TOPIC:

Hi.....I am looking for some advice / thoughts on a medal in my collection. I have a QSA to Harold Shipley who enlisted in the Thorneycrofts MI in December 1899. Upon enlistment he was taken on as Sgt 3069. The medal is good and I have his enlistment papers which also state that he was previously in the Northamptonshire Regiment. I have spent a long time checking the Northants recordsut cannot find any soldier of this name, so its been a bit of a mystery. I had began to think that maybe he was just embellishing his past when he signed on, but today, I was looking at the Transvaal in War and Peace book and there's a nice photo of the officers of the Northamptonshire Regiment and there is a Lieutenant H. Shipley shown. Now, Lieutenant Shipley does not feature on either the IGS or QSA medal rolls for the Northamptons. So, before I go any further along this line of research, is it feasible that a previously serving officer would be taken on as just a sergeant in a colonial regiment? I've not come across this before but wondered whether anyone else has seen this.

Harold was born in Portsea in 1874, so he was 25 when he enlisted in the TMI. And after the TMI he apparently joined the Standerton Civil Police and the National Scouts, but I have no further info to confirm this.

Any thoughts on this one...could he had been an officer or was he just over stating his past?

The Army and Navy Gazette of 21st October 1899 notes that Lieut. Harold Shipley, Northamptonshire Regt. resigns his commission.

Perfectly feasible that it is your man.

Pete

Thanks Pete...that's helpful as it certainly confirms his officer resignation and that his fore name matches. I will continue this line of investigation.

This might well be him
1328 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 2 FEBRUARY, 1916
The Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment).
Harold Shipley (late Captain, Union of South Africa Defence Force) to be temporary Major.
Dated 20th January

He certainly came from a military family

His father – William Davies Shipley
His officer service record
search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBM%2F...=GBM%2FWO76%2F004935

And his grant of probate to his son Harold Shipley
search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBOR%2...1898-1898%2F00042262

His older brother – Charles Orby Shipley
www.geni.com/people/Brigadier-General-Si.../6000000046468484876


Some bits for you to chew on.

Kind regards
Pete

Wow...that really does open up some interesting avenues. It all appears to fit so will start digging into the detail.....especially interesting to note that , if its him, he went on further in the South African military. Thankyou Pete...much appreciated.