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Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (3) Defence of Kimberley, Orange Free State, Transvaal (5065 Pte. W. Geary, 1:L.N.Lanc: Regt.);
KSA (2) (5065 Pte J. Geary. L.N.Lanc: Regt).

Wellington Geary was born at Blackburn, Lancashire on 16 July 1876, the son of Richard and Phoebe Geary. Like many people in that area he worked in the cotton trade, being employed as a weaver prior to enlistment. Attesting for service with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment on 11 February 1895 Geary served with them for a year before joining the Regiment at the Depot on 11 February 1895. Posted to Ceylon with the 1st Battalion, Geary saw garrison service here for over two years.

As tensions in South Africa rose the Battalion was posted there to join the British forces preparing to defend Cape Colony in the event of war. Half of the Battalion - some four companies- was sent to Kimberly to garrison it against a possible siege, as the town was at that stage occupied by none other than Cecil Rhodes. When war broke out the Boer's did indeed move to invest Kimberly and the men of 1st Battalion including Smith, were forced to defend the position under very trying circumstances. Meanwhile relations between Lieutenant-Colonel Kekewich and Rhodes reached breaking point.

The siege lasted 4 months before they were finally relieved by General French's Cavalry Division which embarked upon a wild ride through the veldt to the town. In the aftermath, Kekewich was removed as commander of the garrison at the insistence of Rhodes and the Battalion took no part in the set-piece actions of the war. Instead they saw service in Orange Free State and later Transvaal with the British columns hunting rogue Commandos through the guerrilla phase of the conflict.

Returning to Britain at the end of hostilities Smith stayed on Home Service until 26 February 1903 when he was posted to the Army Reserve. Working as a railway labourer at Blackburn whilst a reservist he was finally discharged on 10 February 1912, dying at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn on 24 November 1947

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (1) Defence of Kimberley (7091 Gnr: C. Bull, 23rd W.D., R.G.A.);
KSA (2) (7091 Gnr: C. Bull. R.G.A.)

Charles Bull. QSA and KSA verified.

A chance for a re-unite and also a rarely seen Kimberley Town Guard discharge certificate


Pictures courtesy of Spink

[ CGHGSM (1) Basutoland (Pte PAVG) ];
[ QSA (1) (LTG) ];
Kimberley Star. 'a', contemporarily engraved 'T. Nothard'

Tom Nothard further entitled to the Cape of Good Hope General Service 1880-97, 1 clasp, Basutoland and Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Defence of Kimberley. These were sold, together with an unnamed Kimberley Star, in the Gould Collection at DNW in September 2002.

No 3 supply depot.

CGHGSM/QSA/KStar DNW September 2002 £400. Monarch Medals August 2003 £575

Sold together with his Kimberley Town Guard Certificate of Discharge, Martial Law Pass, Permission Card, Arms & Ammunition Permit and carte-de-visite of him by C. Dickinson, Port Elizabeth.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

CGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland (Pte. J. Harper. Kimby. Rifs.);
BSACM reverse Rhodesia 1896 (Troopr. J. Harper. M.R.F.);
QSA (1) Defence of Kimberley (52 Sjt: J. Harper. Kimberley Vol: Regt.);
KSA (2) (52 Cpl. J. Harper. Kimb: Vol: Regt.);
Kimberley Star, ‘a’

Non effective 13 September 1900. Discharged 16 February 1902.

Hopefully the Kimberley Star to Nothard was re-united with its QSA. It sold for a hammer price of GBP 450. Totals: GBP 558. R 12,460. AUD 1,020. NZD 1,110. CAD 920. USD 690. EUR 620

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QSA (1) Defence of Kimberley (Doctor A. H. Watkins. Kimb: Town Guard.) officially re-impressed naming;
Kimberley Star, ‘a’,

MID London Gazette 8 May 1900 (Kekewich, Kimberley, 15 February 1900).



Arnold Hirst Watkins was born in England in 1851 and educated in Scotland. he arrived in South Africa in 1875 and worked as a doctor in Boshof until 1885 when he moved to Kimberley.

He was one of the 9 Civilian Medical Officers under siege in Kimberley whose QSAs were issued off a roll signed by Kekewich in London on 2 September 1902. Both Watkins and Doctor J. E. Mackenzie were mentioned for their “energy and zeal” when they went out with an ambulance party after dark on 29 November (Carter’s Ridge skirmish when Colonel Scott-Turner was killed) to minister to the needs of the wounded.

He served as a member of Parliament between 1910 and 1921. He died in 1927.