Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Private W. A. Smith, 6th Dragoons

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, unofficial rivets between third, fourth, ands fifth clasps (4234 Pte. F. [sic] Smith. 6th Dragoons.); 1914 Star (4234 Pte. W. A. Smith. 6/Dns.); British War and Victory Medals (6DN-4234 Pte. W. A. Smith. 6-Dns.); together with an unrelated Silver War Badge added for display purposes, the reverse officially numbered ‘177201’, edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine (4) £240-£280

William Alfred ‘Fred’ Smith was born in Birmingham in 1880 and attested there for the 6th Dragoons on 28 August 1899. He served with them in South Africa during the Boer War, and was charged by a Field General Court Martial on 4 August 1901, of ‘Leaving his C.O., to go in search of plunder’. Found guilty of looting, he was imprisoned for one year, returning to duty in August 1902. He remained in the Dragoons of the Line and re-engaged in 1911, serving with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 11 August 1914. He was discharged due to sickness in March 1915, no longer physically fit for active service, and was awarded Silver War Badge No. 79008.

Note: The Silver War Badge with this lot is unrelated. Badge No. 177201 was awarded to 40851 Private Charles Sawyer, West Yorkshire Regiment, who was discharged due to sickness in June 1916.