Medals and awards

Gold medals, to:

 

7306 Corporal John H. VAUGHAN

7310 Private Percy Samuel EVANS

7312 Private H. HUGHES

7308 Private George JONES

7313 Private George LANGTON

7309 Private William G. TILLING

7307 Private G. WILLIAMS

 

Presentation made by General Sir Hugh Rowlands, V.C., in the Drill Hall, Carnarvon.

 

Inscribed (North Wales Express, 19/07/1901): "Presented to Trooper-Councillor R. Gordon Roberts on his return from active service in South Africa".

 

Gordon-Roberts received a second medal from the Incorporated Law Society

 

Obverse with the civic arms and motto of Carnarvon: "S’COMUNITATIS VILLE D’RARNARVAN".

Reverse (1): "PRESENTED / BY THE / BURGESSES OF CARNARVON / TO / [PTE. JOHN WILLIAMS / 3rd Vol. Batt. Royal Welsh Fusiliers] / On His Return from / Active Service / In SOUTH AFRICA / MAY 1901".

Reverse (2): "PRESENTED BY THE / BURGESSES OF CARNARVON / TO TROOPER / R. Gordon Roberts / 30TH COY 9TH BATT IMPERIAL / YEOMANRY - PEMBROKESHIRE / on His Return from Active / Service in the SOUTH / AFRICAN CAMPAIGN / JULY 1901".

 

Note: the medals distributed in May and that given to Trooper Gordon-Roberts in July have different maker's marks. The original batch have the initials "W.J.H" (for William James Holmes, Birmingham) and no date letter; the Gordon-Roberts medal has maker's initials "J.F" (for James Fenton), and Birmingham hallmarks for 1901. The style and execution of the engraving to the reverse of the two types is also different, as is the suspension loop.

 

The Sheffield Independent of 13/05/1901 states that 37 medals were presented - "The Volunteers [belonging to the Carnarvon district], numbering 37, marched to the Drill Hall, where they were presented with gold commemorative medals". This is almost certainly incorrect and is at odds with the report in the Carnarvon Herald.

Private John Williams example sold through Dix Noonan Webb, 13/09/2012, for £3,300.

Trooper Richard Gordon-Roberts example sold through Noonan's, 18/01/2023, for £3,800 (with Incorporated Law Society tribute medal, QSA and KSA).

 

 

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Liverpool Echo, 11th May 1901 (Report 1 - nine recipients)

 

THE RETURN OF WELSH VOLUNTEERS.

CARNARVON.

Last night a number of Carnarvon Volunteers who were returning home from South Africa were accorded a most enthusiastic reception by the townspeople. At the Drill Hall they were presented with gold medals on behalf of the town, in commemoration of patriotic services. Short congratulatory addresses were delivered, after which the medals were handed to the men by General Sir Hugh Rowlands, V.C. Nine of these souvenirs were presented, the recipient of one of them being Miss Lucy Bulkeley WILLIAMS, who was on the Welsh Hospital staff.

 

 

Liverpool Echo, 11th May 1901 (Report 2 - four recipients)

 

THE RETURN OF WELSH VOLUNTEERS.

GREAT RECEPTION AT CARNARVON.

RETURN OF THE WELSH VOLUNTEERS.

DEMONSTRATION AT CARNARVON.

Carnarvon was gay with bunting on Friday evening and Saturday. The volunteers attacked to the 3rd V.B. Royal Welch Fusiliers were expected home from South Africa, and they came. Arrangements had been made to grive them an official reception and a welcome by the town council, but as luck would have it, they came to Carnarvon by special train, and reached the station fully twenty minutes before they were expected. They were kept there waiting until the corporation arrived upon the scene, headed by the band of the battalion, under the leadership of Mr P. Ayres, and followed by the A and L Companies, in charge of Major Paynter and Captains J. Williams and Lloyd Griffith.

Or the platform, Major Paynter and Captain Williams gave the men a hearty welcome, and expressed their joy at seeing them safe home again. They shook hands with each of the 37 men and the Deputy-Mayor (Mr R. 0. Roberts) also addressed them on behalf of the burgesses. The route from the station to the Drill Hall was lined with spectators, frantic with joy, waving handkerchiefs and shouting "Hurrah", and the windows of the buildings all along the route had been filled with those anxious to see the returned heroes. It was quite pathetic to notice the greetings the Carnarvon lads received from their parents when they set eyes on each other.

RETURN HOME OF COUNCILLOR GORDON ROBERTS.

ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION.

PRESENTATION OF A GOLD MEDAL.

The people of Carnarvon, usually phlegmatic, displayed a great deal of enthusiasm on Friday night on the occasion of the return home of Mr R. Gordon Roberts (of the firm of Messrs Nee and Gordon Roberts), and a member of the Carnarvon Town Council, who had served with the Pembrokeshire Yeomanry in South Africa. Mr Roberts was received at the railway station by the Mayor (Mr R. O. Roberts) and members of the Town Council, and his subsequent appearance in the station yard was greeted with great cheering by the immense crowd that had congregated to welcome the hero of the hour. A procession, consisting of the Rifle and Artillery Volunteers (in command of Captains J. Williams, W. Lloyd Griffith, and W. C. Whiskin), and the Mayor and Corporation, having been formed, the bands of the two corps struck up a well-known air, and a start was made towards the Guild Hall, where the presentation of a gold medal was to be made to Councillor Roberts, in recognition of his services to the Empire. The streets leading from the station were lined with people who cheered vociferously, and waved handkerchiefs and bannerettes as the procession, with Mr Gordon Roberts in its midst, went by. No sooner had the hall been reached than it was filled to overflowing, Mr Gordon Roberts being carried shoulder high to the platform by two Volunteers in khaki, who recently returned from South Africa. The proceedings were presided over by the Mayor, who was supported on the platform by members of the Town Council and others.

The Mayor said that they had gathered together to extend to their fellow-townsman, Trooper-Councillor R. Gordon Roberts, a welcome home (cheers). They were all pleased to see him amongst them once again looking so well after the hard work he must have had to do in South Africa. It was his duty that night, on behalf of the people of Carnarvon, who had given Councillor Roberts a most hearty reception, to present the latter with a gold medal similar to the one presented to other Carnarvon Volunteers who had returned from the war. On one side were the arms of the borough, and on the other was the following inscription —"Presented to Trooper-Councillor R. Gordon Roberts on his return from active service in South Africa".

The medal was then handed by the Mayor to Councillor Gordon Roberts amid great and continued cheering, followed by the singing of "He's a jolly good fellow”.

WAR MEDAL. — Mr Jack Hughes, a returned volunteer, who at one time was a popular Carnarvon football player, was last week presented by his Worship the Mayor with a gold medal, similar to those given to other Carnarvon volunteers who went to the front.

 

 

 

 

Incororated Law Society and Carnarvon tribute medals presented to Trooper Richard Gordon-Roberts, 30th (Pembrokeshire) Company, 9th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry