Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Supply Officer J. Norfolk, No. 2 District Staff, St. John Ambulance Brigade, later 12th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Natal (315 Sply: Offcr: J. Norfolk, St. John Amb: Bde:); St. John Medal for South Africa 1899-1902 (315 1st. C-Sergt. J. Norfolk. No. 2. Dist. Staff.); British War Medal 1914-20 (225111 A. Sjt. J. Norfolk 12-Can. Inf.); together with a French Federation of Firemen badge, the reverse engraved ‘Presented to Monsieur J. Norfolk. 11 Août 1900.’, good very fine and better (4) £400-£500

James Norfolk was born at Butley, Somerset, on 20 February 1874 and was a member of the No. 2 District Staff, St. John Ambulance Brigade, serving as a Supply Officer at 15 General Hospital in South Africa during the Boer War. A fireman by trade, he also received a National Fire Brigades’ Union Ambulance Division tribute medal, being presented with his medal by the Duchess of Marlborough on 16 July 1903. He subsequently attested for the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force at Shorncliffe on 7 January 1916. Posted initially to the 12th Reserve Battalion, Canadian Infantry, he transferred to the Canadian Machine Gun Depot on 4 August 1916, and was discharged on 18 November 1919, his entire Great War service being in England. Consequently, he was not entitled to a Victory Medal, and he must be one of the small number of Englishmen to be awarded a British War Medal having only served in England.