TOPIC:

Picture courtesy of Noonanan's

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen, South Africa 1901, unofficial rivets between third and fourth clasps (4574 Trpr: V. Andrews, 41st. Coy. 12th Imp: Yeo:)

Victor Andrews was born in Fareham, Hampshire, and attested for the Imperial Yeomanry at Winchester on 5 January 1900, having previously served as a Cyclist in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. He served with the 41st (Hampshire) Company, 12th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa during the Boer War from 31 January 1900 to 25 April 1901, and was wounded by gun shot to the left leg at Lang Berg on 26 October 1900. He was discharged on 28 May 1901, his Medical History sheet recording that he was suffering at the time from enteric fever.

Picture courtesy of JB Military Antiques

QSA (3) (33288 PTE C.E. LOCKYER. 34th COY IMP YEO.);
British War and Victory Medals (95 PTE C.E. LOCKYER 44 BN A.I.F.)

Charles Edward Lockyer was born about 1881 in Pimlico, London, England. He was working as an assistant when he enlisted into the Imperial Yeomanry on 26/2/1901, being assigned to the 34th (Middlesex) Company. He sailed for South Africa three weeks later with the 2nd Contingent (160 men), serving in South Africa from 25/3/1901 – 22/12/1901, before being returned to England. He was medically discharged as unfit on 12/2/1902. Of interest is a note on the medal roll ‘Transferred to base depot, discharged medically unfit, undesirable’.

In February 1914, he and his wife migrated to Perth, Western Australia to work as a baker. He enlisted into the 44th Battalion A.I.F. on 12/2/1916, being one of the ‘originals’ of ‘A’ Company with the service #95. He sailed for England with the battalion in June 1916 where they landed in France on 25/11/1916. He was wounded in action on 3/7/1917 at Messines when the battalion was providing working parties in the front line. He received multiple fragment wounds to both his legs from a shell burst and was subsequently evacuated to England and then to Australia for a medical discharge in April 1918.

Picture courtesy of Spink

CBE, 1st, Civil;
Knight of St John;
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Lieut. W. E. Duncombe. 9/Co. 3/Imp. Yeo.);
1914 Star (Col: C. W. E. Duncombe. B.R.C.S. & O.St.J.J.);
British War and Victory Medals (Col. C. W. E. Duncombe.);
1911 Coronation;
1935 Jubilee;
1937 Coronation;
TD Ed VII, HM 1908

CBE London Gazette 7 January 1918: 'County Director, West Yorkshire, British Red Cross and Order of St John of Jerusalem.'

Knight of Grace London Gazette 27 November 1917.

Charles William Ernest Duncombe was born at Nawton, Yorkshire on 15 March 1862. The Duncombe family, along with their relatives, who including the Earl of Feversham, were very involved with the Yorkshire Hussars. Young Duncombe was commissioned into the unit and volunteered for service in South Africa with the 9th Company, Imperial Yeomanry on 27 January 1900. He was promoted to Captain, but was later invalided home on 1 March 1901.

Duncombe remained with the unit and was Lieutenant-Colonel (Commanding) in 1908, before being made Honorary Colonel of the Regiment from 1908-12 when the Yorkshire Hussars were part of the Yorkshire Mounted Brigade. He was also a Justice of the Peace in the North Riding of Yorkshire.

Upon the outbreak of the Great War, he served in France with the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem Searcher's Unit in France from 9 October 1914. He latterly went out to Egypt with the Enquiries Unit. He duly added the C.B.E. and was made a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John for his troubles. His Medals were issued to him at 83 Pall Mall (1914 Star - January 1918) and 27 Norfolk Crescent (Campaign Pair - March 1922). A prominent member of Yorkshire society, he lived at Rievaulx, Helmsley, edited Ryedale and was a member of the Cavalry Club and the Yorkshire Club.

He died on 8 May 1945.

