Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Sergeant G. Payne, 2nd Regiment, South African Infantry, late Royal Horse Artillery and South African Mounted Rifles, who was taken Prisoner of War during the German Spring Offensive in March 1918

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen (24705 Dvr: G. Payne. R Bty, R.H.A.); 1914-15 Star (Sjt. G. Payne S.A.M.R.- F.A’b.); British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (Sjt. G. Payne 2nd S.A.I.); War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, these both officially impressed ‘209840 G. Payne’, traces of adhesive to reverse of all, edge nicks to QSA, good very fine (6) £300-£400

This lot is to be sold as part of a special collection, The Bernard Harris Collection of Medals to the 2nd Regiment, South African Infantry.

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George Payne was born in London in 1881 and witnessed initial service during the Boer War with the Royal Horse Artillery. Transferred to the Transvaal Town Police and 1st Permanent Battery Artillery (S.A.M.R.), he attested at Johannesburg for the South African Infantry in March 1917. Posted to France with the 2nd Regiment on 12 February 1918, he was taken Prisoner of War by the Germans on 24 March 1918 and was soon afflicted by poor health and haemorrhoids. According to the Medical Report on an Invalid, dated 7 April 1919: ‘He attributes his debilitated state to want of food and work in [an] Iron Factory in Germany whilst a Prisoner of War’. Repatriated from Dulmen Camp on 2 December 1918, Payne was discharged at Maitland in May 1919. He is later believed to have served with the Native Military Police during the Second World War.

Sold with copied service records for the Boer War and Great War, the former confirming further entitlement to a King’s South Africa Medal with the usual two date clasps.