TOPIC:

Can anyone confirm that this man served in the ABW?

Two month's hard labour was the sentence passed at Tower Bridge yesterday on Harry Jakes (30), of Salisbury House, Westminster Bridge-road. He had served in the 1st Battalion Scots Guards during the war in South Africa, and had received two medals and six bars for fighting at Belmont, Magersfontein, Modder River, and Belfast. He was now on Reserve pay. His offence was living on the improper earnings of a woman.

Evening Express, Wednesday 21st April 1909

Berenice
I had a trawl through my "Guards" CD and did not find any "Harry Jakes, SG". However, I did find "2339 Pte. Harry JAQUES 1st SG" who was entitled to clasps "Belmont", "Modder River", "Dreifontein" and "Belfast". It is possible that the reporter at the trial could have recorded the name phonetically. I could have missed a "JAKES" as some of the handwriting of the "J's" was a bit rough.
Regards
IL.

Living off "improper" earnings, nothing new there then!

BereniceUK wrote: Can anyone confirm that this man served in the ABW?

EX-GUARDSMAN'S FALL.

Two month's hard labour was the sentence passed at Tower Bridge yesterday on Harry Jakes (30), of Salisbury House, Westminster Bridge-road. He had served in the 1st Battalion Scots Guards during the war in South Africa, and had received two medals and six bars for fighting at Belmont, Magersfontein, Modder River, and Belfast. He was now on Reserve pay. His offence was living on the improper earnings of a woman.

Evening Express, Wednesday 21st April 1909

Frank Kelley wrote: Living off "improper" earnings, nothing new there then!

I do like to find out what some soldiers got up to after the war!

After asking on the Great War Forum if anyone knew whether Jaques served in that war, I got one response - "He deserted on 1 Oct 1910 following his conviction." He doesn't show up as having served in WW1, so if he did it must have been under an assumed name.