TOPIC:

If you needed more ways to spend your money, the latest Spink catalogue is now available.

There are some nice groups on offer:

The GCMG, GBE, Boer War D.S.O. Group of Seven to Lieutenant-Colonel The Lord Islington, Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, Aide-de-Camp to Lord Methuen; Later Governor and Commander-in-Chief of New Zealand

I remember years ago talking to Charles Lusted about his stock from time to time and he seemed to have these kind of groups quite regularly. He would always describe them as beinf 'top heavy' and that description sprung to mind when I saw this group.



Boer War DSO to Lieutenant-Colonel E H Cox, Royal Fusiliers


I was interested to see lot 251 which is described as:

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, one clasp, Talana (9477 Pte. W. Pratt. K.R.R.C.), good very fine Estimate £ 100-140

9477 Private W. Pratt, born Portsmouth, Hampshire; enlisted King's Royal Rifle Corps, 1896, and was serving with the 1st Battalion, when he was posted as Missing in Action at Farquhar's Farm, 30.10.1899, and was subsequently taken Prisoner of War: 'The Battalion was hard pressed, their losses on the 30th October being 3 Officers and 1 man killed, 1 Officer and 32 men wounded, besides about 30 taken prisoner. This party was sent on in advance at the Battle of Lombard's Kop, but were left behind on the general retirement of the force, no order apparently having been given for them to retire. The party endeavoured to retire, but it was too late; they were surrounded, and after a sharp fight surrendered.' (British Regiments in South Africa 1899-1902, J. Stirling, refers).



Checking my research, I think this chap went on to earn the Transvaal clasp before being invalided on 15 Oct 1900. Otherwise it would have been a rare single clasp to an Imperial unit.

Regards
David

David,
Not a great deal in this sale of Boer War, I think as far as QSA's go, their last one was much better, I feel a bit disappointed really.
I agree with you about Pratts medal, but, still a nice one for a KRRC collector.
Frank

David

The mention of Farquhar's Farm and KRRC casualties reminded me that one of the officers killed on that occasion was Major William Joseph Myers, KRRC. A colleague, Lieutenant Percival Marling VC, who was present, wrote, "Poor Molly Myers was killed. He was Adjutant of the Eton Volunteers and a right good fellow."

While I was still employed by the Durban Natural Science Museum, the Chairman of the Museum's Board of Trustees, David Bennett, investigated Major Myers and his connection to an Egyptian mummy in the Museum, which had attached to it a label with the name "Captain Myers". It transpired that this man and the Major Myers killed at Farquhar's Farm were one and the same. This veteran of the Zulu War and the later campaigns in Egypt became a noted collector of Egyptian antiquities, which are now preserved in Eton College.

It is assumed that Myers had acquired the mummy in Egypt while on route to Natal in 1899, or earlier, and that he left the mummy at the Museum for safe-keeping, intending to retrieve it when he returned home. Fate intervened and the Durban Museum became the permanent caretaker of an Egyptian curiosity that had been intended for the Myers' Collection at Eton.

So far neither the authorities at Eton, nor those in Egypt have claimed the mummy as their own, so it remains on display in Durban as an unusual relic of the Boer War.

I wonder what became of Myers' medals?

Regards
Brett

PS David Bennett wrote about Myers and the mummy in the Museum's magazine of March 2000.