A Very Good Sudan and Boer War Group of 4 awarded to Private William Mulholland, 16th (Queen’s) Lancers, late 21st (Empress of India’s) Lancers, a confirmed ‘Omdurman Charger’ in Major J. Fowle’s ‘B’ Squadron, which formed the centre of the charge, comprising: Queen’s Sudan, 1896-98 (3921 Pte J. Mulholland 21/L/crs), note incorrect initial; Queen’s South Africa, 1899-1902, 3rd type reverse, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Transvaal, Wittebergen (4419 Pte W. Mulholland, 16th Lancers); King’s South Africa, 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (4419 Pte W. Mulholland. 16th Lancers.); Khedive’s Sudan, 1896-1908, single clasp, Khartoum (3921 Pte W. Mulholland 21st Lcrs); Group loose, lightly polished, minor edge bruises, and suspension slightly bent to last, generally good very fine (4) Private William Mulholland was born in 1873 at Moneymore, County Londonderry, and originally enlisted for military service at Belfast on 7 September 1891, serving first with the 4th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, later transferring to the Royal Inniskillings, and then to the 21 Lancers. Mulholland was promoted to Lance Corporal on 12 May 1894, but reverted to Private later that year on 13 July.He served in ‘B’ Squadron of the 21st Lancers under Major J. Fowle during the Sudan campaign of 1896-98, and took part in the famous cavalry charge at Omdurman, with ‘B’ Squadron forming the very centre of the charge (which also suffered the highest proportion of casualties – 10 killed and 24 wounded). Private Mulholland is listed in ‘Forgotten Heroes: The Charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman’ by Dutton as a fully ‘confirmed’ charger with the 21st Lancers, in which the young cavalry officer & correspondent Winston Churchill (on attachment from the 4th Hussars) also famously took part. The regiment won 3 Victoria Crosses during the battle, as well as earning themselves the new title the of the ‘21st (‘The Empress of India’s) Lancers’. For his part in this campaign, Mulholland was awarded the Queen’s Sudan Medal & Khedive’s Sudan Medal (rolls confirm).Mulholland later served during the Boer War with the 16th (Queen’s) Lancers, who served with distinction throughout, and is confirmed on the Q.S.A. and K.S.A. Medal Rolls as having served with entitlement as above. He continued to serve until his final discharge on 6 September 1903.Ex Spink, 30 November, 2004, lot 171

Estimate: GBP 3000 - 5000