Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Boer War D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Colonel C. J. O’Gorman, Royal Army Medical Corps, the only officer of the Corps present at the defence of Kimberley

Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, complete with brooch bar, minor enamel damage to wreath; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Defence of Kimberley, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Capt., D.S.O., R.A.M.C.), impressed naming, late issue; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (Capt., D.S.O., R.A.M.C.), impressed naming, late issue; 1914-15 Star (Major, D.S.O., R.A.M.C.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col.); Mayor of Kimberley’s Star 1900, unnamed, reverse hallmark with date letter ‘a’, complete with brooch bar, very fine and better (7) £2000-2500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Medical Services formed by Colonel D.G.B. Riddick.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 27 September 1901 ‘Lieutenant, Royal Army Medical Corps’, ‘In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa’.

M.I.D. London Gazette 8 May 1900, 16 April 1901, 30 June 1916 (General Smuts, East Africa Force), 7 March 1918 (Lieutenant-General Deventer, East Africa Force), 10 July 1919 (General Haig).

Charles John O’Gorman was born on 24 July 1872, the son of Thomas O’Gorman of Buncraggy, Ennis, Co. Clare. Educated at Clongowes and qualifying as a L.R.C.P.I. and L.R.C.S.I., he entered the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Surgeon Lieutenant in January 1898. He served in the Boer War and was present at the Defence of Kimberley. Lieutenant-Colonel Kekewich in his despatch of 15 February 1900 states, ‘Lieut. C. J. O’Gorman was the only officer of his corps here, and in consequence had much hard work and responsibility; I consider him a very valuable officer’. He then served in operations in the Orange Free State, April-July 1900, including the actions at Lindley, 1 June, and Rhenoster River; operations in Transvaal, west of Pretoria, July-November 1900, and elsewhere in South Africa, November 1900- May 1902. In recognition of his great services, he was twice mentioned in despatches and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order - the insignia being presented by General Lyttelton at Pretoria on 14 January 1903. Having been promoted Captain in January 1901, O’Gorman was seconded to the South African Constabulary, September 1902-January 1905. In January 1910 he was promoted to Major and in March 1915 to Lieutenant-Colonel. Actively employed in the Great War, he was successively Assistant Director of Medical Services, 2nd East African Division, East African Force, 23 February-31 March 1916; Assistant Director of Medical Services, Lines of Communications, East African Force, 10 December 1916-22 February 1918; Assistant Director of Medical Services, General Headquarters, East African Force, 23 February-31 May 1918 and Assistant Director of Medical Services, 18th Division, British Armies in France, 18 February 1919, and Acting Colonel. Having lost his Boer War medals, duplicates were issued on 14 April 1919. Colonel O’Gorman died on 11 May 1930. With copied research.