Reginald Vincent Kempenfeldt Applin


Reginald Vincent Kempenfeldt Applin was born on 11 April 1869, the eldest son of Captain Vincent Jesson Applin, Military Train, of 'Exeview', Alphington, near Exeter. Following education at Sherborne School, he initially sought employment as a stage actor and was encouraged by Henry Irving and Bram Stoker. However,his father had other ideas and in December 1889 he became a cadet with the British North Borneo Company. He continued to serve in the company's administration of the protectorate, becoming successively a police magistrate and justice of the peace for Labuan and a District Officer. He was involved in the suppression of the Mat Salleh Rebellion from 1895-1897 and was awarded The British North Borneo Company's Medal and clasp. After eight years service Applin had reached the rank of Captain Superintendent in the British North Borneo Armed Constabulary, but was forced to resign due to ill health and returned to England.He wrote an account of his years in North Borneo entitled Across the Seven Seas.

In November 1898 Applin obtained a commission as a captain in the 6th (Militia) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. With the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War in 1899 the battalion was mobilised and sailed to South Africa. He was appointed District Commissioner at Bloemfontein in June 1900 and acting Provost-Marshal for the Orange River in October of the same year. He subsequently saw active service in the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, and was twice mentioned in despatches. In April 1902 he was granted the local rank of Captain in the Army whilst serving with a provisional battalion, and the following August he transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery. He was made DSO in October 1902. The following year he was appointed Brigade Major of Royal Artillery at Gibraltar.

In July 1905 he transferred to the 14th (King's) Hussars. In August of the same year he was seconded to the General Staff and was appointed DAAG for Musketry in Malta. In December 1906 Applin returned to his regiment, and in June 1911 was promoted to major. During this period he was involved in developing tactics for the use of the machine gun, and in 1909 published one of the first books on the subject; Machine Gun Tactics.

During the First World War Applin became an instructor in the use of the machine gun, and was attached to the Machine Gun Corps Training Centre in July 1916. In November 1916 he was appointed temporary lieutenant-colonel, and commanded the machine guns of the II ANZAC Corps at the battles of Messines and Passchendaele. With the entry of the United States into the war, Applin was part of a British mission to the country, and gave lectures on machine gun tactics. He remained with the MGC until July 1919. In January 1919 Applin was given the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel and in February was made commanding officer of the 14th Hussars. He retired from the army in January 1921. He later entered politics, initially in two minor right wing parties before becoming a Conservative Party MP. He retired from parliament at the 1935 general election. In 1935 he emigrated to South Africa. He died at his home in Howick, Natal on 5 April 1957 aged 87. His medals were auctioned by Dix Noonan Webb in November 2015.

Medals of Lt-Col Reginald Applin DSO OBE

Lieutenant-Colonel R V K Applin's medals were sold in 2009 and again in November 2015 by Dix Noona Webb with an estimated price of 6,000-7,000 pounds. In the catalogue they are described as:

Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels.

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer's 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919.

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901(Capt. R. V. K. Applin, Lanc. Fus.)

British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. R. V. K. Applin)

British North Borneo Company Medal, silver, clasp, Punitive Expedition (R. V. K. Applin, Supt. N.B.C.), this last excessively rare, wreaths and lower arm of D.S.O. chipped, otherwise nearly very fine or better.


Regimental Details | 14th Hussars Commanding Officers


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