Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Lot 3871    Session 15 (7.30pm Thursday)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Estimate $2,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $2,500

LORD MAYOR OF SYDNEY SOUDAN MEDAL, 1885, in silver (28mm) (C.1885/10), reverse inscribed, 'Lieut.Cope'; handmade and decorated Maltese cross prize medal, in silver (29x29mm), reverse inscribed, 'Illawarra/Light Horse/Tournament/9th Nov.1886/Cleaving Turks Head./2nd Prize awarded to/William Cope'; silver award fob, reverse inscribed, 'Sports Committee/14.A.S.P./2nd Anniversary In The Field/1917'. Very fine - extremely fine. (3)

Ex Chris Thomas Collection.

Lieutenant William Cope, solicitor, age 32, born at Windsor, NSW; educated privately and at Sydney Grammar School; admitted as a solicitor 19Dec1874; Enl.03Mar1885 A Coy NSW Contingent as a private but soon after landing at Suakin was commissioned as temporary lieutenant and appointed Transport Officer; Emb.03Mar1885 on SS Iberia; RTA 23Jun1885 on SS Arab; returned to regiment from Commissariat Dept on 27May1885; served as Lieutenant in NSW Citizen Bushmen's Contingent in Boer War; operations in the Mafeking area, at the relief of Rustenberg and was present at Eland's River Post when it was besieged for 13 days until relieved by Lord Kitchener; he suffered an eye injury and RTA 27Sep1900 as 'Invalided' (Murray p75); 1901 transferred to the Reserve of Officers with rank of Honorary Captain and the Retired List in 1907.

William Cope was captain of the Sydney Rowing Club for many years and Master of the Sydney Hunt Club in 1890-94 and in 1893 won the Intercolonial Hunt Club Steeplechase race at Randwick. Prior to departure for the Boer War he won the Commandeer Welter Plate at Randwick while wearing full military uniform.

He was rejected for WWI active service. He was attached to the French Red Cross until Dec1914 and then joined the Australian Volunteer Hospital as Transport Officer and Censor. From Aug1916 until Sep1917 he was Assistant Commissioner for the Australian Comforts Fund and was attached to the 1st Australian Division in France and Flanders. He worked with the French Red Cross and was attached to the French 43rd Chasseur Regt and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for helping the wounded near Ingelmunster in Belgium. He was demobilised in Jun1918 and returned to his legal practice in Sydney and also was involved in pastoral activities, owning several properties in NSW and Queensland.

William Cope died in Quirindi District Hospital on 24Sep1933.