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From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

In "The Siege of Kimberley" (p47) mention is made of "a brisk little encounter with the enemy near Otto's Kopje… One of the men of the Cape Police, Division 2, named Parker, was mortally wounded..."

In "Kimberley under Siege" (p77) the incident is also briefly mentioned: "...Mounted troops, under Col Scott-Turner, engaged the enemy near Otto's Kopje about 4 pm and did damage. Our losses: one killed (Trooper Parker, Cape Police), one wounded..."

However, the circumstances surrounding Parker's demise is forcefully brought home by the entry for 11 November in Nurse Francis Wookey's diary, as published in "Summer of 1899" (p133): "At 10.30 pm the ambulance came up, bringing a Cape policeman. The first thing he said when he was put on the operating table was 'I wish you would let me die at once'. He is shot right through the body and cannot live long. Every few minutes he asks how much longer he has to suffer. It is terribly sad".

QSA (1) DoK (609 Pte. A. Parker. Cape Police)

QSA (1) CC (1026 Pte. A J Steer. Cape Police)


Picture courtesy of BidOrBuy

From the next City Coins auction.

CCHGSM (1) Bechuanaland (1092 Pte. R. Frauenstein C. Pol.);
QSA (2) CC, OFS, (1092 L. Cpl R. Frauenstein Cape P.D.1.);
KSA (2) (1092 Lee Corpl. R. Frauenstein C.P. Dist. 1.)

Provenance City Coins Postal Medal Auction 58, lot 264.
Engraved correction to number and rank on KSA.