Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine 'Defence of Ladysmith' Queen's South Africa Medal awarded to Private A. Spray, King's Royal Rifle Corps, who was blown up by a 6-inch shell from a Boer artillery piece commanding high ground to the south of the town, and was later wounded in the knee

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 (8601 Pte. A. Spray, K.R.R.C.) small pawnbroker’s mark to obverse, extremely fine £200-£240

Arthur Spray was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, in 1873, the son of lace mender Eliza Spray. He attested for the King's Royal Rifle Corps at Birmingham on 20 June 1894 and was posted from depot to the 4th Battalion at Winchester on 22 October 1894. For reasons unknown, Spray absconded just before Christmas Day in 1895, and spent almost a month on the run from the military authorities. Placed in confinement on 21 January 1896, he was tried by the District Court Martial and found guilty of desertion and loss of equipment resulting in 30 days' imprisonment with hard labour. Remarkably, less than a year later, Spray returned to the cells when given a further 14 days' hard labour on 10 December 1896, but the unexpired portion of his punishment was remitted upon Spray's agreement to transfer to the 2nd Battalion, and he headed to South Africa forthwith. 

According to the recipient's Army Service Record, Spray served three terms in South Africa, from 15 December 1896 to 5 April 1899, 18 September 1899 to 26 July 1900, and 11 December 1901 to 9 October 1902. These were separated by five months in India and a brief spell back in England. Most importantly, Spray was present throughout the Siege of Ladysmith in Northern Natal, from 2 November 1899 to 27 February 1900, and returned home to give a rare firsthand account which was published in The Nottinghamshire Guardian on 28 July 1900:
'A Nottingham Soldier's Experience
At the invitation of Mr. Godfrey L. Evans, a meeting was held on Tuesday on the lawn of his residence, Hamilton-road, the chief object of the gathering being to hear an address by Private A. Spray, of the 2nd King's Royal Rifles, on "The Siege of Ladysmith..." He said that many of the soldiers looked like scarecrows, having gone seven days without a wash and with no change of underclothing. "Gentleman Joe," the name of a gun, sent his first shot on the morning of November 27th, just after breakfast, and another shell struck the ground a few feet in front of where the speaker was standing, sank six feet, and then exploded, blowing up the rough sun-shelter, and scattering the men right and left, but hurting no-one. The speaker described the various battles in which he had taken part, and the circumstances under which he was wounded in the knee. After the 6th of January, when the Boers were supposed to have lost only a few men, he saw them carting their dead and wounded all day long, under the white flag. The lecturer then described, in vivid fashion, the scene when the relief column came to Ladysmith, and said that the invalids were splendidly treated on board the hospital ship, Lismore Castle, on their way home...' 

Spray was particularly fortunate that the 96-pound shell from the French-manufactured creusot gun "Gentleman Joe" had failed to find its mark, for other similar weapons including "Long Tom" and "Puffing Billy" had delivered a particularly intense barrage from 8 to 9 a.m. that morning.

Ladysmith: The Diary of a Siege points to a most unpleasant incident not far away, and taking place just minutes earlier:
'This morning a Kaffir was working for the Army Service Corps (being at that moment engaged in kneading a pancake), when a small shell hit him full in the mouth, passed clean through his head, and burst on the ground beyond.' 

Referring to the events of 6 January 1900, Spray's life was saved once again when large numbers of Boers, encouraged by President Kruger, launched a major attack on Ladysmith designed to overwhelm the garrison and take the town. At Wagon Hill, a confused and fierce fight took place in the dark between the Boers and the men of the King's Royal Rifles, Gordon Highlanders and Imperial Light Horse, supported by a hotchkiss gun. The enemy retreated but the siege prevailed, and by mid-January 1900, the remaining cavalry horses had to be shot for food.