Here is another medal out of my collection. It is a Queens South Africa medal to 635 Pte W. Haly of the Rifle Brigade.
The medal came with his original service Parchment Certificate and also his Soldiers Account Book. The tin that is shown with the medal is the Queen Victoria 1900 Christmas Tin and also a handkerchief which also accompanied the group.
William Haly was a native of Madron, Penzance, Cornwall. Prior to joining the British Army in 1890 he had been employed as a "Boatman" and had also been a member of the Plymouth Militia Division Royal Engineers. He was 18 years and 3 months of age when he enlisted for service with the British Army on the 28th April 1890, for a period of 7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Army Reserve. Appointed a "Bugler", William experienced considerable and varied overseas service in the Tropics - including garrison duty in India, China (Hong Kong)and Singapore. He served in the South African War between the dates of 28th October 1899 until the 24Th of April 1901.
He was awarded the medal with the five clasps "CAPE COLONY, RELIEF OF LADYSMITH, TRANSVAAL, LAINGS NEK, and finally SOUTH AFRICA 1901" the last clasp being loose on the ribbon has this was issued after the medal had been awarded.The medal is the second type with the erasure of the dates on the reverse..
William Haly served with the 1st Battalion and was "Wounded in Action" at "VAAL KRANTZ" on the evening of 5-6 February 1901.
Details of the action:
"The Battle of Vaal Krantz (5 February to 7 February 1900) was the third failed attempt by General Redvers Buller's British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith. The battle occurred during the Second Boer War.
First and second attempts at relieving Ladysmith, Buller's army was defeated by Botha and his Boer army at the battles of Colenso and Spion Kop. British casualties soared to 3,000 men, while the Boers lost only a few hundred.
Buller tried to force a bridgehead across the Tugela River. After three days of skirmishing, the British general found that his position was so cramped that there was no room to drag his superior artillery up to support the British infantry attacks. Buller called a council of war and, "All his generals agreed that there was nothing for it except to try a new attempt elsewhere." Pakenham wrote that the British suffered 333 casualties. but Symonds put the British casualties at 30 dead and 350 wounded with Boers casualties were 30 dead and 50 wounded. Vaal Krantz was a minor defeat. On 14 February, Buller launched his fourth attempt at the Relief of Ladysmith and finally succeeded."
The medal came with his original service Parchment Certificate and also his Soldiers Account Book. The tin that is shown with the medal is the Queen Victoria 1900 Christmas Tin and also a handkerchief which also accompanied the group.
William Haly was a native of Madron, Penzance, Cornwall. Prior to joining the British Army in 1890 he had been employed as a "Boatman" and had also been a member of the Plymouth Militia Division Royal Engineers. He was 18 years and 3 months of age when he enlisted for service with the British Army on the 28th April 1890, for a period of 7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Army Reserve. Appointed a "Bugler", William experienced considerable and varied overseas service in the Tropics - including garrison duty in India, China (Hong Kong)and Singapore. He served in the South African War between the dates of 28th October 1899 until the 24Th of April 1901.
He was awarded the medal with the five clasps "CAPE COLONY, RELIEF OF LADYSMITH, TRANSVAAL, LAINGS NEK, and finally SOUTH AFRICA 1901" the last clasp being loose on the ribbon has this was issued after the medal had been awarded.The medal is the second type with the erasure of the dates on the reverse..
William Haly served with the 1st Battalion and was "Wounded in Action" at "VAAL KRANTZ" on the evening of 5-6 February 1901.
Details of the action:
"The Battle of Vaal Krantz (5 February to 7 February 1900) was the third failed attempt by General Redvers Buller's British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith. The battle occurred during the Second Boer War.
First and second attempts at relieving Ladysmith, Buller's army was defeated by Botha and his Boer army at the battles of Colenso and Spion Kop. British casualties soared to 3,000 men, while the Boers lost only a few hundred.
Buller tried to force a bridgehead across the Tugela River. After three days of skirmishing, the British general found that his position was so cramped that there was no room to drag his superior artillery up to support the British infantry attacks. Buller called a council of war and, "All his generals agreed that there was nothing for it except to try a new attempt elsewhere." Pakenham wrote that the British suffered 333 casualties. but Symonds put the British casualties at 30 dead and 350 wounded with Boers casualties were 30 dead and 50 wounded. Vaal Krantz was a minor defeat. On 14 February, Buller launched his fourth attempt at the Relief of Ladysmith and finally succeeded."
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