RAA LIAISON LETTER- 2025 – 2026 EDITION CANNONBALL SUPPLEMENT 126 and served as aide-de-camp to General Sir Arthur Fremantle • 1893 to 1899: appointment as commander Brigade Division Field Artillery. • 1895: promoted lieutenant-colonel in the NSW Artillery. • 1896: given leave to serve with British forces in Burma. Awarded a Distinguished Service Order for 'coolness under fire and marked gallantry'. • 1896: appointed honorary aide-de-camp to the governor of the Colony of NSW. • 1900: Commanded the New South Wales Citizens' Bushmen's Contingent which saw action in Rhodesia and the Transvaal. There, he gained a reputation for being a 'dashing officer' and an 'intrepid and popular leader'. Awarded CMG. George John Airey (1845-1905), significant appointments:viiviii • 1871 to 1876: As a captain he commanded the newly raised first battery of NSW Permanent Artillery. • 1885: Enlisted for the Sudan Contingent as a Major and was appointed Second-inCommand of the Field Battery. • 1885: Promoted Lieutenant Colonel on return from the Sudan. • 1890 to 1896: Commanded the 1st Garrison Division. • 1891: Promoted Colonel. Charles Bourne Airey (1850-1937), significant appointments:ix • 1876: Member of the NSW Volunteer Artillery. • 1885: Deployed with the NSW Contingent to the Sudan as a lieutenant in the infantry. To date it has not been possible to determine whom of the Aireys owned the sword. Surprisingly, whilst sharing the same surname, Henry Parke and George John were not related to each other. However, George and Charles were brothers. Given their roles and appointments, it is assessed it is more likely that either Henry Parke Airey or George John Airey was the original owner of the sword. It is a remote possibility that further research will uncover which Airey purchased the sword. If the purveyor’s records of sales still exist in an archive, there is a chance. Uncovering the Sword’s Markings To support Brigadier Silverstone’s recollections of the importance of the sword, its markings were key to establishing the period when it would have been made and/or sold. The sword’s markings were barely discernible, and it required the assistance of an expert to uncover the markings and independently check the provenance. Mr Ian Armstrong is a long-term friend of the RAA and has the expertise and skills to identify and value 19th century swords.
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