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We have not seen Francis Pirie for about 6 years


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Picture courtesy of Dreweatts

IGS 1895 (2) Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (5261 Pte. Fr. Pirie 1st Bn. Gord: Hrs.)
QSA (3) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast (5261 Pte. F. Pirie, Gordon Highrs:)
KSA (2) (5261 Pte. F. Pirie. Gordon Highrs:)

Francis Pirie was born in December 1876 in the parish of St Nicholas, Aberdeen, Scotland. The 1881 census finds him living at Duncan’s Court in Aberdeen with his widowed mother and 4 brothers ages 13, 8, 3 and 1. Pirie enlisted for service with the Gordon Highlanders 11 December 1894, having previously worked as a Labourer, and having spent some time with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. He served with the first Battalion in India but when the 2nd Battalion came to replace the first he elected to remain in India. The battalion did not remain there long and were shipped to Natal in anticipation of hostilities with the Boers. Francis married Jane Slaven on Feb 24th, 1896 at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Glasgow and had two daughters and a son. (Ellen, Elizabeth and Francis).

In 1911, he joined the HLI and served in the early part of the Great War earning a 1914 trio.

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QSA (5) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Laing’s Nek, Belfast (S. Serjt: B. T. Harding. S. & T. Cps.);
KSA (2) (S. Serjt: B. T. Harding. Ind: Con: S.A.F.);
Army LS&GC EdVII (Sub Condtr. B. T. Harding S. & T.)

Part of the Bombay Command.

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IGS 1895 (2) Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (4642 Lce. Corpl. J. E. Bolton. 5th Ryl. Irish Lcrs.);
QSA (5) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Cape Colony (4642. Corpl. J. E. Bolton. 5/Lcrs.) unofficial rivets between top two clasps;
KSA (2) (4642 Serjt: J. E. Bolton. 5th Lancers.);
Army LS&GC EdVII (4642 Sq. Q.M. Sjt: J. E. Bolton. 5/Lrs.) together with two regimental cap badges.

4 officers and 10 men of the 5th Lancers entitled to the clasp for Tirah 1897-98, all attached to the Commissariat Transport Department.

Sold with copied medal roll extracts confirming all medals and clasps and a copied 28pp typed account kept by Sergeant G. Burridge, also of the 5th Lancers, of his experiences in the Boer War.

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QSA (4) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Transvaal (3949 Pte. J. Baird, 5th. Dragoon Guards)

QSA verified on WO100/113p10. His total entitlement.

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An interesting medal.

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, unofficial rivets between fourth and fifth clasps (Lieut: A. Brockie. Johan. M.R.) officially re-impressed naming, suspension claw tightened/ possibly re-riveted, edge bruising, fine.

Provenance Sotheby October 1987

Before the JMR, Adam Brockie served in the 1st ILH (489 and 698 Sergeant), 28 September 1899 to 11 October 1899 and 11 October 1899 to 12 October 1900.

He also had prior service in the 1st Royal Dragoons and BSAP.

His SA01 is from the JMR but I cannot see any reason why the QSA is named to the JMR. I would imagine he requested his ILH medal be renamed to Lieutenant, JMR. The ILH roll says QSA (4) issued 22 December 1904. There is a cross against his name on the ILH roll but no indication of an issue from another roll.

He earned the KSA (2) as Scout with the FID. KSA returned 11 November 1913

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QSA (3) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek (318 Tpr: J. Donaldson. Natal M.R.)

Served 29 September 1899 to 31 May 1902.

When it appeared at Christies in 1989 and if catalogued correctly, this medal had a quite different set of clasps