QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL WITH DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH CLASP TO MID. HON. I.L.A. CARNEGIE, R.N., H.M.S. POWERFUL

** NEW ** Queen's South Africa Medal with Defence of Ladysmith clasp to Mid. Hon. I.L.A. Carnegie, R.N., H.M.S. Powerful, accompanied by H.M.S. Powerful stamped letters addressed to his brother, Douglas, the envelope with assorted postmarks dated 1899-1900, in which he reveals that he is about to go ashore: "I am just off to the front. I don’t like to tell mother but in case I do get shot Asst. Eng. Shirwell, H.M.S. Powerful, is looking out for my gear ... We are going up tonight in armoured trains and I believe we are going through to Ladysmith. The Boers have cut off the wires and we may have to fight our way through ... I am off in half an hour, Goodbye ..." letters to his mother (4), the envelopes all addressed to ‘The Dow. Countess of Northesk, 6 Hans Crescent, London S.W.’ and with assorted postmarks, including ‘Ladysmith, Natal’ and ‘Simonstown’, and differing dates in March 1900, the contents often of an interesting nature, including accounts of coming under fire (e.g. letter written at ‘Caesar’s Camp, Friday Feb. 23rd Feb.’ in which he states, ‘I am in command of a 12-pounder 12-cwt. gun and am detached from the rest of the Navy who are on the other side of the town. I have travelled about a good deal with my gun on this hill and Wagon Hill which is next to it and have always been near to Buller’s people when they have tried to come in. I came here three days ago to stop the Boers working on the river. We cannot quite make out what they are doing but it looks like the beginning of a bridge or a dam. They cannot show their noses there now as we give them a few shells when we see them work. It is rather fun as the Boer 6-inch “Long Tom” is only 5000 yards from here, which is quite a short distance for him and he fires at us when we fire, so we have to be very quick getting under cover, but we are quite safe as he has hit the gun pit several times and cannot make any impression as there is quite 15 feet of earth and sandbags and stones between us and him ... ’