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Indeed, they were very exceptional soldiers!

djb wrote: Patrick,

An Elandslaagte and to the Manchesters, you are ticking all the boxes!

Congratulations on your first of many such clasps.
David

Frank always appreciates any medal to this particular battalion.
This particular one is a very typical example and would have been presented to Baugh on the 17th of April 1903 by Sir Arthur Dorward in his capacity of Officer Commanding Straits Settlements, Baugh would have received his KSA from Dorward on the 20th of October that very same year, I hope that, if it still exists, you are able to obtain it one day.
Going back to 1895, it's always nice to see Lynch Prioleau attesting men as fit for service in the battalion and in particular, local lads, actually from Manchester, I've often wondered if he might have been rather concerned by all those cockney's around that point in time.
The regiment was just so bloody good, I honestly do believe that Arthur Curran must really have had a lump in the throat moment on the 31st of May 1902 upon having to hand over his men to John Watson, a very safe pair of hands, but, it could not have been easy for him, he had taken his men through the campaign from it's very beginning and although he did not know it at that point, he had taken them to it's end, a telegraph was received the following day confirming the war was, at long last, over.
I dare say Baugh would have very pleased indeed to leave Tanglin Barracks and return home to Manchester, after all his service out on the veldt!

pjac49 wrote: 4801 Pte C Baugh Manchester Regiment 1st Battalion

My first Elandslaagte. I hope Frank in particular will appreciate one to the Manchesters.

Charles Baugh, a labourer , enlisted on 16 December 1895. After serving at Home until 17 Nov 97, he was stationed in Gibraltar. His South Africa service started on 18 Nov 1899 and continued until 10 March 1903. He was then stationed in Singapore before joining the Army Reserve on 30 Nov 03, finally terminating his engagement on 15 Dec 1911.

He clearly put in a good shift in S Africa, with over three and a half years there. I would love to find his KSA!

Patrick

Frank,

Thanks for the additional information.

Any advice from yourself and other members on how to start looking for the KSA? I'm not really a medal collector ( or at least I wasn't until QSA's caught my imagination), so I'm not familiar with how to locate missing medals.

Patrick

I'm afraid there is not a lot you can do other than inform as many people as possible, on forums, in trade publications and perhaps an advertisement in Medal News, beyond those, it is merely a case of keeping your ear close to the ground, a single KSA, until quite recently was worth little, but, these days people will look at a particular recipients full entitlement and price such a medal accordingly.

Frank

Belated thanks for the advice. I remembered that I have actually already been involved in a sort of 'reunification' of a medal to the Manchesters. Three years ago I picked up quite cheaply a 1914-15 star to 2201 Pte S Holland. I googled him to see if I could find out more and immediately found that somebody ,via the Manchester Regiment Forum, was looking to add to her information about him. This turned out to be his great-niece now living in Australia. The medal now resides there - it means a lot more to her than it ever would to me. He was 7th battalion and entered the Egypt Theatre on 5 11 1914.

Patrick

Yes indeed, it is always a great shame when medals were split up and lost to the recipient and/or his family, it certainly was a very fine regiment and from my way of thinking it really does not make any difference to me whether it was Manchester Fort on the 6th of January 1900 or Manchester Hill on the 21st of March 1918, or, for that matter, half a hundred other places, before and after.