Nine: Sergeant W. Brown, Gordon Highlanders, Scottish Horse, 8th South African Infantry (Transvaal Scottish), and Union Defence Force

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, with unofficial top retaining rod (8160 Pte. W. Brown, Gordon Highrs:); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (339 Tpr: W. Brown. Scot: Horse); 1914-15 Star (L/Cpl. W. Brown 8th Infantry.); British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (L/Cpl W. Brown. 8th Infantry.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, these all officially named ‘32533 W. Brown’; together with a rare Gordon Highlanders fob medal, gold (9ct., 7.49g), the obverse engraved ‘B. Coy., 6th V.B., Gordon Highlanders’, the revere engraved ‘Pte. W. Brown, South African War 1902’, very fine and better, the tribute medal rare (10) £440-£480

Sold with a photographic image of the men of the 6th Volunteer Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, in which the recipient is identified; and copied research, including an article written about the recipient during the Second World War:
‘Over-age but in the Army. Among the latest batch of South Africans to return to the Union on leave from North Africa is Sergeant W. “Dad” Brown, a member of the 2nd Battalion, Transvaal Scottish. A veteran of four campaigns with snowy white hair, he has been sent back because he is over-age.
“If they give me a change, I will go back again”, Sergeant Brown said. However, he confessed that the pace of modern battle made this “A young man’s war.”
“I am convinced after having been in the thick of it”, he said, “That it takes a young man to stand the pace in the front line. My spirit was, and still is, very willing, but somehow my body just could not always keep pace.”
He is full of praise for the fighting qualities of the present generation of South Africans. “They are grand fighters”, he said, “And in spite of reverses their morale is splendid.”
The returned men, about one hundred of them, acted as escort to one thousand Italian prisoners.’