Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Elandslaagte (5323 Pte. J. Hall, Manchester Regt.) officially re-impressed naming, good very fine £80-120

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards for the Boer War formed by Doug Jenkins.

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John Hall was born in Glossop, Derbyshire, in 1878, and attested for the Manchester Regiment at Manchester on 27 October 1897, having previously served in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment. With the 1st Battalion he served in Gibraltar, November 1897-August 1899 and in South Africa, August 1899-February 1900, being wounded in action at Elandslaagte, 21 October 1899 - suffering a wound to his left leg. Invalided home, he was convicted by the Civil Powers in August 1901 for a felony and given 6 weeks imprisonment. Then with the 3rd Battalion Manchester Regiment he served in St. Helena guarding Boer prisoners-of-war, July-December 1902, after which he was in South Africa, December 1902-January 1903. In December 1902 he was tried by District Court Martial for committing a civil offence (burglary) and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and the forfeiture of his Queen’s South Africa medal. Unsurprisingly, he was then discharged for misconduct on 10 October 1903. It would appear that he was later awarded a replacement medal, which may or may not have been issued with the clasp Elandslaagte.

Note: This medal appeared as a no clasp medal in these rooms on 25 June 2014.