County: Lancashire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 21/05/1901, 16/07/1901, aft. 12/07/1902, 1902
Number issued: c. 50 or 65
Gold medals, to:
21/05/1901 presentation
7783 Private T. WRIGHT
and 2 unnamed volunteers (who remained in S. Africa)
16/07/1901 presentation
8992 Trooper Frank SUTTON
Aft. 12/07/1902 presentation
7929 Private Leopold WELCOME
1902 presentation (?)
POTENTIAL RECIPIENTS (assuming the 3rd Company recieved medals)
Private P. Roberts medal sold through Dix Noonan Webb, 08/09/2015, for £2,100 (with 4-clasp QSA)
ARRANGEMENTS IN SOUTHPORT.
After the dinner at Liverpool, it is hoped that the Southport contingent will be allowed to come on to Southport by the 9 p.m. train from Exchange Station, arriving at Chapel Street Station about 9.45. If this programme be adhered to and at present no reason can be assigned why it should not – the detachment will be met at the station by the whole local battalion of the K.L.R., headed by the band, from whence they will march to the Town Hall and receive an official welcome home at the hands of the Mayor and the Corporation on the Town Hall steps. After this it is probable that the rejoicings will take the form of a torchlight procession through the streets of the town, and, finally arriving at the Drill Hall, Lord Street, the men will all dismiss and return to their homes.
Preparations have been made in view of the Ormskirk contingent arriving at Ormskirk at about 8 p.m. this evening, and to be met at the station by the members of the Ormskirk Urban District Council, the local Volunteers, etc., from whence the parade to the Drill Hall has been arranged; and at Formby special arrangements have been made for a reception of their own members of the active service men. Therefore, if these arrangements hold good, there will only be about half-a-dozen men left to receive the welcome at Southport. The Formby men can conveniently come to Southport and return home on the 11.5 p.m. train, but as the railway facilities are not so convenient as regards Ormskirk, the last train from Southport being comparatively early in the evening, the Ormskirk men will be obliged to go straight from Liverpool.
There will be no church parade tomorrow, and on Monday there is nothing to take place in the form of an organised demonstration. It is on Tuesday evening that the important events in the home-coming are to take place. At six o’clock the officers and men of the three contingents will proceed to the Cambridge Hall, where the warriors will each be presented with a gold medal engraved with the battalion coat of arms, and after being addressed by the Mayor, Alderman Griffiths (Deputy-Mayor), Colonel Formby, Major J.J. Thomas, and other speakers, will be entertained to a vocal and instrumental concert arranged by Colour-Sergeant Bradshaw and other N.C.O.’s of the battalion. The doors will be open at 7 o’clock to ticket-holders (the Volunteers and their lady friends), and the platform will be occupied by the Mayor and Corporation, the officers and their ladies. At 7.45 any room that is left in the hall will be thrown open to the public. The band of the 3rd V.B. will play from 7.30 to 8, when the speech-making will commence. The evening will be brought to a close by the vocal and instrumental entertainment.
THE WELCOME AT SOUTHPORT.
On the arrival of the Southport detachment of the Liverpool Volunteers at Southport on Saturday night there was a scene of unparalleled enthusiasm. The members of the 3rd V.B. The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) paraded at their headquarters in Lord Street, and at 9 p.m. proceeded, accompanied by their band, to the Chapel Street Station. As the train conveying the detachment steamed into the station the crowd cheered and cheered again. Twenty-seven men went out. Of these six have already been invalided home, two or three have been killed, or have died of disease. It was ten o’clock before the train reached Chapel Street. On the men’s arrival the procession entered Chapel Street, when there was again tremendous cheering, and to this accompaniment and the strains of their band, the detachment marched to the Town Hall, where the Mayor addressed a few words to the men, after which they marched back to the Drill Hall.
HOME AGAIN.
SOUTHPORT’S WELCOME.
……. With the Southport men in the company, as it returned on Friday, were those of their fellows who had been invalided home as the war went on. They had gone back to Warrington with the rest in the morning, had fallen in with them, and came down in the same train. These men were: –
Corporal LEE, Private FOX, Private A. HOLDEN, Private HARDMAN, Private W. HOLDEN, Private JOHNSON, Private T. WRIGHT, Private WHITTER, Private P. EVANS.
The other men from the 3rd who came home on Friday were 14 in number. Their names are: –
Sergeant TAYLOR, Corporal BARROW, Lance-Corporal DEAN, Lance-Corporal GOULDBURN [sic], Private SHELL, Private KILBURN, Private BRADBURY, Private DRISCOLL, Private WHITEHEAD, Private McGOWAN, Private H. GOULBURN [sic], Private LOWE, Bugler H.O. RIMMER, Private MERCER. …….
……. Directly the active service detachment had reached the space in front of the Town Hall steps, a halt was called, and the Mayor, in clear, loud, distinct tones, addressed the volunteers and spectator.
