THE ILLUMINATED ADDRESS, PORTRAIT AND REGIMENTAL BOOKS OF BOOTH, V.C., 80TH FOOT

The framed Illuminated Address of 1st V.B. South Staffordshire Regiment "A" Company, Brierley Hill to Sergt. Instructor A Booth, V.C. on his retirement from the Company, April 30th 1895, signed Ford Y. Addison on the lower border, 43 x 30cms minus the frame.; English School Portrait, circa 1880 of Colour Sergeant Anthony Booth, V.C. bust length in uniform wearing his decoration and medals, 45 x 38cms; Book circa 1880s - Her Majesty`s Army A Descriptive Account Volume I, whole page chromo illustration by G D Giles, on the cover gilt font: 'Anthony Booth V.C. 80th Regiment'; Major W.J. Elliott The Victoria Cross in Zululand and South Africa How it was won. In which is contained a history of the war of 1879 with remarks, first edition, single and double page illustrations, plans and wood engraved portraits, Herbert Booth 1882; T.E. Toomey, Victoria Cross 1854-1889 and how won 'from Sergt Platt D.S. 3rd O.S. Regt to his esteemed and respected friend Sergt. Inst A Booth V.C. 30.4.98 Lichfield'.

NOW£3,500.00

Description

Victoria Cross Gazetted 26 June 1880: "For his gallant conduct on 12th March 1879, during the Zulu attack on the Intombi River, in having when considerably outnumbered by the enemy, rallied a few men on the south bank of the river, and covered the retreat of fifty soldiers and others for a distance of three miles. The officer commanding the 80th Regiment reports that, had it not been for the coolness displayed by this non-commissioned officer, not one man would have escaped." Anthony Clarke Booth, V.C. was born in Carrington, Nottingham in 1846. During the early hours of March 12, 1879 on the bank of the River Intombi, a huge force of Zulus launched a surprise attack, immediately overrunning the British camped there and slaughtering most of the soldiers before they had time to fire a shot. Booth saw the Zulus emerge from the mist and fire a volley into the tents before rushing in with a war cry of “Usutho!” They quickly overwhelmed the men of the camp, with partially clothed soldiers clubbed and stabbed to death as they struggled from their tents. Some men dived into the river but few reached the safety of the far bank. Booth scrambled beneath the wagons and started firing at the mass of Zulus, having had his helmet knocked off. He steadied his aim on the rear wheel and firing rapidly, Booth noticed that he was next to Lt. Harward’s tethered pony, the officer who would soon untie her and ride off to safety and disgrace. Booth and just eight of his company were joined by some of the men who crossed the river and formed the remaining men into a square and began to retire towards Luneburg. On 7 May 1888, Booth was posted to 1st Volunteer Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment as Sergeant Instructor until his retirement on 30 Apr 1898, with total service of 33 years and 182 days. Anthony Booth died eighteen months later on 8 Dec 1899. He was given a full military funeral and several thousand onlookers lined the route to St. Michael’s Church, Brierly Hill.