Wilkinson Sword VC Officer’s Sword – Thomas Colclough Watson

Wilkinson Sword VC winners Officer’s Sword belonging to Thomas Colclough Watson Victorian Engineers officer’s sword number 35643 regulation sword with steel guard with VR and crown and fisk skin grip. The blade with owner’s initials J C W Royal Engineers regimental badge and maker marked. It is complete with steel scabbard and is sold with a copy of the Wilkinson Sword register. Notes: Watson was 30 years old, and a lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army, attached to the Bengal Engineers, British Indian Army during the First Mohmand Campaign in British India when, on the night of 16/17 September 1897 in the Mamund Valley, North-West India, Lieutenant Watson and James Morris Colquhoun Colvin collected a party of volunteers (including James Smith) and led them into the dark and burning village of Bilot, to try to dislodge the enemy who were inflicting losses on British troops. After being wounded and driven back by very heavy fire at close quarters, Lieutenant Watson made a second attempt to clear the village and only gave up after a second repulse and being again severely wounded. An account mentioning him is given in Winston Churchill’s “The Story of the Malakand Field Campaign”.