Medals awarded
- Companion of the Order of the British Empire
- Queen’s South Africa Medal
Clasp: Cape Colony
Clasp: Tugela Heights
Clasp: Orange Free State
Clasp: Relief of Ladysmith
Clasp: Transvaal
Clasp: Laings Nek - King’s South Africa Medal
Clasp: South Africa 1901
Clasp: South Africa 1902
Medals are shown left to right, as per the bullet point list above.
Charles James Hookham Gardner was born in 1875, the son of a Royal Navy Captain.
He was appointed as 2nd Lieutenant in the Yorkshire Regiment from the Royal Dragoons in July 1901. Steady promotions followed as he became a Lieutenant in April 1904 and a Captain in July 1909 before retiring from the Regiment in August 1913.
c1907 image featuring Gardner, on the far right of the row immediately behind those seated.
The museum holds Gardner’s medals relating to this period in his army career.
On the outbreak of war in 1914, he was recalled and a life in service followed. In the First World War Gardner served with the 21st Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers and as a Staff Officer. During this time he was Mentioned In Despatches on three separate occasions.
In King George V’s 1919 birthday honours list, Gardner was awarded Commander of the British Empire for valuable service in connection with the war. In 1939 he became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
Colonel Gardner died, aged 85, in 1962. Gardner’s medals, a selection of uniforms, sketches and personal archive were donated to the museum collection in 1963.