W Woolmore Collection of Anglo Boer War Medals - Aust

Lot 3263    SESSION 12 (11.30AM THURSDAY 1ST AUGUST)    W Woolmore Collection of Anglo Boer War Medals - Aust.

Estimate $25,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $24,000

DSO GROUP OF FIVE: Distinguished Service Order (VRI); Queen's South Africa Medal 1899, (type 2 reverse with dates removed), - two clasps - Rhodesia, Transvaal; 1914 Star, - clasp - 5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19 with MID. First medal unnamed as issued, Capt Surg: A.T.Duka, QNSLD: M.R. on second medal, Lieut. A.T.Duka. D.S.O. R.A.M.C. on third medal, Major A.T.Duka. on last two medals. All named medals impressed. Displayed mounted in a padded leather carry case, extremely fine.

Together with a matching riband bar with emblems affixed; Queensland Mounted Infantry hat badge in gilt (53mm) (Grebert p212); Royal Army Medical Corps cap badge; gilt Major's crown; blackened bronze officer's pips (3).

DSO: LG 19/4/1901, p2702 - In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa. (This was the only DSO awarded for the Elands River Siege)

MID: LG 16/4/1901, p2607; WWI: LG 22/6/1915, p6006.

Albert Theophilus Duka, born 18Apr1866 in St George Hanover Square, London, England, the son of Lt-Col Theodore Duka MD, FRCS, HM Indian Medical Service; was educated at Cheltenham College then at Cambridge University where he graduated B.A. in 1888 and M.A. in 1892; he then worked at St George's Hospital; took the L.S.A. in 1891 and the M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. Lond in 1892; he later moved to Australia; he joined 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry; Mar1899 appt'd Surgeon-Captain in the Queensland Defence Force (Land); Capt Duka was a member of M Coy QMI when he was appointed Medical Officer to accompany the Third Contingent of QMI to the Boer War; Capt Duka, who distinguished himself in attending to the wounded under very heavy fire during the Eland's River siege and on other occasions was invalided home suffering from severe dysentery; on his return he resumed his position with Queensland Defence Force; in 1903 he went into a medical practice partnership with Dr Smith Hozier of Lismore; in 1904 he was appt'd Captain in the Army Service Corps; Capt Duka sold his medical practice in Lismore, NSW and left for England on 21Oct1905; in Aug1914 he joined the British Army as a temporary Lieutenant in RAMC; after one year he was appt'd Captain and then Major on 26Sep1915; he served in the advance on and retreat from Mons, and later, in England, was in charge of the clearing hospital at Eastleigh; after the war he served in the Ministry of Pensions Department at Southampton until his death at New Milton, Bournemouth in Sep1923 at age 57.

Some of his other appointments included:- In Australia in 1897 Dr Duka was Vice-President of the Mackay Cricket Association and he was also appointed Honorary Surgeon at Mackay District Hospital; In England after WWI he was a member of the Bournemouth Town Council and a prominent local Freemason being a past Worshipful Master of Boscombe Lodge.

In a newspaper article published on 21 May 1901 the writer states, 'I cannot close this article without a word of testimony to our gallant medical officer - Surgeon-Captain A.T.Duka, of our Third Contingent. He quickly had a temporary shelter built for a hospital, and, absolutely unsparing to himself, unwearying tended the wounded - black and white - day and night, with a skill, gentleness, and devotion worthy of the highest praise. His name will never be forgotten by any of the garrison.'

Together with a very large amount of research and some photos as well as a 35pp history of Theodore Duka, Albert Duka's father, privately printed in 1914.