Original British Second Boer War Named Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902 – The Yorkshire Regiment Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. The Queen’s South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps were awarded, to indicate participation in particular actions and campaigns.

The Queen’s South Africa Medal was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1900, for award to military personnel and officials who served in South Africa during the Second Boer War from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902.

Three versions of the medal are known. Since the war was initially expected to be of short duration and to reach its conclusion in 1900, the first medals were struck with the years “1899” and “1900” on the reverse. Approximately fifty of these medals were awarded before it became evident that the war was going to last much longer, and both the dies and the remaining minted medals had the years machined off. The third version was minted without the years.

This example is the third type and is offered in excellent condition. It has five clasps;

BELFAST (26–27 August 1900). Awarded to troops east of a north-south line drawn through Wonderfontein, the garrison and troops quartered at Wonderfontein excluded, west of a north-south line drawn through Dalmanutha Station and north of an east-west line drawn through Carolina in the South African Republic.

DIAMOND HILL (11–12 June 1900). Awarded to troops east of a north-south line drawn through Silverton Siding and north of an east-west line drawn through Vlakfontein in the South African Republic.

JOHANNESBURG (29 May 1900). Awarded to troops north of an east-west line drawn through Klip River Station (exclusive) and east of a north-south line drawn through Krugersdorp Station (inclusive) in the South African Republic.

DRIEFONTEIN (10 March 1900). Awarded to those with Army Headquarters, and Lieutenant General John French’s column, which advanced from Poplar Grove in the Orange Free State.

CAPE COLONY (11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902). For service in the Cape of Good Hope where no clasp for a specific action in the Cape had been received.

The rim of the medal is impressed:
3610 PTE A. ROE YORKSHIRE REGT

This medal was originally acquired in the early 1960s and is still contained in an original Merchants Bank Safety Deposit Envelope. It remained in a private collection since being acquired in 2020.

The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King’s Division. Raised in 1688, it served under various titles until it was amalgamated with the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (West Riding), all Yorkshire-based regiments in the King’s Division, to form the Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) on 6 June 2006.

The regiment saw action at the Battle of Alma in September 1854 and at the Siege of Sevastopol in winter 1854 during the Crimean War and then saw action again during the Indian Rebellion. In 1875, Princess Alexandra, Princess of Wales presented new colors to the 1st Battalion at Sheffield, and consented to the regiment bearing her name, thus becoming the 19th (1st Yorkshire North Riding – Princess of Wales’s Own) Regiment of Foot.The regiment adopted a cap badge consisting of the Princess’s cypher “A” combined with the Dannebrog or Danish cross and topped by her coronet. The Princess became Queen Alexandra in 1901, and was the regiment’s Colonel-in-Chief from 1914 until her death in 1925