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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (Lieut: A. Hamilton, Rl. Irish Fus:) officially impressed naming;
KSA (2) (Lt. A. Hamilton. Rl. Irish Fus.)

Lieutenant Alastair Hamilton was wounded in the fierce fighting at Pieter’s Hill on 27 February 1900, the capture of which cleared the way for the relief of Ladysmith by the cavalry the following day. His medals are accompanied by a contemporary hand-written transcript of a letter to his mother, written during the action whilst he lay wounded, describing the attack:

‘My dear Mother
We advanced today about 9 a.m. to take a hill to our front, which we did without much trouble, only losing a few men.
About 5.15 p.m. we advanced to take a small hill to our right which was strongly held. The Dublin Fusiliers being unable to manage it, we had to advance about half a mile over an open space under a heavy fire. A shell burst about ten yards from me and knocked over one of the men, but he was not hurt. We lay down to get our wind and a shell hit the handle of my knob carry and smashed the knob in three places and made a great gravel rush in my wrist, but there was not much blood.
Then we advanced about 700 yards to a small kopie where the D.F’s were. We again rested, then we advanced over another open bit and about half way I was hit in the ankle, at about 6 p.m., and am now lagging behind and am with bullets dropping round me pretty thick. The Company is about 100 yards in front under a stone wall. We were first in, and no one else has gone in passed me, but now they come. I was afraid they were going to give it up, but they are going up splendidly under a heavy fire. I am not 500 yards from the hill it is hard not to be able to go in as I had hoped, but no such luck. I am not in much pain, but hope I shall not have to crawl in, as I do not think the bullet came out as there is only one hole in my boot, so the least movement hurts a bit. We seem to be making a turning movement there are a lot of our men returning on my right under a heavy fire which makes a cross fire for me, I shall not be hit again I feel sure, but the bullets throw dust and stones over me every now and then. I expect you will get a wire tonight, I hope they will only put slight, as I am sure it is not bad. The evening star has just come out, so it will soon be dark, we must be doing well as the firing is not nearly so heavy, but may break out again at any moment. I am very sick at being hit, but must make the best of it. I think we are getting in but I wish I could hear them cheer. Well it is getting dark and the firing less and our men out of sight. I shall soon make tracks and hope soon to fall in with the stretcher bearers so good bye. 7 p.m.’

Alastair Hamilton was killed by lightning at Machadodorp on 5 December 1902.

Sold in the same lot as two other QSAs to members of the Hamilton family.

David
Thank you for this posting and the incredibly detailed letter home to his mother, all the more poignant when you read the next two postings about other members of the same ex family. It would be great to think that there were descendants of the family or one of the
M who might bid for all the medals and reunite them.
After nearly 125 years, probably unlikely.
Thanks again
Clive

Rare and interesting Egypt/Ashanti 1896/Boer War (MID) group to a Royal Irish Fusilier.

Egypt, dated 1882, clasp “Tel-el-Kebir” – 2577 Drumr. J. Powell, 1/Rl. Ir. Fus.
Ashanti Star 1896 – unnamed as issued [only to 26 regiment]
Queen’s South Africa with clasps Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Orange Free State [very clear ‘ghost dates’ on reverse] – 4123 Sgt. J. Powell, Rl. Irish Fus. (Served in 2/RIF)
King’s South Africa – usual two clasps – 4123 Corpl. J. Powell, Rl. Irish Fus.
Khedive’s Star dated 1882, engraved lightly on 3 reverse arms: 2577 – J.P. – R.I.F.
The medals are mounted on a custom made five-medal bar with a wider space for Khedive’s Star ribbon.

Powell was born in St. Pancras in 1866 and enlisted as a “musician” in 1/RIF in 1880 aged just over 14 years. He served as Drummer with 1/RIF in Egypt and at Tel-el-Kebir in 1882, and was one of only 1 Officer and 25 men of the RIF to serve in the Ashanti Campaign in 1896 and receive the Star. He is listed on the nominal roll, page 45 of McInnes and Fraser book, Ashanti 1895-96.

He served through the Boer War with 2nd Battalion RIF. Medal rolls reflect fall in rank from QSA to KSA. He was Mentioned in Dispatches while a corporal – Lord Roberts, LG Sept.1901.

He was discharged in Armagh (RIF depot) with the rank of Sergt. at the young age of 36 in April 1902 after 22 yrs 20 days’ service – no trace of LSGC award. He seems later to have become a lawyer’s clerk after army service and was living with wife in Ilford in 1911.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (3797 Sgt. J. Neill, Rl. Irish Fus:);
KSA (2) (3797 Clr: Serjt: J. Neill. Rl: Irish Fus:);
1914-15 Star (16909 Sjt. J. A. Neill. R. Irish Rif.);
British War and Victory Medals (16909 Pte. J. A. Neill. R. Irish Rif.)

John Alexander Neill attested into the Royal Irish Fusiliers and served in South Africa with the 2nd Battalion during the Boer War. Advanced Colour Sergeant, he saw later service during the Great War with the Royal Irish Regiment as a Sergeant with the 13th Battalion on the Western Front from 3 October 1915 before transferring into the Royal Munster Fusiliers. Reduced to Private for misconduct on 11 November 1915, he was later appointed Company Quartermaster Sergeant and was demobilised 31 March 1920. He appears to have died shortly afterwards.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (6036 Pte. H. Mc.Govern, Rl: Irish Fus);
[ KSA (2) ]

Hammer GBP 90.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (Maj T. G. Barclay. 2/Rl. Ir. Fus.), re-engraved naming, suspension re-affixed, clasps or rivets incorrect;
KSA (2) (Maj. T. G. Barclay. 2/Rl. Ir. Fus.), good very fine (2)

Theodore Gordon Barclay was born at Madras, India on 12 March 1854, the son of Charles and Emma Barclay. Commissioned Sub-Lieutenant on 9 August 1873 with the 98th Regiment of Foot he transferred Lieutenant on 27 August with the 66th Foot.

Appointed probationer for the Indian Staff Corps in 1876 he resigned the role the next year but appears to have remained detached from his Regiment. Barclay was appointed Fort Adjutant at Hong Kong on 27 January 1881 and Captain on 4 October 1884. This places him in the city during the great outbreak of plague which occurred there in 1894.

Returning to his Regiment Barclay was advanced Major on 7 November 1894 and entered the Anglo-Boer War with the 1st Battalion in 1899. They went into action at the Battle of Colenso as part of General Hart's 5th (Irish) Brigade, becoming caught in the bend of the Tugela River and assailed from every side by heavy fire. They were forced back with terrible losses and only survived being swept up in a counter attack by poor communication on the Boer side.

Barclay remained with his mauled Battalion, seeing taking part in the actions along the Tugela Heights from 14-27 February 1900 which saw the British finally break through. At Inniskilling Hill the Battalion took part in a great charge which saw them come within metres of the summit before finally being halted. Unwilling to withdraw over land that had cost almost 600 casualties to take they dug in and held the position grimly until the Battle was won.

He saw further actions at Reitvlei and Ruidam, at some stage transferring to the 2nd Battalion with whom he ended the war. Barclay retired on 12 March 1902 and appeared upon the lists of pensioned officers over the course of the next decade.

An officer with the initials T. G. Barclay does have an MIC as a Staff Officer and Administrative Commandant with the rank of Major and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel but it is not clear if this is the recipient who would by that stage have been in his 60s.

He died at Melrose, Scotland, on 29 August 1919