TOPIC:

I have arranged to buy this 2-clasp QSA to 3330 H. EVERITT, 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. The clasps (confirmed from the roll) are LAING’S NEK and DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH.

My primary reason for buying this medal was to add a ‘DEFENCE OF’ clasp to my collection, but looking further, Pte. Everitt is one of a small group of 1st Norfolks to be awarded the DoL clasp when his regiment was not involved in the defence.

The roll shows five DoL clasp recipients under a page heading of ‘1st Norfolk Regt. attached to No.26 British Field Hospital’. These lads obviously got around, because two of them have 5 clasps each and the remaining three have 3 clasps.

On the preceding page of the roll under the heading ‘1st Battalion Norfolk’ a further eight individuals are listed, four of whom were awarded the DoL clasp. One entry is annotated ‘Served with 26 B.F.Hospital’ so this individual falls into the same category as the five individuals above.

The remaining three individuals are marked: ‘Servant to Major Thompson I.S.C’, ‘Groom to Lt. Noble, W. Yorks Regt.’ and ‘Servant to Lt. Noble, W. Yorks Regt.’, respectively.

These men were therefore in Ladysmith in fulfilment of their responsibilities to the officers to whom they were attached. The point that puzzles me is why they were not attached to officers of their own regiment?

Notes:
Major David Montgomery Thompson appears on the Supply and Transport Corps QSA medal roll (WO-100-297, p.19) which mentions the DoL clasp but no others.

Lt. Charles John Herbert Hay Noble transferred to 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment with the rank of Captain. He was killed on 12 November 1901 at Schalkie Farm, near Bethlehem, OFS, having been lightly injured near Bethlehem on 14 February earlier that year. He appears on the Manchester Regt. QSA medal roll (WO-100-198, pp.116 & 194). With OFS, TVL, DoL, Laing’s Nek & SA1901 clasps.