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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Diamond Hill (Capt. S. Salter. Imp: Yeo:.);
[ KSA (2) ]

Together with flattened lid of named card box of issue and the Royal Mint enclosure envelope.

Philip Stanley Salter was born in Broad Clyst, Devon in 1872 and was educated at Hele’s Boys School, Exeter. He enlisted in the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry Cavalry and, following the outbreak of the war in South Africa, he volunteered at Exeter for one year with the colours for the Imperial Yeomanry on 30 December 1899. Posted 6503 Private to the 27th (Devon) Company, 7th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry he was mobilised at Topsham Barracks, Exeter on 9 January 1900. Promoted Corporal the following month he embarked with the 1st Contingent of the 27th Company for South Africa on 1 March 1900 and took part in various actions including those at Constantia Farm, Pretoria, Diamond Hill and Nooitgedacht when the 27th Company suffered 2 men killed and 11 officers and men injured.

When the 1st Contingent returned home he volunteered to continue to serve in South Africa and was granted a commission as Lieutenant in the 25th (Somerset) Company, 7th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry on 20 April 1901. Promoted Captain on 24 July 1901 he received a gun shot wound to his left arm in action at Kranspoort on 18 October 1901 whilst aiding two wounded men. Following treatment at the 19th General Hospital Pretoria he returned to the 25th (Somerset) Company only to be killed in action on 11 February 1902 when, whilst in Colonel Kekewich’s column and leading his men on foot at Rooival, Western Transvaal, he was attacked by a Boer force exceeding 1500 men. Initially buried at Boschpan and then Doorbult, his body was exhumed and he was finally buried at Ottosdal, Transvaal. A memorial tablet was later erected in his memory in St John the Baptist Parish Church, Broad Clyst.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

Egypt (1) Suakin 1885 (Lieut: R. G. Coke, 2/Scots. Gds.);
[ QSA (4) CC OFS Tr 01 (Lt IY) ]

Reginald Grey Coke was born on 10 July 1864, the son of the Honourable Henry and Lady Katherine Coke, and nephew of the Earl of Leicester. Commissioned as an Ensign and Lieutenant into the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards on 6 February 1884, and the next year saw active service in the Soudan being present during the Suakin 1885 operations, in the engagements at Hasheen and Temai. Coke married Elizabeth Wilson on 2 April 1887, and on 28 May 1887 then resigned his commission from the Scots Guards.

Coke divorced in 1888, and then married for a second time, Phyllis Susan, on 21 April 1892, she being the daughter of Francis William Bolt of Somersell, Derbyshire. With the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa, Coke was re-commissioned as a Lieutenant for service with the 10th Squadron, 3rd Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry on 20th February 1901, and then saw service out in South Africa being awarded the QSA. with the usual 4 clasps. With the cessation of hostilities he relinquished his commission on 8 August 1902.

CC, OFS, Tr on WO100/121p50. SA01 on WO100/121p57 and WO100/131p55. Invalided 8 August 1901.

Coke subsequently spent time in America and became a resident there, and it was whilst he was there that he met and began an affair with Galia, daughter of Professor Michael Hambourg and sister of the pianist Mark Hambourg, and divorced his wife, Phyllis Susan in Nebraska.

Coke however had in fact committed bigamy, as he was still married to Phyllis Susan back in England, and as such his English wife obtained grounds for divorce, which went ahead on 17 June 1908, an event which caused a press sensation with the title 'Bigamy Easy in America' appearing in the New York Times for 18 June 1908. One account stated that Coke who had married back in 1892, and his wife had had a good relationship through to 1899, but he had then travelled to Ceylon on account of financial difficulties. When she did not hear from him she became suspicious and together with her father-in-law travelled out to find him, only to find that he had apparently gone to India and met a 'young lady'. On his return the situation was discussed and reconciled however a separation followed. Under a further article titled 'The Candid Husband', apparently in 1906 Coke informed his wife that he had ended his friendship with the lady, and proposed taking Mrs Coke to St. Moritz, but instead of this offer being carried out, she received the following letter dated 4 December 1906:

'Phyllis, - I have been obliged to accept Daddy's terms.
There can be no question of my coming out to St. Moritz. I want you to understand that I don't intend ever to be with you again. I can't pretend any longer that I have the smallest feeling of affection for you.'

It appears that his wife still maintained affection for him. Having married for a third time, Galia in 1909, Coke died on 8 February 1930 leaving one son and two daughters. Both his second and third wives outlived him.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Lieut. S. G. McLean, Imp: Yeo:)

S. G. McLean was appointed Lieutenant on 1 July 1901, and served with the 6th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa during the Boer War until he retired on 20 May 1902.

Noonan's say 'The QSA Medal Roll, whilst not terribly clear, seems to imply that he was formerly of the Canadian raised Lord Strathcona’s Horse.'

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (4) Transvaal, Orange Free State, Cape Colony, South Africa 1902, unofficial rivets between clasps (Capt. W. Keyworth. 17th. Mounted Infy.) engraved naming;
[ Great War medals ]

MID London Gazette, 6 December 1916.

Walter Keyworth was born in Sandgate, Kent, on 30 April 1868. He attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst from 23 March 1889 to 23 May 1889 and was commissioned into the South Lancashire Regiment. Transferring into the Indian Staff Corps on 23 August 1890, he served in South Africa during the Boer War with the 17th Mounted Infantry. He served during the Great War as a Lieutenant Colonel with the South Lancashire Regiment on the Western Front from October 1915 and in Salonika from December 1915, for which service he was Mentioned in Despatches on 6 December 1916. He died in Teignmouth, Devon, on 6 March 1946.

