TOPIC:

I have just acquired a Victorian Long Service to 4359. Mr Gunner J W Potter Cst Bde RA and his son H H Potter's QSA ( Defence of Ladysmith ) 1 QM Serjt . Natal Volunteer Veterinary Corps and his Natal ( 1906 bar) QM Sergt. Natal Militia Staff. Harry was the curator of the Natal Laboratory from 9.7.1898 and was mobilised on 29.9.1899 and released from active duty on 31.5.1902.
With the medals was a small photo of a young Harry and a wooden box which contained a much folded letter from William to his son, Harry. The letter confirmed that William had sent his LS medal and the box. The box had been the property of William's grandfather, Thomas, a shopkeeper who died in 1820.
Can anyone add some more biographical detail ?
Many thanks
Mike

Congratulations Mike, an extremely rare pair. I have had several 1906s to the NVVC but the only QSA I know of is in the Museum Africa. You will of course know that the Natal VVC predates any other Veterinary Corps by a decade.

Well done Mike - very nice!

There are several entries for Harry Herbert Potter, died 1944, which I have unearthed. In the main they refer to his constant requests for salary increases!

I will pull his file for you and do the necessary when next at the PMB Archives - that's when they let me know that their strike action is over that is....

Regards

Rory

Thanks chaps,
My bedtime reading at the moment is 'Beseiged in Ladysmith "by H Watkins -Pitchford . H W-P was Harry's boss as OC of the Veterinary Corps. On page 29 we get a mention of Potter, who told his boss that the Government had put an Entymologist in at Allerton( ?) in his absence. That was ok, but H W-P was only going to be drawing military pay at 15/- per day aginst the 30/- per day he was getting as a usual salary. He planned to go to Maritzburg to sort it out but the last train with women and children has left so there was no way out. In true civil service fashion he ( and I gather from Rory ) Potter were very concerned with matters of remuneration.
Regards
Mike

Mike,

Excellent acquisition.

His QSA is contained on p109 of WO100/261. His is one of 5 DoLs to the NVVC. His medal and clasp were issues 26 Feb 1906. He was initially listed for the RoL clasp with a note saying this was corrected after an exchange of correspondence.

From the information you have, I see you have already accessed the nominal roll for the NVVC.

I have a book written by the units CO Major Watkins-Pitchford. I will dig that out to see what it says.

Best wishes
David

Also on the roll you will see P.J.X.Kearney, also Quarter-master Sergeant. Kearney joined the Corps in April 1900 after the Relief of Ladysmith and saw service at Laing’s Nek. His Queen’s South Africa Medal bears the single clasp “ Laing’s Nek”. He left the Corps soon afterwards to pursue a Veterinary Degree at Dublin University. No record of the medal being claimed but is the only single clasp LN medal to a colonial. HH Curson wrote an article in the SAVA Journal on the Natal Veterinary Corps. Somewhere I have a copy. I will send it on to you.