Orders, Decorations and Medals Including five Special Collections

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1877-8-9 (1005 Pte. J. Smith, 2-24th Foot) minor edge bruise, otherwise extremely fine £8000-10000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Gordon Everson.

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Collection

Ex Rev. Hawkes Field Collection.

John Smith was present as a Private in “B” Company at the defence of Rorke’s Drift, 22nd/23rd January 1879, and was wounded in the abdomen by an assegai.

Born at All Saints, Wigan, Lancashire, John Smith enlisted at Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, on 24 December 1876, having previously served in the 7th Royal Lancashire Militia. He was then aged 25 and was posted to the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, in the 25th Brigade. He served in South Africa from 1 February 1878, during the Kaffir War of that year and in the Zulu War of 1879, being present at Rorke’s Drift where he was wounded by an assegai contusion of the abdomen. Granted Good Conduct Pay at 1 penny per diem from 14 April, Smith was admitted to hospital at Pietermaritzburg on 8 July 1879, where he was treated for a sprain, the result of an accident. He was consequently recommended for a change of climate and returned home to Netley Hospital in September 1879. He was admitted to hospital at Brecon in December, for treatment to a sprained left ankle, and remained there until the following February. In July 1880 he was transferred to 1st Class Army Reserve, Bury District, Lancashire, but he rejoined the Colours on 1 March 1881, becoming a Private in the 2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment. Returning immediately to South Africa, Smith was admitted to hospital in Natal after suffering a rupture from lifting heavy weights while on the line of March on 10 May 1881, and remiained in hospital until 6 October 1881. He returned home in March 1882 and was admitted to hospital at Dublin, where he was examined by a Medical Board and declared unfit for further service on 8 June 1882. He was consequently discharged from the army on 26 June 1882.

His discharge papers note specially that he still had an outstanding claim for ‘compensation for kit lost at Isandhlwana, Zululand; ditto for shirt and trousers issued for fatigue work at Fort Melville, Rorke’s Drift; ditto for tunic left by order in [?] at Pieter Maritzburg when ordered to the front in Oct or Nov 1878,’ and also confirm his wound, ‘Wounded - Contusion of the Abdomen at Rorke’s Drift during defence 22nd January 1879.’ During the defence the regiment had 13 men killed or died, and 10 men wounded.