He is well documented here: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/2-introductio...unted-infantry#97074

Noonan's say the lot is accompanied by with 'copied research including copied medal roll extract lacking confirmation of entitlement to any of the clasps upon his Queen’s South Africa Medal.'

WO100/211p180 does list the 4 clasps and says a QSA (4) was issued on 15 Feb 1906.

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen (Capt. P.B. Highet, Imp: Yeo:), engraved;
KSA (2) (Capt. P.B. Highet. Imp. Yeo.), engraved .

Together with Imperial Yeomanry brass insignia.

Patrick Blair Highet, of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, was born c.1876, the son of Major Hugh Macgregor Highet, and attested for service on 17 January 1900, having previously worked as an Engineer with the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company and having spent time with the Paisley Militia. Embarking for South Africa on 23 February 1900, he was commissioned very soon after on 1 March 1900, and remained in the country until 31 May 1902. He died in South Africa on 26 March 1913, and was buried in Stellawood Cemetery, Durban.

Picture courtesy of Spink

Egypt, dated reverse (1) Suakin 1885 (Capt: J. H. W. Eyton. 1/Shrops:L.I.);
QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (Major. J. H. W. Eyton. 9/Impl.Yeo.);
Khedive's Star 1882, unnamed as issued

MID London Gazette 25 August 1885.

John Hope Wynne Eyton was born at Mold, Flintshire on 19 April 1852, the son of Thomas and Katharine Wynne Eyton. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 1 February 1873 he was further advanced Lieutenant on 1 February the following year. Eyton served at home for much of his early career being again promoted, this time to the rank of Captain on 1 July 1881.

He was finally to see active service the following year when the Anglo-Egyptian War broke out and the Regiment was posted to Egypt. Eyton arrived there on 10 August 1882 and was to see action there as part of Hamley's Brigade assigned to defend Alexandria. This unit was stationed at the frontline near Kafr El Dawwar where they skirmished with Egyptian troops, distracting them from the movements of General Wolseley's army advancing on Tel-El-Kebir. They were finally also present for the surrender of Damietta. Eyton was posted to Malta the next year on 19 February 1883.

Posted to Suakin on 26 February 1885 as part of General Graham's Suakin Field Force the Shropshire Light Infantry were not present for the action at Tofrek. That is not to say however that they did not face action, especially Eyton who had been advanced Brevet Major at this point and was appointed to command the Shropshire Light Infantry Camel Company.

This unit was used to scout the area around Suakin and they faced their fair share of action during the months that Osman Digna was threatening the town. Suakin 1885 Being a Sketch of the Campaign of this Year by Major E. Gambier-Perry notes one action faced by the unit stating:

'… about one o'clock in the morning we suddenly heard a tremendous row going on just in our rear, and we thought at first that a party of the enemy had entered our horse-lines, but running out of the tent we found that the rearguard of the 53rd [Shropshire Regiment] were being attacked. It was always very difficult to make out from whence sounds came at night; the air was so clear that you could hear people shouting as if they were close to you, when in reality they were a mile or more off.

This attack on the rear-guard of the 53rd was a most audacious proceeding on the part of the enemy. The guard, fortunately for them, were lying own outside the guard-tent, while the double sentry patrolled up and down about fifteen yards in front, and behind a low-shelter trench. All at once a party of some fifteen to twenty Arabs, who had crawled towards them in the darkness, jumped up, rushed up to the parapet, fired a volley or two into the guard, and then disappeared again immediately. The guard who were under arms in a moment, fired in the direction of their retreat, but, so far as could be gathered, without effect. The casualties among them guard were three men wounded, while a fourth had his rifle knocked out of his hand by a bullet which passed straight through the stock….'

Leaving Suakin on 1 October Eyton returned home where the rank of Major was confirmed on 1 September the following year. Posted back to Egypt in December he was likely part of the British force which guarded the border against further Mahdist incursions. Further postings followed in Malta and back in Britian and Egypt before Eyton was sent to join the 1st Battalion in Hong Kong on 2 December 1891.

Whilst there he became a member of the Hong Kong Rifle Association, winning the Silver Spoons in 1894. That same year Hong Kong was wracked by a severe outbreak of plague, the government response made use of every available asset including the Shropshire Light Infantry. The role of the K.S.L.I. is outlined well by an article on the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum website which states:

'Those responsible for conducting house inspections, as well as disinfecting them, became known as the Whitewash Brigade - and this is where the KSLI came into action. Due to being stationed out in Hong Kong at the time of the outbreak, KSLI volunteers sprang into action to begin supressing the disease. Amongst other things, the KSLI were responsible for spraying/fumigating houses, whitewashing walls with lime and even clearing corpses out of houses. Those having their houses inspected would be given clean clothes and their own clothes would be sent to a disinfecting station. An article from the 1939 Hong Kong Press wrote that although the job of the KSLI was "gruesome", it was "not altogether unpopular with the soldiers. Military discipline of the Barrack Square had to disappear and with a generous rum ration, given with a view to warding off infection, they carried out their strange duties with the utmost cheerfulness".'

Eyton left Hong Kong on 21 December 1894 returning to India where he served until 29 July 1895. Joining the Reserve of Officers in 1898 he joined the Imperial Yeomanry in 1900 for service in South Africa, joining the 9th (Welsh) Company in the Orange Free State. There he saw action at Ladybrand and operations in Cape Colony.