in the field that training of reinforcements was a difficult task. Keary retired from the Army in December 1919, was mentioned seven times in dispatches, in addition to the previous stated occasions, and was awarded the Serbian Order of Karageorge, 2nd Class with Swords. Lieutenant-General Sir Henry D'Urban Keary died at Surbiton Court, Subiton, on August 12, 1937, at the age of 80.