Description
India General Service 1895, 3 bars, Relief of Chitral 1895, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98, Queen’s South Africa, 2 bars, Transvaal, SA 1902, 4406 Private Thomas Graham, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. From Barony, Glasgow.
Notably during his time in India, he served with the 2nd Bn KOSB, who during the Tirah Campaign took part in the Storming of the Dargai Heights with the 1st Gordon Highlanders during October 1897.
IGS officially engraved in running script: “4406 Pte T. Graham. 2nd Bn K. O. Sco. Bord.”
QSA officially impressed: “4406 Pte T. Graham. K.O.S.B.”
All medals and clasps correct and confirmed on the medal rolls.
With copy service papers.
Home, 25th Jan 1893 – 8th Dec 1893
East Indies (India), 9th Dec 1893 – 3rd Feb 1902
South Africa, 4th February 1902 – 1st September 1902
Home, 2nd Sept 1902.
Campaigns, fought from his papers: “Relief of Chitral 1895, Tirah Expeditionary Force 1897, South Africa 1902”
Medals earned:
“Indian Medal 1895 with clasp for Relief of Chitral, Clasp Punjab Frontier 1897.8 Clasp Tirah 1897.8
South African Medal 1902.”
Thomas Graham was born in Barony, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland during 1873.
Having worked as a Sheet Iron Worker, he signed on for service with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers on 25th January 1893 at Glasgow, and the next day sent to their HQ in Berwick on Tweed.
As a soldier he was quite poorly behaved, his papers recalling various stints in prison.
On 18th June 1900, Awarded 14 days of imprisonment and hard labour by the Commanding Officer for “Absent from aswering his name as a Defaulter.”
Somehow having returned to duty on 2nd July 1900, after being free for 1 whole day, he was again arrested on 3rd July 1900.
“Tried by District Court martial and sentenced to be imprisoned with Hard Labour for 112 days and fined £1-0-0 for Drunkenness.” on 10th July 1900.
He would return to duty on 4th September, before another sting in prison over the Christmas Period.
On 28th December 1900 he was awarded 14 days of Imprisonment with Hard Labour by the Commanding Officer for “Leaving his guard without permission”.
After finishing out the Boer War, he would return home to be discharged on completion of his 12 year contract on 22nd January 1905.
