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Interested Forum members
The book "Thorneycroft's Unbuttoned" by Droogleever shows 899 Pte. Trenchell/Tranchell as being a member of A Coy., and came from Candy, Ceylon".
The Droogleever book is very useful in researching TMI.
Regards
IL.

Rob, that was very interesting information on the Seale company in CT. We often see 'Cape naming' appended to the CGHGSM but there are few examples of the naming to compare the different styles.

IL, many thanks for the additional information. It will be interesting to see how the medal sells next week.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal. 8962 Pte J.Parry. Th'croft's M.I. Impressed.

Described as being killed in action at Spion Kop, 24 January 1900.

It is unusual to have earned more than the RoL clasp for such a casualty.

The rolls seems to show CC, OFS and Tr were issued in addition to RoL so perhaps they thought he had the same service as others in TMI or he was not a casualty?

That he was killed in action appears to have been erased too.

David - This is a strange one. There's no way a Spion Kop fatal casualty could have earned either a Transvaal or OFS clasp as the qualification period for the former started on 24 May 1900 and the latter on 28 February 1900. However, Parry's name is on the regimental memorial on Spion Kop and his name is on the panels in All Saints Church in Ladysmith.

He may have been missing presumed dead but actually taken prisoner. When the British captured Pretoria all the prisoners automatically qualified for the Transvaal clasp on release (unless they subsequently earned the Diamond Hill and/or Belfast clasp instead) and many of these men later earned the OFS clasp too. That's my theory anyway!

It's one I'd personally steer clear of as I wouldn't want to pay a premium for a claimed Spion Kop KIA when there is doubt attached.

David

David,

Your theory does fit the available evidence well.

He is listed amongst the TMI KIA at Spion Kop in their own records but it could have been, as you say, that he was a prisoner and later rejoined. That would explain the later clasps and why his demise was crossed though on the QSA roll.

It reminds me of that Wepener QSA to Lieutenant A E Judd from Spink a year ago where he was reported to have died of wounds at Wepener yet earned the 1901 clasp and a promotion!

Definitely one to avoid.

Interested Forum members
That TMI "Killed in action on the KOP" QSA in the latest Noble Auction is odd. In the book "Thorneycroft's Unbuttoned", 8962 Pte. John Parry is shown as KiA on Spion Kop, and there was a "medal mix up between the two John Parrys" 8962 J.Parry was awarded four clasps and should be only RofL.ps For the other J.Parry (20210 or 2020), his clasps were TV/CC/01/02.
The puzzling thing is the erasure of "Killed in Action" alongside 8962 J.Parry's medal roll entry. I mean, 8962 Pte J.Parry was either Killed in Action or he was not.
Interestingly, there is an entry in Palmer for an 8962 J.PARNY of TMI on the KOP and NFF agrees with that spelling. Clearly a reporting error. There is no J.PARNY on the TMI roll.
As a dedicated custodian of a number of TMI QSAs, I must say this one is a real puzzle.
Regards
IL.