A Choice Collection of Medals and Other Items Relating to The Defence of Kimberley

Nine: Captain J. H. Howell, South African Forces, late Hartigan’s Horse and South African Police, a veteran of the defence of Kimberley - in which he was wounded - who died in September 1943 while serving in the Essential Services Protection Corps

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Defence of Kimberley, Orange Free State (1773 Pte. J. H. Howell, Cape P.D. 1); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (1773 Pte. J. H. Howell, C.P. Dist. 1); 1914-15 Star (Cpl. J. H. Howell, Hartigan’s Hse.); British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (Cpl. J. H. Howell, Hartigan’s Hse.); War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal 1939-45, these two officially inscribed, ‘702308J. H. Howell’; South African Police Good Service Medal, 1st type (No. 592 (M.) 1/C. Sergeant J. H. Howell); Mayor of Kimberley’s Star, reverse hallmark with date letter ‘a’, the reverse privately inscribed, ‘J. H. Howell, Cape Police’, the first two somewhat polished, nearly very fine, the remainder very fine and better (9) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Choice Collection of Medals and Other Items Relating to The Defence of Kimberley.

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James Henry Howell, who enlisted in the Police at King’s William Town in August 1898, was actively engaged as a Private in the Cape Police (District 1) from October 1899 to May 1902, in which period he was wounded at Carter’s Ridge during the defence of Kimberley on 28 November 1899. Having then witnessed further action in Hartigan’s Horse in 1915, he returned to his police duties and retired, aged 50 years, as a Head Constable, in February 1930. However, the advent of hostilities in 1939 witnessed his return to uniform, this time as a Captain in the Essential Services Protection Corps, in which capacity he was serving at the time of his death on 4 September 1943, aged 63 years. He left a widow resident at Port Elizabeth, where he was buried in the South End Cemetery.

Sold with the recipient’s original South African Police certificate of discharge, dated at Pretoria, 13 February 1930, together with a related forwarding letter from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (‘I shall be glad if you will kindly convey to Head Constable Howell the Commissioner’s and my appreciation of his services and excellent record whilst serving in the Force ... ’); and official communications addressed to his widow regarding his entitlement to the 1939-45 War and Africa Service Medals, these dated 10 December 1945 and 7 November 1947.