TOPIC:

While there are QSAs named to Neylan's Orange River Scouts, the men are listed under Orange River Scouts in WO100/263 pages 14 to 59. All of these pages are titled 'Orange River Scouts' so it is not clear how some medals came to be named with the prefix 'Neylan's'.

Two examples from the Spink auction in July 2019:

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Orange Free State (239 Tpr: J. P. Hurley. Naylan’s O. R. Scouts.). Listed on WO100/262p23. Also entitled to SA02 (WO100/263p41)

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (97 Tptr. F. V. W. Reid. O.R. Scouts.) Listed on WO100/262p30 and WO100/262p45.

One explanation for this is that one of the duplicate copies of the medal rolls used by the Mint is different to the version of the roll available from the National Archives. This is proposed because on the medal roll from the National Archives, 239 Hurley has initial 'P' whereas the medal is named to 'J P'.

Interestingly, the badge they wore denoted Neylan's Imperial Scouts

I queried the naming of the unit on Hurley's medal with Iain Goodman of Spink thinking it was an error but he has confirmed it is named to 'Naylan's' with an a.

Here is an example named to Neylan's

Here is an example named to Naylan's

The medal to Hurley of Naylan's OR Scouts sold well this morning, achieving a hammer price of £290.

If only there was no commission and tax to pay!