Major Claude Victor Noble Percival

 

 

Major Claude Victor Noble Percival

 1872-1914

 Dress Tunic, c. 1909

 

 Percival was the son of Major General Lewis Percival, late of the Rifle Brigade. He entered the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in 1889 and was gazetted to the Rifle Brigade in 1892. Percival became a lieutenant in 1895 and served in British Central Africa in 1899. He earned his captaincy in 1900 and served in Southern Nigeria from 1901 to 1902. From 1905 to 1912, Percival was employed with the Egyptian Army as part of the Soudan Civil Administration. He was promoted to major in 1909 and served as Acting Governor of Halfa Province in 1911. Percival went to France with the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade in November of 1914. On December 14, 1914, he was shot through the heart and killed instantaneously, while superintending a digging party at night near Laventie. Percival was buried in the Tilleloy cemetery.

 

Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Charles Shakerley, DSO

 

 

Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Charles Shakerley, DSO

 1869-1915

 Dress Busby, c. 1891

 

 Shakerley attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and was gazetted to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on November 29, 1890. He was advanced to lieutenant in 1893. Shakerley obtained his captaincy in December of 1898 and served in the Second Boer War (1899-1902) with the Mounted Infantry. Taking part in operations in Natal and the Orange River Colony, along with the defense of Ladysmith, Shakerley was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Queen’s medal with six clasps. He then served in East Africa (1903-1904), again with the Mounted Infantry, taking part in operations in Somaliland and the action at Jidballi. Shakerley was mentioned in despatches four times in East Africa, severely wounded, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order on September 7, 1904. He was promoted to major with the 1st Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on December 18, 1907. Shakerley arrived with his battalion at Rouen, France, for service on the Western Front in August of 1914. Whilst participating in an attack on the German trenches near La Bassee on May 15, 1915, Shakerley was mortally wounded in the advance. He was laid to rest in the Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery. Shakerley was granted the rank of temporary lieutenant colonel in November of 1915 for his sacrifice, with a date of rank of March 28, 1915.

 

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons

 

 

Major, 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons

 Dress Tunic, c. 1890

 

The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons was first raised in 1689. That year James II, the dethroned King of England, landed in Ireland with aid provided by the French in an attempt to overthrow William of Orange. During the Defence of Enniskillen the Governor of the town Gustav Hamilton raised three regiments to fight for William of Orange. One of those three regiments was Sir Albert Cunningham's Regiment of Dragoons. The regiment later became known as the "Enniskillen Dragoons," after Hamilton's headquarters at Enniskillen Castle. The regiment was renamed the 6th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Dragoons in 1751.

The regiment fought at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with The Union Brigade, which included The Royal Dragoons and The Scots Greys. The regiment also participated in the charge of the Heavy Brigade during the Battle Balaclava in 1854. In 1861 the regiment was renamed the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons.

The regiment saw action in response to the Indian Rebellion in 1857 and the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. After the outbreak of the Second Boer War in October 1899, the regiment was sent to South Africa. In 1921 the regiment was renamed The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons). It amalgamated with the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards to form the 5th/6th Dragoons in 1922.

 

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 Departed the collection in 2023.

Lord George Wellesley, MC

 

 

Lord George Wellesley, MC

 1889-1967

 Full Dress, c. 1912

 

Wellesley was the great-grandson of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards on February 3, 1909 and promoted to lieutenant in September of 1912. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in June of 1914 and was mentioned in despatches in June of 1916. Wellesley received the Military Cross that year for his service in France. He was appointed wing commander in 1917 with the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel. Wellesley became a squadron leader with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1939. He served during WWII and relinquished his commission in 1954.

 

Lieutenant Colonel John Sandbach Noel Harrison, DSO

 

 

Lieutenant Colonel John Sandbach Noel Harrison, DSO

 1877-1949

 Full Dress, c. 1904

 

 Harrison commissioned into the Fourth Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry in 1898. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1900, Captain in 1904, and Major in 1915. Harrison was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1918 whilst attached to the Loyal North Lancashire regiment for “services rendered in connection with Military Operations in Mesopotamia.” As a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel at the time, he was in command of the Sixth (Service) Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire and was wounded in action. Harrison was made Lieutenant Colonel in 1924 and commanded the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry until retirement in 1929.

19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars

 

 

Other Ranks, 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars

Full Dress, c. 1914

The regiment was originally raised in Bengal by the East India Company as the 1st Bengal European Light Cavalry in 1858, for service in response to the Indian Rebellion. As with all other "European" units of the Company, they were placed under the command of the Crown, and subsequently formally moved into the British Army in 1862 when they were designated as the 19th Hussars. At this time, the regiment was authorised to inherit the battle honours of the disbanded 19th Light Dragoons.

The regiment saw action at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir in 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War and at the Battle of Abu Klea in 1885 during the Mahdist War. It also fought at the Siege of Ladysmith in 1899 during the Second Boer War. The regiment was titled the 19th (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) Hussars in 1902 and, when Alexandra became Queen Consort in 1908, the name changed to the 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars.

With the outbreak of the First World War, the regiment was split up, with squadrons attached to the 4th, 5th, and 6th Infantry Divisions as divisional cavalry squadrons; all three divisions moved to France with the British Expeditionary Force. The regiment was brought together again in 1915, and attached to the 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1st Cavalry Division, with whom it served for the remainder of the war. The regiment was retitled 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra's Own) in 1921 and shortly thereafter disbanded when stationed in Muttra, India, as part of the post-War reduction in forces.

 

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Departed the collection in 2025. 

Lieutenant Colonel William Russell Willoughby Weallens

 

 

Lieutenant Colonel William Russell Willoughby Weallens

 1896-1971

 Mess Dress, c. 1936

 

 Weallens, born in Secunderabad, India, was the son of Colonel William Weallens, late of the The Northamptonshire Regiment. He was gazetted to the British Indian Army on December 23, 1914, and joined the 4th Prince of Wale’s Own Gurkha Rifles from the Unattached List on February 28, 1915. Originally serving with the 1st Battalion, Weallens saw action in France and at Gallipoli. The 4th Gurkha Rifles comprised part of the 3rd (Lahore) Division, which was sent to Mesopotamia in April of 1916. Weallens was then transferred to the 2nd Battalion as adjutant with the rank of acting lieutenant. His lieutenancy was later ante-dated to December 23, 1915, and he was made a temporary captain in 1917, commanding a company. He was made a permanent captain in 1918 and returned to the 1st Battalion in 1927. Weallens was promoted to major in 1932 and lieutenant colonel in 1940, once again with the 2nd Battalion. He went with the 2nd Battalion to Iraq in 1941 and subsequently served in North Africa. Weallens was captured by the Germans in November of 1942 during the Second Battle of El Alamein and was interned at Oflag 79, Brunswick, Lower Saxony. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches during the Second World War. Weallens retired from the service on April 26, 1946.