Beschreibung:

The important Boer War Naval Brigade medal and associated archive material pertaining to Commander C. R. Sharp, Royal Navy, who, as a sixteen year old Midshipman was the youngest member of H.M.S. Powerful’s naval brigade at the siege of Ladysmith; he was specially promoted for services in South Africa and was afterwards one of the Navy’s first submarine officers, serving aboard Holland 2, one of the first two submarines commissioned into the Royal Navy Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Defence of Ladysmith (Mid. C. R. Sharp, R.N. H.M.S. Powerful) large style impressed naming, good very fine £5000-6000 Footnote Q.S.A. previously sold by D.N.W. in December 2004 (Lot 564 - £3100); Archive previously sold by D.N.W. in March 2005 (Lot 638 - £7500). Now offered together for the first time. The important primary source archive material of naval and Boer War interest, formerly used as a research resource by Gerald Sharp, son of Midshipman C. R. Sharp, for his book The Siege of Ladysmith, published by Macdonald & Jane’s, 1976, a copy of which also accompanies this lot: (a) Midshipman C. Reynolds Sharp’s large format Defence of Ladysmith Diary, titled by the author ‘H.M.S. Powerful, Naval Brigade Journal of The Siege of Ladysmith 1899-1900’, hard covers under contemporary cloth jacket decorated on front board with an H.M.S. Powerful cap tally band, the contents comprising approximately 54 pages (of approx. 100pp.) filled with manuscript, day by day entries, detailing military events and personal commentary on the 119 day defence; also includes a competent pen and ink plan of the Defence and Siege, and a frontispiece watercolour plan of a ‘12 pounder 12 cwt gun mounting for field service’. Volume size approx. 250mm x 195mm Sample entry - 6 January 1900: ‘... Lealham , stoker, was killed and Ward AB was severely wounded in the arm. Mr Sheen was slightly wounded having his face cut about a good bit. It was found that several Boers had got right up to the sangars and opened fire at the same time shouting “Retire”. About 3pm Rifleman’s Ridge opened fire on Waggon Hill and raked it with shrapnel the Boers made another attack later in the evening .... Our casualties mount up to about 250 killed and wounded. The Boers must have lost enormously ...’ (b) Queen’s Regulation Log Book of Midshipman C. R. Sharp, hard covers under contemporary cloth jacket decorated on front cover with H.M.S. cap tally bands for Terrible, Powerful, Resolution and Gibraltar, approximately 55 pages of manuscript entries, technical drawings, pen and ink charts and cross-sections, compiled during service 1899-1901 in the aforementioned ships, Volume size approx. 320mm x 215mm. (c) Boer War period letters written by Midshipman C. R. Sharp, including one penned during the Defence of Ladysmith. (d) Conduct Certificates of C. R. Sharp, including one signed by Captain Hon Hedworth Lambton, R.N., H.M.S. Powerful, who commanded the naval brigade in Ladysmith, and one signed by Captain Sir Percy Scott, R.N., H.M.S. Terrible., who designed naval mountings for use ashore in South Africa, and during the First World War played a leading role in anti-Zeppelin measures. (e) Aural archive material, comprising a CD (two copies) and one audio cassette recording C. R. Sharp’s reminiscences of life in the Victorian navy and during the Defence of Ladysmith, with typescript; together with two further audio cassettes and original documents relating to Sharp’s experiences in early submarines and during the First World War whilst King’s Harbour Master at Berehaven, Bantry Bay, Ireland; together with C. R. Sharp’s 1899 pocket book with pencil diary entries, and a small pocket diary, brief entries, for 1903. (f) Signing-in Book of the Ladysmith Siege Officers’ Dining Club 1902-51, containing the signatures of officers, war correspondents and guests who attended the Ladysmith Day dinners in London during the years 1902-1951, the World Wars and 1936, when George V died, excluded. Guest signat