The bars on medals were normally in the sequence of the particular AO authorising them, I should not be at all concerned about it, if you encountered a medal to the 91st without the Cape Colony bar attached to the suspension, you might, quite reasonably, assume it had been messed with at some point.
Yes, I looked at your grandfather recently, a lighterman, like his father, notwithstanding, that in itself in no possible way detracts, there was a real mixture, ranging from men about town as well as tradesmen, but, the vast majority were Londoner's, sturdy types with big black moustaches, as your photograph clearly shows.
He would still have to come up to standard be accepted, they were men who could be relied upon, moreover, in those days, shooting was very popular, with very many miniature rifle clubs across the home counties, particularly in Middlesex, the Lee Metford would perhaps be a step up, but, I would think, have been little issue to him.
quote="Kathy re Coppock" post=70713]Thank you Frank. I'm on a steep learning curve with all of this. My grandfather was shipped home early due to severe 'enteric fever' (which I now understand was typhoid), arriving at Shorncliffe 18 March 1902 having become hospitalised on New Years' Eve 1901 at Norvals Pont. His discharge papers show that he was discharged in England on 19 April 1902 on "his own request". So he was lucky to miss the end of the war, but unlucky to be seriously ill. He would have wanted to recover his physical strength and return to work as a lighterman. I had to look up Vereeniging and now understand that is where the Peace Treaty was signed.
The Cape Colony bar always seems to be displayed beneath the others, so that led me to think that active service in that Colony would always take place before the other engagements.[/quote]
