TOPIC:

In the forthcoming DNW auction there is QSA listed that is partially named. There is no attribution to the medal and it is listed as:

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Orange Free State (535 Serjt. E. L. R........Bde.) naming partially erased, very fine.

It seems a shame not to at least try to identify this man even if the reasons why he would erase is surname may never be known.

A search of the Ancestry site by regimental number does match this number but none of the listed men match the initials.

There are only 3 people with these initials, one nurse (Ferguson), one man called Bennett in the ASC and another called Cologuhoun in the RAMC. None of these would have Bde as part of their unit.

So far, a conundrum.

Regards
David

David

Do you know what units involved in the ABW would have their designations ending in "Bde"? Is 'Rifle Brigade' one of them?

Regards
Brett

Brett,

That's a good question and one I'm not sure I know the answer to.

There are some possibilities:

- Rifle Brigade
- St John Ambulance Brigade
- 10th Brigade Field Hospital - presumably names to the RAMC
- 20th Brigade Bearer Company - presumably would not end in Bde
- Staff 2nd Brigade Division RHA - presumably RHA

In terms of QSA naming, I have seen Rifle Brigade as Rifle Bge. and SJAB as St. John Amb Bge.

These look the most likely options.

Regards
David

In the Rifle Brigade, there is a 535 Pte F Bown,

Not a great match for initials but a possibility?

Another possibility is that the regimental number has also been tampered with? Three digits for Imperial units are known but 4 would be more common.