TOPIC: Medals to the Gordon Highlanders

Picture courtesy of DNW

IGS 1895 (3) 3 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (3593 Pte. R. Muir 1st Bn. Gord: Highrs.);
QSA (5) CC OFS Joh Belf 01 (3593 Pte. R. Muir, Gordon Highrs:)
Army Temperance Association Medal ‘India’ and Total Abstinance Medal ‘India’ with 2 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895, Frontier 1897-8

Robert Muir enlisted on 2 December 1890. He gave his age as 19 years one month and was born in West Cranston, Cumberland. Prior to joining the Gordons he had belonged to the 3rd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. He served in India from February 1892 and returned at the end of October 1898. He rejoined the colours on mobilisation on 9th October 1899 and sailed with the first battalion to South Africa the following month. He returned home on 28 October 1901, and served for a further year before being discharged as time expired.

Another bun wallah, notwithstanding, still really quite rare and very nice to see.

djb wrote:

Picture courtesy of DNW

IGS 1895 (3) 3 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (3593 Pte. R. Muir 1st Bn. Gord: Highrs.);
QSA (5) CC OFS Joh Belf 01 (3593 Pte. R. Muir, Gordon Highrs:)
Army Temperance Association Medal ‘India’ and Total Abstinance Medal ‘India’ with 2 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895, Frontier 1897-8

Robert Muir enlisted on 2 December 1890. He gave his age as 19 years one month and was born in West Cranston, Cumberland. Prior to joining the Gordons he had belonged to the 3rd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. He served in India from February 1892 and returned at the end of October 1898. He rejoined the colours on mobilisation on 9th October 1899 and sailed with the first battalion to South Africa the following month. He returned home on 28 October 1901, and served for a further year before being discharged as time expired.

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (5) CC OFS Joh Belf 01 (8084 Pte. A. Thomson, Gordon Highrs:)

An unrecorded 9-carat gold tribute medal from the Aberdeenshire town of Ellon, obverse standing soldier with crossed rifles behind, ‘South African Campaign 1899-1901’ around, the reverse inscribed ‘Pte. Arthur Thomson from Ellon Friends’, hallmarked Birmingham 1900, 38mm, unmounted but traces of suspension evident.

This group has been lying in my collection for some years. The medals reflect a typical life of a serviceman coming to South Africa to fight and then staying to make a life. Private T Stork came to SA with the Gordon Highlanders and, judging from the clasps on his QSA , saw a fair bit of action . He was wounded at Paardeberg on 18th February 1900. The QSA roll notes that he left the regiment to join the Johannesburg Police. He must have been a policeman for quite a while as in 1913 he won the rather fine Mayoral Shooting Trophy medal. He was a Sergeant at that stage. He was subsequently awarded the SA Police Faithful Service Medal . His rank is shown as Head Constable. I have never known where a Head Constable fits in the police hierarchy . Maybe someone can help ?
many thanks
Mike

Thomas Stork served in South Africa from the 9th of November 1899, having been recalled to the Colours, from the Reserve, exactly a month before.
He retransferred to the Army Reserve in South Africa after Vereeniging, on the 1st of August 1902, serving within it until discharge upon the 31st of March 1904
A really very pleasing group, I found his Furlough Gratuity of thirty eight pounds, three shillings and seven pennies slightly amusing, although, I dare say both the War Office and in particular, the, by now, desperately poor Exchequer would not have done so.

mike rowan wrote: This group has been lying in my collection for some years. The medals reflect a typical life of a serviceman coming to South Africa to fight and then staying to make a life. Private T Stork came to SA with the Gordon Highlanders and, judging from the clasps on his QSA , saw a fair bit of action . He was wounded at Paardeberg on 18th February 1900. The QSA roll notes that he left the regiment to join the Johannesburg Police. He must have been a policeman for quite a while as in 1913 he won the rather fine Mayoral Shooting Trophy medal. He was a Sergeant at that stage. He was subsequently awarded the SA Police Faithful Service Medal . His rank is shown as Head Constable. I have never known where a Head Constable fits in the police hierarchy . Maybe someone can help ?
many thanks
Mike