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

Described as:

A Most Unusual Boer War ‘Double Casualty’ Pair of Queen’s South Africa Medals, awarded to Sergeant A. W. Ward, 32nd (Lancashire) Company, 2nd Imperial Yeomanry, who was shot and mortally wounded on 28 May 1900 at the action at Kheis, British Bechuanaland, and to Trooper F. J. Roberts, of the same unit, whose horse was shot from underneath him at precisely the same moment. Having taken his comrade into cover, Roberts attempted to get assistance nearby, but returning to Ward, was severely wounded when Ward took a final bullet through the chest, which passing clean through then hit the knee of Roberts, whose leg later required amputation. Offered with a small archive of original documentation, photographs, letters and research, comprising:

QSA (1) Cape Colony (8991 Sgt. A. W. Ward, 32nd Coy 2nd Impl: Yeo:), with reverse pin for wear upon ribbon, note incorrect middle initial;

QSA (1) Cape Colony (8927 Pte F. J. Roberts, 32nd Coy 2nd Impl: Yeo:), with reverse pin for wear upon ribbon;

Medals loose, also offered with two folders of associated letters, photographs, documents and newspaper cuttings, and a scarce named, framed and glazed image of Queen Victoria sent to Ward’s daughter, minor edge bruise to first, otherwise good very fine (lot) £300-500 Sergeant A. W. Ward, of St. Helens, Lancashire (and formerly of the Seaforth Highlanders), and Trooper F. J. Roberts served in the Boer War in South Africa with the 32nd (Lancashire) Company, 2nd Imperial Yeomanry – also known as the Lancashire Hussars. This particular incident, in which Ward was killed, and Roberts wounded during the action at Kheis on 28 May, 1900, on the border between Griqualand West and Gordonia, is recorded as follows: ‘Sgt. Ward being at the front, he was hit by three bullets. He rolled off his horse, Trooper Roberts’ horse was shot at the same time, he dismounted and pulled Ward into the cover of a bush. After running to tell of the Sgt’s fate, he returned, and was attending to Ward, when a bullet hit Ward in the back, came out of his chest and struck Roberts in the leg just above the knee, they both collapsed and lay there for about six hours. Roberts later had his leg removed.’ In total, two men were killed and 8 wounded from the 32nd Company.

Sold for a hammer price of GBP 850. Totals: GBP 1,049. R 24,510. AUD 1,970. NZD 2,110. CAD 1,750. USD 1,290. EUR 1,190

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen, South Africa 1901, block of clasps unattached from retaining rod, with date clasp loose (11420 Pte. W. Hunter, 62nd Coy. 11th Imp: Yeo:);
1914-15 Star (Capt. W. Hunter. R. Scots.);
British War and Victory Medals (Capt. W. Hunter)

William Hunter, a metal merchant from London, was born on 22 October 1874. He attested into the 7th (London Scottish) Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps serving for seven years. He later attested into the Imperial Yeomanry for service during the Boer War, and served in South Africa with the 62nd (Middlesex) Company, 11th Battalion. Later commissioned into the Royal Scots for service during the Great War, he served on the Western Front with the 11th Battalion from 10 May 1915. He received a perforated eardrum as a result of being close to an exploding shell, which damaged his hearing. Returned to the UK at the end of September 1915, he afterwards served in a training capacity with the 1/7th Battalion, Royal Scots. Appointed Acting Major, he was released from service on 15 June 1919.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Transvaal (12412 Tpr: B. Mackay, 67th Coy 18th Impl: Yeo:;
1914-15 Star (Sjt B. S. Mackay. Ntl. Light Hse.);
British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (A/2nd C/W.O. B. S. Mackay. 2nd S.A.I.)

Benjamin Sutherland Mackay was born in Kinbrace, Sutherland, around 1876. He attested into the Imperial Yeomanry for Service during the Boer War, at Frobisher Bay, Canada, on 17 February 1900 and served in South Africa with the 67th Company (Sharpshooters), 18th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. Discharged in Johannesburg on 13 May 1901, he joined the South African Constabulary and is additionally entitled to the ‘South Africa 1901’ clasp on his QSA.

He later attested into the Natal Light Horse for service during the Great War and served in the South West Africa campaign before transferring into the 2nd Battalion South African Infantry. Advanced Company Sergeant Major, he served on the Western Front and was killed in action on 12 October 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.