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Even the most insignificant medals (on the surface at least) have a story to tell. When I bought this one off e-bay a while ago I thought all that I was getting was a standard QSA to the S.A.C. - one of the 10 000 men who joined their ranks during the Boer War. I was pleasantly surprised therefore when I found that, quite apart from his S.A.C. papers in Bloemfontein, he also had a file at Kew. It turns out that Mr John Nearney started out life as Mr James Lyddy and had 12 years service with the 7th Dragoon Guards which took him to India and Egypt before returning home to the U.K. and then on to South Africa. Why did he change his name? We'll never know (unless by some happenstance someone out there reads this post and can fill in the blanks.

John Nearney

Gunner, Royal Artillery
Private, 7th Dragoon Guards
2nd Class Trooper, South Africa Constabulary – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony & Orange Free State to 955 Tpr. J. Nearney, S.A.C.

John Nearney’s story is a strange one. For starters he must be one of the few who transferred from a prestigious regiment like the 7th Dragoons to a little known and rather provincial police force like the South African Constabulary. But that is probably not the fact for which he will be most remembered – it was his change in identity that would have attracted the most comment and probably raised the most eyebrows for John Nearney started out life with a different moniker altogether, that of James Lyddy. What was the reason for the change? We will probably never know.

James Lyddy, for thus was he known in his formative years, was born in Limerick, Ireland on 6 April 1868 the son, we are told, of Thomas Lyddy and his wife Catherine Hayes. Being Irish the records of his early years don’t exist and we are required to wait until 10 July 1888 to find out more about him. On this day he attested for service with the Royal Artillery at Fort Westmoreland and was awarded the no. 67859 and the rank of Gunner signing his name as James Lyddy.

Confirming that he had been born in the Parish of Patrick’s Mill in Limerick he added that he was 20 years and 11 months old and a Farm Labourer by occupation. Physically he was a large man 6 feet in height with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. By way of distinguishing characteristics he had numerous white scar-like lines over his lumber region and a scar over his left patella. Not surprisingly he was of the Roman Catholic faith.

On 11 July he was attached to the Depot before being transferred, after 227 days service, to the Cinque Ports Division on 22 February 1889. This coincided with a posting to India with what was to become the 5th Mountain Battery on reorganisation on 1 July of that year. Nearney does not appear to have seen any active service during this period and, on 1 July 1891, took a transfer from the Artillery to the 7th Dragoon Guards.

The Guards had been in India since 1884 where they were stationed at Mhow, and remained for 9 years. It was a less arduous existence for the men who had Indian servants to clean their kit and wash their clothes but the heat was very hard to bear and they soon realised that it was an unhealthy posting which by the end of their time there resulted in the deaths of 56 men and 3 officers from tropical diseases and heat apoplexy. Nearney, after 4 years and 14 days was sent with the regiment to Egypt on 9 March 1893. After 1 year 248 days of mostly intense heat they were repatriated to Shorncliffe on 12 November 1894. On this day, whilst stationed at Cairo, Nearney elected to extend his service with the Colours to complete 10 years.

The following year saw the Guards in Norwich but when they received the order to make themselves ready for service in South Africa in January 1900 they were in Aldershot.

Mention was previously made of the change of name that Nearney underwent. Quite when this occurred is a matter of conjecture but his papers, where the names James Lyddy appear have been crossed through and replaced by the names of John Nearney and it is with this name that we know him in terms of his Boer War service.

On 15 February 1901 he was placed on the Army Reserve after 12 years with the Colours. He had earlier in anticipation of being placed on the reserve, applied at the Recruiting Office of the South African Constabulary in Shorncliffe for service with them confirming that he was with the Dragoon Guards, that he was 32 years old and from Limerick in Ireland. He stated his height to be 5 feet 11 ¾ and he weighed 13 stone 8 pounds. As his referees he gave the names of two of his Officers, 2nd Lieutenant Holland and 2nd Lieutenant Wood. His profession he gave as Soldier and stated his brother William (also serving with the Guards) as his next of kin. He claimed to have a slight knowledge of “Kaffir” but had never been to South Africa so this was devoid of any truth. He stated that he was “awaiting discharge” after 12 years and 7 months service signing his name as John Nearney. He also confirmed his mother Mary’s address as Minster House, Ripon in Yorkshire (she died there in 1905)

Singning the Articles of Agreement on 27 January 1901 he confirmed his address to be 31 Douglas Road, Kilburn, London, N.W. His service was to count from 8 February 1901 and he was awarded the number 955. On 2 March 1901 he set sail with a new draft for South Africa and the war. Assigned to no. 9 Troop, Eastern Division deployed in the Orange Free State Nearney set to work.

On 21 February 1902 his O.C. wrote to the A.A.G. for Cavalry at Pall Mall “on behalf of Trooper John Nearney (Regt. No. 3897) who completed 13 years service last July in the 7th Dragoon Guards. I am requested to enquire re: his discharge which he has not yet received although his deferred pay has already reached him. Will you kindly have same forwarded to me?”

The reply came on 16 February stating that the “parchment discharge certificates of Private Nearney’s were forwarded to the Commandant S.A.C. Johannesburg on 28 December 1901 asking him to forward same to Nearney”

Nearney wasn’t one to shy away from the odd incident. At Doornkop where he was stationed on 26 September 1901 he was fined £4 for Gross disobedience of Orders and at Ladybrand on 13 October 1902 he was fined £2 having been found guilty on 2 charges, the first – obstructing a N.C.O. whilst in the execution of his duties and the second, Insolence to a N.C.O. His length of service was 1 year and 7 months and his General Character was rated as Good.

His years in uniform drawing to a close Nearney requested a discharge from the S.A.C. providing as proof of alternative employment a letter from the Mechanical Engineering Department of S. Neumann & Co., Johannesburg dated 24 November 1902 which read as follows,

“I hereby guarantee J. Nearney of # 9 Troop, S.A.C. employment for the period of six months at the rate of £20 per month.”

This was good enough for the authorities and Nearney bade farewell to the S.A.C. on 13 December 1902 after i year and 276 days service with a character rating of “Fair”. His forwarding address was c/o Mr Feldmann of the Commercial Hotel in Ladybrand. The last appearance he was to make before disappearing off the radar was as a Barman sailing from London to Cape Town aboard the Durham Castle on 9 October 1908.



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Thoroughly enjoyed your account Rory. I wonder how many similar SAC groups are overlooked by collectors?

Ssshhh David - let sleeping dogs (collectors) lie...