AN EXCEPTIONAL AND RARE EGYPT 1882 D.C.M. GROUP AWARDED TO A YOUNG SERGEANT, CAMERON HIGHLANDERS, WHO WAS DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED AT THE BATTLE OF TEL-EL-KEBIR, RECEIVING ‘A BULLET WOUND IN THE SIDE IN STORMING ONE OF THE STRONGEST POSITIONS OF THE ENEMY, BUT NOT WITHSTANDING THIS SEVERE WOUND, AND A BULLET IN HIS BODY, HE WENT ON FIGHTING AND FIRED SEVERAL ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION BESIDES BAYONETING MANY OF THE ENEMY’ SUBSEQUENTLY VISITED IN NETLEY HOSPITAL BY QUEEN VICTORIA, HE WAS APPOINTED GATEKEEPER OF ST. ANNE’S GATE, WINDSOR PARK ON HER MAJESTY’S PERSONAL INSISTENCE

DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL, V.R. ‘2125. SERGT. D. GUNN. 1/CAMN: HIGHRS. 13. SEPT. 82’; EGYPT AND SUDAN 1882-89, DATED REVERSE, 1 CLASP, TEL-EL-KEBIR ‘2125. SERGT. D. GUNN. 1/CAM’N: HIGHRS’); KHEDIVE’S STAR 1882, UNNAMED AS ISSUED; JUBILEE 1897, BRONZE, UNNAMED AS ISSUED; CORONATION 1911, SILVER, UNNAMED AS ISSUED. SECOND: MOTOR CYCLIST D. GUNN, FRENCH RED CROSS, BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS ‘D. GUNN.’; JUBILEE 1935

D.C.M. Submitted to the Queen, 4 January 1883.

Sergeant Gunn “received a bullet wound in the side in storming one of the strongest positions of the enemy, but not withstanding this severe wound, and a bullet in his body, he went on fighting and fired several rounds of ammunition besides bayoneting many of the enemy”

Donald Gunn, aged 18, a jeweller from Greenside, Edinburgh, attested for the Cameron Highlanders on 13 June 1878. Born into a family with a fine record of service in the 79th Cameron Highlanders; his grandfather and grandmother having served in the during the Peninsula War, his uncle having served in the same Regiment during the Crimea War and his cousin, a Colour Sergeant, served with the regiment during the Egyptian campaign of 1882.

Appointed Lance Corporal on 18 June 1879, Corporal, 1 October 1879 and Lance Sergeant, 1 April 1881, he was advanced Sergeant on 20 January 1882, aged just 21 years. Donald served alongside his cousin, with the 1st Battalion, throughout the Egyptian Campaign of 1882 and was present at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir, 13 September 1882. Both soldiers took part in the Highland Brigades famed charge of the Egyptian redoubts at Tel-El-Kebir.

Sergeant Donald Gunn, was dangerously wounded by a bullet to the chest as he entered the enemy redoubt but carried on fighting until he finally passed out. For his gallantry, he would be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. His cousin, Colour Sergeant William Gunn, was also in the thick of the action, being mentioned in despatches for his gallantry. Donald is featured in an engraving entitled ‘Some of the Worst Cases from Tel-El-Kebir’and William in several photographs of picked soldiers of the regiment who received their campaign medals at the hand of the Queen (The Royal Collection)…………

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Condition GF, contact/star marks with naming weak around start and end of naming on DCM/Egypt, 2nd NEF. Both sets mounted as worn with original ribbons. Interestingly the DCM group mounted on the recipient’s ribbon bar which presumably he wore whilst employed at Windsor. Sold with digital research including an OMRS article of DCM’s for this campaign.

A really exceptional Highland Brigade Tel-El-Kebir DCM group with just 17 such awards for the campaign, just 11 for Tel-El-Kebir, 5 of these to Highlanders.