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Picture courtesy of Warwick and Warwick

QSA (3) Cape Colony, OFS, Belfast (6201 Drmr J. Lawrence Royal Scots);
KSA (2) (Pte Rl Scots on KSA)

With copied service papers and rolls, James Lawrence was born in 1882, enlisted 27/9/97 aged 14 with trade listed as musician, transferred to ASC 18/11/08, appointed trumpeter 31/7/09, discharged 17/5/10.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

Military Cross, GV;
QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Belfast, South Africa 1901 (7224 PTE. W. WOOD. VOL:COY. RL: SCOTS.);
BWM and Victory Medal (CAPT. W.G. WOOD.);
South Africa War Service Medal 1939-1945, silver, unnamed as issued.

William Grahame Wood initially saw service as a Private (No. 7224) with the Volunteer Company, Royal Scots in South Africa during the Boer War in operations in Cape Colony and Orange Free State as well as in the action at Belfast on 26th to 27th August 1900.

Recalled for the Great War, he was living in Cape Town and was called up to serve as a 2nd Lieutenant in ‘C’ Company, 8th Regiment of South African Infantry from 26th November 1915, seeing service in Kenya, East Africa where he suffered from Malaria during July 1916.

He arrived back in Durban aboard HMS Kinfauns Castle on 22nd February 1917 along with the rest of the regiment. He would then be appointed Temporary Captain on 15th April 1917, this being confirmed in the LG of 17th October 1917.

In the meantime, Wood would once again travel to East Africa on 13th June 1917 aboard HMS Anchises where he would again take part in the pursuit of the German Army. The greatest enemy of the South African’s during this campaign was the tropical climate with numerous casualties to Malaria, Dysentery and other tropical diseases greatly reducing their fighting ranks.

Wood would be awarded the Military Cross for distinguished service in the field as a Temporary Captain in the LG of 1st January 1918.

Subsequently returning to South Africa he was released from Temporary Imperial Service and relinquished his commission on 12th December 1918.

By pure chance I have Captain Wood's original Military Cross in my collection: