It has been a while since we last saw one of these.
Pictures courtesy of the London medal Co.
An interesting South Africa Boer War and Great War 1919 Influenza victim pair with related rare Boer War Tribute Medal presented by The Incorporated Law Society of the United Kingdom in 1902 to Solicitors and Articled Clerks at a banquet in its hall on 18th December 1902 group awarded to Captain B.C.K. Snagg, Royal Marine Submarine Miners, late 69th Sussex Company, 7th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry and an original member of the Rye Squadron of the Sussex Imperial Yeomanry. A solicitor, who whilst in South Africa was briefly employed on civil work, first in the Civil Commissioner’s Office, and then as an assistant to Mr G.A. Fiddles, the Political Secretary to Lord Roberts, he was granted a Grand Procession through the streets of Rye on his return from South Africa on 26th June 1901, and was later commissioned during the Great War into the Royal Marine Submarine Miners, and employed at home in the building of anti-submarine defences during 1916 to 1919, before dying of influenza whilst still in service on 27th February 1919.
QSA (5) CC OFS Joh DH SA01 (16493 TPR: B.C.K. SNAGG, 69TH COY IMP: YEO:);
BWM (CAPT. B.C.K. SNAGG. R.M.)
Bertram Cecil Keith Snagg was born on 13th July 1875 on the island of St Vincent in the West Indies, but later resided in Rye, Sussex, and having trained as a solicitor, was admitted to the Bar in February 1899, and practiced in Rye.
With the outbreak of the Boer War, Snagg enlisted at Eastbourne on 24th February 1900 for service as a Trooper (No.16493) with the 69th Sussex Company, 7th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry, and then saw service in South Africa from March 1900 to June 1901, being present on operations in the Cape Colony and the Orange Free State, and in action at Johannesburg on 31st May 1900 and Diamond Hill on 11th to 12th June 1900. Whilst out in South Africa Snagg had an article published in the ‘Sussex Agricultural Express’ of 18th August 1900. in which he details that he had been away from his company for three weeks ‘engaged in Civil work, first in the Civil Commissioner’s Office, and now I am an assistant to Mr G.A. Fiddles, the Political Secretary to Lord Roberts, which post Captain Brassey obtained for me. I have a nice room to myself, very well fitted up, and in the same suite as formerly occupied
On his return from South Africa, Snagg arrived back with a fellow Rye man, Captain E.J. Cory, D.S.O., also a member of the 69th Sussex Company, shared an interesting experience when on their arrival at Rye station at 7.53 pm on 26th June 1901, the two were met at the station by Colonel Cafe, Major Morland, Vidler, Lieutenant Dawes, Mayor and Corporation, and received a Grand Procession round the town followed by a smoking concert, and ‘afterwards carried round the town shoulder high by his old comrades of the 1st Cinque Ports Rifle Volunteers’. Captain Cory who had been seconded from the 1st Cinque Ports Rifle Volunteers to the 69th Sussex Squadron for service in South Africa, would later write the book: ‘Notes from a Diary in South Africa 1900-1901’ in which he detailed the service of the 69th Squadron, and obviously of his welcome back in Rye together with Snagg. Snagg is mentioned three times in Cory’s book, and is also mentioned in ‘The Story of the Rye Volunteers’; by Leopold Amon Vidler.
Snagg was discharged on demobilisation on 1st July 1901, but on 5th December 1901 became one of the first recruits to be sworn into the newly formed Rye Troop of the Sussex Imperial Yeomanry under Major Freeman Thomas and Captain Cory D.S.O., and Snagg was then one of those Solicitors and Articled Clerks who as Boer War veterans attended the banquet held in the hall of the The Incorporated Law Society of the United Kingdom in London on 18th December 1902.
Snagg remained on service with the Rye Troop of the Sussex Yeomanry as a Sergeant, but was then discharged medically unfit in late 1903 as a result of his health having suffered in consequence of his service out there. Returning to his civil career, Snagg later moved north and practiced at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead, and entered into partnership with Mr Edward Clark at Newcastle in 1913. The partnership was dissolved in 1915, and having briefly opened an office on his own account in Shakespeare Street, Snagg once again volunteered his services, and enlisted at Newcastle on 30th March 1916 as a Private (No.1452) with the Royal Marine Submarine Miners, and being posted to ‘D’ Company of the Chatham Division. Promoted to Corporal on 1st June 1916, to Sergeant on 13th September 1916, and to Company Sergeant Major on 14th September 1916, he saw home service, and was then granted a temporary commission as a Lieutenant with the Royal Marine Sappers and Miners on 19th April 1917. Promoted to temporary Captain on 13th October 1918, Snagg did not see service overseas and was stationed with the Tyne Division from April 1917 and at Felixstowe from December 1917, and on 21st February 1919 was admitted to Chatham Royal Naval Hospital suffering from influenza, as a result of which he died on 27th February 1919, being buried in Rye Cemetery, Sussex, where his second wife, Kate Fuller Keith Snagg lived.