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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (4) Belmont, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, unofficial rivets between first and second clasps (29793. Dr. J. H. Heath. R.E.)

John Henry Heath was born in Reading, Berkshire, in 1877, and attested for the Royal Engineers on 17 April 1896. A moulder by profession with previous service in the 4th Battalion, Oxford Light Infantry, Heath suffered a wound to the left side on 6 July 1897. Recovered, he was posted to South Africa from 21 October 1899 to 4 December 1900 with the 8th (Railway) Company Detachment, Royal Engineers, and was later discharged upon termination of his first period of engagement on 16 April 1908.

Noonan's say 'Clasp entitlement not confirmed. The recipient’s Service Record confirms Cape Colony only, but the Medal Roll has a rather unclear ‘yes’ for the Belmont clasp.'

The roll (WO100/156p10) clearly shows the late addition of the Belmont clasp in place of CC on this page.



WO100/156p49 also lists CC.

OFS and Tr not traced.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

[ QSA (2) Belmont, Modder River ]
Army LS&GC GV (27429 Sjt: A. H. Finn. R.E.)

Alfred Henry Finn was born in Rochester, Kent, in 1873, and attested for the Royal Engineers at Chatham on 19 May 1893. Present at the Battle of Belmont on 23 November 1899, he returned home from South Africa on 19 June 1900 and was subsequently wounded in the head; the subsequent court of enquiry held on 18 February 1902 later deemed the affair an accident. Re-engaged to complete 21 years’ service 25 January 1905, Finn was raised Sergeant Volunteer Instructor and posted to the Cheshire RE Railway Battalion. Transferred to the South West, he ended his career as CSM at Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, with the 18th Cornwall Fortress Company, Royal Engineers.

No is 27426 on the QSA roll (WO100/157p77)

Picture courtesy of Charterhouse

DSO GV and bar;
QSA (3) CC, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (29849 Cpl P F Whittall RE);
1914-15 Star trio and MID (Captain and Lt Col P F Whittall);
French Croix de Guerre.

DSO Lonc. [sic] Regt, 1917 bar RE 1918.

A Queen’s South Africa Medal with two clasps ‘Cape Colony’ and ‘Orange Free State’ named to: 4667 Sapr H C McBurney RE (Sapper, Royal Engineers).

Henry Coates McBurney was born in Belfast on 23 May 1870. He joined the Belfast Post Office on 1 August 1886 as a Temporary Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist.

He attested for the Royal Engineers at Belfast on 28 May 1900 and served in South Africa with the 1st Telegraph Division (later Battalion).

He was severely wounded at Smithfield on 30 March 1901 and was discharged as unfit for further military service at Aldershot on 20 May1902. Returning to Belfast he continued his service with the Belfast Post Office.

He married Margaret Kirkwood (1878-1953) on 20 August 1902. He re- enlisted into the RE Signal Service (Home Service) during the First World War, as 554419 L Cpl H C McBurney and was finally demobilised on 14 February 1919.

He had no WW1 medal entitlement for his home service. He worked for the Belfast Post Office for a total of 44 years and retired in 1930 as Assistant Superintendent. He died in Belfast on 22 January 1966 at the great age of 95.

These two photographs give some idea of the sort of apparatus McBurney would have been working with. The first depicts Buller's telegraph office at Ladysmith, shortly after the lifting of the siege; the second was taken at Brandfort on 11 August 1900.










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Thanks Neville; much appreciated.

I did think of you when uploading this post given our previous discussion on the Royal Engineers and the role your relative (Gr Grandfather?) played in the ABW.