The Mayor said – Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure to me to be able to welcome back to our town these active service men – (hear, hear) – and I am quite sure that this large crowd will wish to participate in that hearty welcome. (Hear, hear). The hardships through which these men have gone since they left their homes, and the dangers through which they have passed, make us all feel that the least we can do is to show that we have not been unmindful of their sacrifices. (Hear, hear). It is a matter of profound thankfulness that they have passed through their dangers, seen and unseen, and they come back to be welcomed by their town and by their families. (Applause). However we may love peace, and however horrible we may think war, we always, and at all times, can admire the bravery and endurance of the British soldier, who is noted throughout the world for these two qualities. (Applause). I hope, now that the men have returned home, that they will enjoy in a very high degree the pleasure of being surrounded by their friends and the comforts of their homes, of which they have been so long deprived – (applause), – and I still hope that their highest aspirations will be to be able serve their fellow men and their country in some form or another. (Applause). I will not keep you any longer tonight for I am quite sure you are tired. I have great pleasure in inviting the men who have returned to meet me in the Mayor’s Parlour on Tuesday night and join me at dinner. (A voice: “And a good welcome”). After that, there will be a meeting in the Cambridge Hall, when gold medals will be presented to all the men who have returned. This will be followed by a concert, given by the members of the battalion, and on that occasion I hope to have the pleasure of addressing a few more words to you. Before you separate, I would like to ask you to give three ringing cheers, first for the King, and then for the men who have returned.
PUBLIC GATHERING AT THE CAMBRIDGE HALL.
PRESENTATION OF MEDALS.
The active service men, whose names are given in connection with the dinner in the Mayor’s Parlour, then marched singly on to the platform, and were presented by the Mayoress with the medals which had been provided for them. Each man was heartily cheered as he received the tangible token of his prowess at the front.
The medals are of solid gold, having a crown relieved with red enamel on the top, with laurel leaves at each side, and the words “3rd V.B.K.L. Regiment” in gold letters on a blue enamel ribbon at the base. The centre shows the regimental crest, arms and mottoes in relief, and on the back of each medal is engraved the words: “South African War, 1900-1”, together with the recipient’s name. Each medal is given in a nice leather case, on which is stamped in gold letters, “3rd V.B.K.L.R.” They have all been specially designed and manufactured for this occasion by Mr G.P. Monk, jeweller, 113 Lord Street, Southport.
THE CORPORATION AND THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.
Referring to the shilling fund for the medals which had been presented, he (Councillor Trounson) said it was a new idea in Southport. As a rule, the same people were applied to over and over again for donations for various things, and as he had been the collecting medium in many cases he had become heartily sick of it. The idea of the shilling subscription was due to his wife, and it had been a great success. They had been able to procure sufficient number of medals for the volunteers who had returned, while a medal would also be given to the mother of each of the two men who had lost their lives in South Africa. (Applause). The medals are similar to those which were presented to the Halifax volunteers on their return, the chief difference being that they were gold, while those at Halifax were silver. A medal would also be given to the member of the Southport service section who had remained in South Africa, and had gone into business there; and also to the man who had been invalided home and had rejoined and had gone back with the second section. (Applause).
PRESENTATION TO FORMBY YEOMEN.
At the Drill Hall of the 3rd V.B.K.L.R. on Tuesday gold medals were presented to Sergeant Harry FISHER and Troopers F. SUTTON, Ernest ARDERN, and R. PECK, who went out from Southport as members of the Imperial Yeomanry and served in South Africa. The presentation took place after the battalion had done outpost duty on the shore. Colonel Formby was in command, and the other officers included Major Rigg, Major and Adjutant Campbell, Capt. A. Brown, Capt. Hawes, Lieutenants Tait, Papyanni, Hanson, Bower, Baddeley, Stewart, etc. The Formby section was present, and altogether about 140 men were on parade. The bugle band was in attendance. The men returned to the Drill Hall about 9.30, where they were formed up. The sergeant and three troopers who were to receive the medals were waiting, and others present included his Worship the Mayor (Councillor Dr Isherwood), Councillor Trounson, and the Town Clerk (Mr J.E. Jarratt).
Col. Formby, addressing those assembled, said they welcomed back several of their number who didn’t go with the service company, but who had been nevertheless serving their country in South Africa in the mounted portion of the force. Their own men who went out in the service company came back again, but they had Sergeant FISHER and three others who belonged to them, who had returned since, and the Mayor had most kindly consented to come and give them medals the same as the town gave for the service company. He would now ask his Worship to present the medals. (Applause).
The Mayor then handed the medals to the four yeomen named, and the Colonel announced that two others who had gone out had died, namely Troopers ROBINSON and Peter PATTEN, and he asked if there were any representatives of the deceased troopers present. There was no one present on behalf of ROBINSON, but Mr Thomas Patten, father of Trooper PATTEN (who died of wounds), stepped forward and received the medal as a memento of the services of his deceased son.
THE SOUTHPORT CONTINGENT.
