Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Boer War D.C.M. group of eight awarded to Sergeant J. Barfield, Royal Warwickshire Regiment Section, Malta Horse, late Derbyshire Regiment, who was twice Mentioned in Despatches for his services during the Boer War, and subsequently served during the Great War as Warrant Officer Class I, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment and Labour Corps

Distinguished Conduct Medal, E.VII.R. (5572 Serjt: J. Barfield. R. Warwick: Regt.); India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (2780 ..ce. Corpl. J. Barfield 2d. Bn. D... Regt.) retaining rod loose; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (... Cpl. J. Barfield . Rl. Warwick: Regt.) unofficial rivets between second and third clasps, ‘Regt’ partially officially corrected; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (5573 Serjt; J. Barfield. Rl: Warwick: Regt.); 1914-15 Star (6438. C.S.Mjr. J. Barfield. Notts. & Derby R.); British War and Victory Medals (6438 W.O. Cl.1. J. Barfield. Notts. & Derby. R.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (122021 C.S. Mjr: J. Barfield. Lab: C.) heavy contact marks to first four, these worn, therefore good fine, the Great War awards good very fine (8) £1,800-£2,200

Provenance: Mike Minton Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, December 1994; Dix Noonan Webb, February 2019, when sold with an officially renamed Victory Medal but now reunited and sold with the original Victory Medal together with the renamed example.

D.C.M. London Gazette 31 October 1902.

M.I.D. London Gazette 9 July 1901:
‘Near Vet River, Orange River Colony, on 7th April 1901, with only a native scout, pursued six armed Boers and rode down one, and shot him when he refused to surrender. He behaved with great dash. (Mentioned in General Tucker’s special despatch of 9th April 1901).’

M.I.D. London Gazette 18 July 1902:
‘For several acts of gallantry in action, and especially for single-handed capture of Boers on 20th April 1902.’

John Barfield was born in Leicester in 1871 and attested for the Derbyshire Regiment at Derby on 17 April 1890, having previously served in the Regiment’s 5th (Militia) Battalion. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he served with the Regiment in India from 11 November 1891 to 23 March 1898, and took part in the Tirah Campaign as pat of the 1st Brigade of the main column. Their first action was at the Battle of Dargai, 20 October 1897, in which the Battalion was awarded a Victoria Cross and two Distinguished Conduct Medals. Throughout the campaign, the Derbyshires suffered casualties in encounters at Dargai, Karappa, Grandakai, Matsura, Waran Valley, Sappri Pass, Barg, and Karamna. Appointed Lance-Corporal on 9 October 1897, Barfield survived the six-month campaign unscathed, and on returning home transferred to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 28 March 1898. Promoted Corporal on 1 July of that year, he served with the 3rd Battalion in Malta from that date, before proceeding to South Africa as a member of the Warwickshires’ section in the Malta Horse for service during the Boer War on 20 February 1900.

Disembarking at East London on 1 April 1900, the Malta Horse was employed principally on duties as advance guards, flank patrols, and scouts, as well as night-time forays and intelligence gathering activities. Most of their operations took place in the Orange Free State. Their first casualties were incurred on 15 April 1900 when they were acting as part of the advance guard in the relief of Wepener.

The Warwickshires’ section of the Malta Horse were moved to the Vet River on 16 January 1901, by which time they had been reduced to just 15 men by means of casualties, illness, and reassignments. They remained at this location for just over four months, and were particularly active in numerous scouting expeditions, forays, and skirmishes along the Boers’ line of communications. It was during this period that Barfield, having been promoted to Sergeant on 5 February 1901, received his first Mention in Despatches (see above).

Moving to the Kroonstad district in the latter part of 1901, after having performed several successful night excursions from Winberg, they continued to be employed on night expeditions. Their last action took place on 20 April 1902, when they were attached to the 9th Battalion, Mounted Infantry. The Battalion attacked a group of about 80 Boers of Nigil’s Commando at the town of Scotland West, and for his gallantry in this action Barfield was again Mentioned in Despatches- unable to re-load his rifle, he was ‘singularly successful with the butt-end of his rifle. Five Boers were killed and 20 taken prisoner.’ (The Antelope, the Journal of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, September 1902 refers).

For his services in South Africa Barfield was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, almost certainly as a result of the gallantry that he had shown on the two occasions when he was Mentioned in Despatches.

Having been discharged on 21 August 1902, Barfield re-enlisted at Derby in the Royal Garrison Regiment on 10 March 1903, and saw further service in Malta and South Africa. He was discharged at Bloemfontein on 15 April 1905, with the stated intention of joining the South African Constabulary. Attesting for the South African Constabulary 29 April of that year, he was posted to ‘G’ Troop, and served in the Ladybrand District. he was discharged on the reduction of the establishment on 29 February 1908, and returned to England.

Following the outbreak of the Great War, Barfield re-enlisted in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment (as his old Regiment had become) at Derby on 2 September 1914. Promoted Company Sergeant-Major on 5 October 1914, he served during the Great War on the 14 July 1915, and was advanced Warrant Officer Class I on 4 August 1916. Transferring to the 17th Labour Battalion, Labour Corps, as Acting Regimental Sergeant Major in August 1916, he was elevated to the same position at Headquarters, 12th Labour Group, on 14 May 1917. He returned to England on 9 September 1918, and was discharged as ‘being no longer physically fit for war service’ on 6 February 1919. He was awarded his Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, together with a gratuity of £5, on 3 February 1920.

Sold with a quantity of copied research, including a copy of an article written about the recipient for the December 2003 edition of the Orders and Medals Research Society Journal.