Orders, Decorations and Medals

BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY MEDAL 1890-97, reverse undated, 1 clasp, Mashonaland 1890 (Tpr. RJ. Fildes, B.S.A.C.P.) very fine and scarce

Only 200 medals were issed for Mashonaland 1890, 110 to the B.S.A. Co. Police. Trooper Robert James Fildes was born at Eccles, Manchester, on 28th February, 1868, educated at Eton, and then took employment in a textile factory which was owned by his father. But he found this uncongenial, and so married and came to South Africa. Here he joined the Company on 10th December, 1889 and served in B Troop, but was discharged on 7th July, 1890 before the march of the Pioneer Column. He remained in South Aftica, was wounded during the Boer War of 1899-1902, after which he and his family returned to England. Here they remained for a short while, and then came backto South Africa, where Fildes set up as a building contractor. This was not a success so he started a small boarding-house at Woodstock, Capetown, where he lived until his death on 25th June 1953. He came to Southern Rhodesia in 1930 for the fortieth anniversary of the Occupation of Mashonaland, and was then presented with the 1890 Mashonaland Medal.