Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Bilingual Victory 1914-19 (4) (A/Cpl. M. H. O’Meara. 2nd S.A.I.; Pte. C. G. Pemberton. 2nd S.A.I.; Pte. T. Scruby. 2nd S.A.I.; L/Cpl. W. G. Smith. 2nd S.A.I.) traces of adhesive to reverse of all, very fine and better (4) £100-£140

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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Michael Henry O’Meara was born in Pietermaritzburg in 1883, and attested for the 1st South African Infantry at Germiston on 10 February 1917. Posted to France with the 2nd Regiment, he was wounded at duty 16 October 1917 and was reported as missing during the German Spring Offensive on 24 March 1918. His service record states: ‘accepted as dead [on] 21.11.18’. He has no known grave and is commemorated upon the Pozieres Memorial.

Christopher Guy Pemberton was born in Durban in 1896 and attested for the 2nd South African Infantry at Potchefstroom on 27 August 1915. Wounded in action on the Western Front 16 July 1916, he was evacuated to England per H.S. Brighton suffering from a gunshot wound to the groin. He recovered from this injury and was later killed in action on 12 April 1917. Aged 19 years, he is buried at Brown’s Copse Cemetery, Roeux, France.

Thomas Scruby was born in London on 1875 and attested for the 2nd South African Infantry at Potchefstroom on 4 August 1915. Wounded in action at Mersa Matruh 23 January 1916, he was later killed in action on the Western Front on 8 September 1916. Aged 41 years, he is buried at Villers Station Cemetery, France.

William Gayner Smith was born in Gloucestershire, England, and attested for the 2nd South African Infantry at Potchefstroom on 20 August 1915. Tried by Court Martial in March 1916 for conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, he was sentenced to 10 days confined to barracks. He served in France from 15 April 1916 and was wounded in action on 27 July 1916 and 16 April 1917, the latter occasion being a gunshot wound to the arm. He later returned to the trenches and was killed in action on 15 October 1917. Aged 34 years, he is buried in Buffs Road Cemetery, France.

Sold with copied service records for all four recipients.