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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

SAGS (1) 1879 (2125. Pte. W. Jerome. 3/60th Foot.);
Egypt, dated reverse (1) Tel-El-Kebir (2125. Pte. H. (sic) Jerome. 3/K.R. Rif: C.);
Khedive’s Star 1882, unnamed as issued

William Jerome was born in Reading, Berkshire, and attested for the 60th Foot at Aldershot in November 1877. He served with the 3rd Battalion in South Africa, February 1879 - February 1882, including during the First Boer War. Jerome served with the Battalion in Egypt, July 1882 - December 1883, and was discharged, 7 November 1889, having served 6 years and 80 days with the Colours.

The Old 60th
Officers, 3rd and 4th Battalions, KRRC

Source: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/3...-jack?start=42#91486

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (3) Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 (8601 Pte. A. Spray, K.R.R.C.) small pawnbroker’s mark to obverse

Arthur Spray was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, in 1873, the son of lace mender Eliza Spray. He attested for the King's Royal Rifle Corps at Birmingham on 20 June 1894 and was posted from depot to the 4th Battalion at Winchester on 22 October 1894. For reasons unknown, Spray absconded just before Christmas Day in 1895, and spent almost a month on the run from the military authorities. Placed in confinement on 21 January 1896, he was tried by the District Court Martial and found guilty of desertion and loss of equipment resulting in 30 days' imprisonment with hard labour. Remarkably, less than a year later, Spray returned to the cells when given a further 14 days' hard labour on 10 December 1896, but the unexpired portion of his punishment was remitted upon Spray's agreement to transfer to the 2nd Battalion, and he headed to South Africa forthwith.

According to the recipient's Army Service Record, Spray served three terms in South Africa, from 15 December 1896 to 5 April 1899, 18 September 1899 to 26 July 1900, and 11 December 1901 to 9 October 1902. These were separated by five months in India and a brief spell back in England. Most importantly, Spray was present throughout the Siege of Ladysmith in Northern Natal, from 2 November 1899 to 27 February 1900, and returned home to give a rare firsthand account which was published in The Nottinghamshire Guardian on 28 July 1900:

'A Nottingham Soldier's Experience

At the invitation of Mr. Godfrey L. Evans, a meeting was held on Tuesday on the lawn of his residence, Hamilton-road, the chief object of the gathering being to hear an address by Private A. Spray, of the 2nd King's Royal Rifles, on "The Siege of Ladysmith..." He said that many of the soldiers looked like scarecrows, having gone seven days without a wash and with no change of underclothing. "Gentleman Joe," the name of a gun, sent his first shot on the morning of November 27th, just after breakfast, and another shell struck the ground a few feet in front of where the speaker was standing, sank six feet, and then exploded, blowing up the rough sun-shelter, and scattering the men right and left, but hurting no-one. The speaker described the various battles in which he had taken part, and the circumstances under which he was wounded in the knee. After the 6th of January, when the Boers were supposed to have lost only a few men, he saw them carting their dead and wounded all day long, under the white flag. The lecturer then described, in vivid fashion, the scene when the relief column came to Ladysmith, and said that the invalids were splendidly treated on board the hospital ship, Lismore Castle, on their way home...'

Spray was particularly fortunate that the 96-pound shell from the French-manufactured creusot gun "Gentleman Joe" had failed to find its mark, for other similar weapons including "Long Tom" and "Puffing Billy" had delivered a particularly intense barrage from 8 to 9 a.m. that morning.

Ladysmith: The Diary of a Siege points to a most unpleasant incident not far away, and taking place just minutes earlier:
'This morning a Kaffir was working for the Army Service Corps (being at that moment engaged in kneading a pancake), when a small shell hit him full in the mouth, passed clean through his head, and burst on the ground beyond.'

Referring to the events of 6 January 1900, Spray's life was saved once again when large numbers of Boers, encouraged by President Kruger, launched a major attack on Ladysmith designed to overwhelm the garrison and take the town. At Wagon Hill, a confused and fierce fight took place in the dark between the Boers and the men of the King's Royal Rifles, Gordon Highlanders and Imperial Light Horse, supported by a hotchkiss gun. The enemy retreated but the siege prevailed, and by mid-January 1900, the remaining cavalry horses had to be shot for food.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (6287 Pte. G. Morgan, K.R.R.C.);
KSA (2) (6278 [sic] Pte. T. [sic] Morgan. K.R.R.C.).

Together with a King’s Royal Rifle Corps cap badge, edge bruising, suspension claw re-affixed on QSA, with rivet filed down, very fine and better

G. Morgan served with the 3rd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps in South Africa during the Boer War.

Sold with the recipient’s original Description Card for Active Service; an envelope from the front sent to ‘W. Morgan in Milford Haven’; a vesta case; and copied medal roll extracts, the recipient’s name and number on the QSA roll being corrected from ‘6278 T. Morgan’ to ‘6287 G. Morgan’

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (6) Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, Transvaal, Orange Free State, unofficial rivets between all but the first two clasps (5579 Pte. T. Mahoney, K.R.R.C.);
KSA (2) (5579 Pte. T. Mahoney, K.R.R.C.) cleaned, very fine (2) £160-£200

Spink Numismatic Circular, December 1981.