Four: Warrant Officer Class 2 F. Kent, Royal Engineers, late North Staffordshire Regiment - awarded the ‘Borough of Stafford’ Tribute Medal

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, South Africa 1901, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg (7148 Pte., Vol. Coy. N. Staff. Regt.) clasps mounted in that order and loose on ribbon; British War and Victory Medals (109012 W.O. Cl. 2, R.E.); Borough of Stafford Tribute Medal 1901, obverse, a castle with four towers, Stafford knots to each side, ‘Borough of Stafford, W. C. T. Mynors, Mayor’, reverse, a mounted trooper and a soldier knelt to his side, ‘South African Campaign 1901’(Lance Corpl. F. Kent F. Co. 2nd V.B. Nth. Staffs. Regt.) 38.4mm., silver, ring suspension (slack), good very fine and better, last scarce (4) £700-800

Frederick Kent was born at 1 Malt Mill Lane, Stafford and baptised at St. Austin’s on 17 August 1873. In the 1891 Census he was living at Stafford Castle and was employed as a Telegraph Clerk at the Railway Telegraph Office at Stafford. In March 1900 he volunteered for service in South Africa with the Volunteer Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment. Going out to South Africa in March 1900 on the S.S. Ninevah, the battalion returned home to a heroes welcome in May 1901 when he and the other volunteers were granted the Freedom of the Borough of Stafford and were subsequently awarded a tribute medal by the borough. His name is also recorded on a plaque now held in the Royal British Legion Club in Stafford - he is listed as being in ‘F’ Company, 2nd Volunteer Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment. He married Lilly Isabella Pellington Collins in 1912. During the Great War he again volunteered and saw service with the Royal Engineers and attained the rank of Warrant Officer 2nd Class. Both before and after the war he served as a Clerk in the Telegraph Office. He retired as Deputy Clerk in Charge of the L.M.S. Telegraph Office at Crewe on 30 September 1933. Latterly living at 44 Clumber Avenue, Newcastle-under-Lyme, he died and was buried at Castle Church, Stafford on 3 May 1941.

With copied Q.S.A. roll extract confirming the award of the ‘South Africa 1901’ clasp only; m.i.c.; together with other copied research which includes an extract of a letter sent home from South Africa and a photocopied photograph of the recipient in later life.