TOPIC:

Frank,
Thank you for adding a quality item to the thread and telling the story of John, top stuff.

Paul

Frank Kelley wrote: Paul,
I have already put Trooper Anderson of the Border Mounted Rifles, which was my first QSA which I bought as a boy, on this forum, so I do have to think about a number of other "firsts" here.
I have been collecting for many years now and I have always found medals to the New Zealander's to be the hardest to find, they were very, very exceptional soldiers and I have always held them in the very highest regard.
So here is my first Kiwi, although I have bought many others down the years, this man has long been a favourite of mine.

John Edward Johnston who was a saddler from Hastings, enlisted into No 10 Company of the 4th New Zealand Mounted Rifles, the famous "Rough Riders" giving his next of kin as Ida Johnston, Washington Valley, Nelson and sailed for the Cape on board the SS Monowai from Port Chalmers on the 24th of March 1900.
He was promoted to Saddler Sergeant, after a very hard campaign, he returned home, sailing on the SS Tagus from Capetown, his regt was disbanded at Dunedin on the 21st of July 1901.
He then enlisted as a Saddler Sergeant into the North Island Regt, "C" Squadron of the 8th New Zealand Mounted Rifles and sailed for the Cape, from Auckland on board the SS Surrey in February 1902 to get back into the War!
His medal was issued from the "Rough Riders" and is named as such i.e. "RR" and not mounted rifles, with his first three clasps on WO100/294 page 86, the South Africa 1901 and 1902 clasps are from their supplementary roll in WO100/294 page 124, with his additional service shown in both.

A very typical Kiwi and a superb soldier.

Regards Frank

hi all

I got my first QSA about five years ago and I paid too much for it but it was to a Dublin Fusilier from Co. Cork in Ireland who had a brother serving in the RDF. It has six bars and is the pride of my small collection of Boer War medals.

The most recent one I got was a KSA also to a Dublin Fusilier from Dublin which I got for a more reasonable price.

My small collection is in the shadow of some of the fine medal collections displayed on this forum and I thank all who have posted for educating me.

Hi Frank, Hasting is so close to home in NZ for me. Great story, NZMR 1526 was a true soldier, unfortunately DOW in WW1, 1916 in France. Happy to look after this QSA for you, it deserves a summer holiday after a such a cool winter in the northern hemisphere? Cheers Stephen

Thanks Paul,

We were recently affected by bushfires here and it was the first item that was going in the bag if we decide the house was undefendable!! Fortunately the only item we lost was the hay barn, we can replace/rebuild that building!!

Hi Irish Brigade,
Thank you for adding your medal to the thread, any chance of adding a photo, I am sure we all would like to see it.

Paul

Irish Brigade wrote: hi all

I got my first QSA about five years ago and I paid too much for it but it was to a Dublin Fusilier from Co. Cork in Ireland who had a brother serving in the RDF. It has six bars and is the pride of my small collection of Boer War medals.

The most recent one I got was a KSA also to a Dublin Fusilier from Dublin which I got for a more reasonable price.

My small collection is in the shadow of some of the fine medal collections displayed on this forum and I thank all who have posted for educating me.

Stephen
I am pleased your property was not too badly affected, it must of been a very worrying time.
Hope things are good now.

Paul

Stephen Bayley wrote: Thanks Paul,

We were recently affected by bushfires here and it was the first item that was going in the bag if we decide the house was undefendable!! Fortunately the only item we lost was the hay barn, we can replace/rebuild that building!!