Yorkshire war hero brothers' medals up for auction

War medals that belonged to a pair of brothers who died within weeks of each other have been discovered.

The treasures were found at their former home and include a Boer War Distinguished Service Order (DSO), a decoration given to war heroes.

Capt Douglas Stephen, 37, and Capt Albert Stephen, 35, were both "career soldiers" who died in France just weeks after World War One started.

The medals will be sold later at an auction in Scarborough.

A set of three-quarter length portraits of the brothers, commissioned by the family in 1915, were also found during a final clear-out of their cottage in Boltby, near Thirsk.

Graham Paddison, a militaria specialist with auctioneers David Duggleby, where the memorabilia will be sold, said: "The Stephen brothers were career-professional soldiers, young men who had fought their way through the Boer War in South Africa and served in various other hotspots around the world.

"They must have thought that they had seen it all but of course nobody foresaw what was going to happen, particularly in those first desperate months of the conflict [of World War One]."

The Boer War took place between 1899 and 1902 and was a conflict between the British Empire and the two Boer republics in South Africa.

Both brothers then saw action in World War One, where Capt Douglas Stephen was the Commander of No. 3 Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards.

He was hit in both legs by machinegun fire at the Battle of the Marne on 8 September 1914 and died two days later in hospital, less than a month after arriving in France with his brother.

Capt Albert Stephen was Adjutant of the 1st Battalion of the Scots Guards and was fatally hit by shellfire on 31 October.

Both brothers received a Queen's South Africa Medal, King's South Africa Medal, 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, a Turkish Liakat Medal (Medal of Merit) and a George V Coronation Medal.

Capt Albert Stephen's medal set also includes a Boer War DSO, an award given to officers for "meritorious conduct in wartime, almost always in combat".

He also had eight clasps to his Boer War medals, three more than his older brother, meaning he fought in more battles.

Regarding valuations, Mr Paddison added: "It is the Victorian DSO that makes the difference. Douglas's set is expected to go for £350-£500.

"Albert's medals are predicted to make £2,000-£3,000."

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