Description
India General Service Medal 1895, 2 bars, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98, Third China War Medal 1900, bar Relief of Pekin, 93091 Driver Frank Petty, 12th Battery Royal Field Artillery.
IGS officially engraved in running script: “93091 Dvr F. Petty 57th Fd By R.A.”
China officially engraved in running script: “93091 Drvr F. Petty. 12th Batty Rl Fd Arty”
All medals and claps confirmed on the medal roll and service papers. A scarce surviving pair, his full entitlement of medals, pairs like this are occasionally seen to the same batteries.
Some contact marking through wear, IGS suspension a little slack as usually seen.
Frank was part of the Second Intervention to Relieve Pekin, the allied force of some 20,000 Soldiers set out from Tientson on the 4th August 1900 and reached Peking on 14th August. They were successful and freed the Legations occupying Peking.
The British part of the large multi national force, totalled about 3,000 troops under command of Lieut-General Alfred Gaselee which consisted of the following units:
Four Coys Royal Welsh Fusiliers (300 men)
1st Bengal Lancers (400 men)
12th Field Battery Royal Artillery, with whom Frank Petty was present during fighting.
Hong Kong Artillery (2 guns, 4 maxims)
Royal Marine Light Infantry (300 men)
Detachment of Royal Engineers
Naval Brigade (4 guns)
1st Sikhs (500 men)
7th Rajputs (500 men)
24th Bengal Infantry (300 men)
Hong Kong Regiment (100 men)
Chinese Regiment (100 men)
Frank Petty was born in Fisherton de la Mere near Salisbury, Wiltshire on 13th September 1874.
The son of Thomas and Emily, having 3 brothers and 2 sisters back home in Fisherton.
His family had been in Wiltshire for centuries, an Ancestry family tree can trace his lineage as far back as “George Pettye” born in South Newton, Wilts during 1606.
He attested for service at Woolwich on 30th September 1892 with the Royal Artillery aged 18, right after his 18th Birthday.
He had whilst underage been a member of the 3rd Battalion Wilts Regiment of Militia.
Saw the following postings during his career:
57th Battery, 7th Nov 1892
24th Battery, 5th December 1897
57th Battery, 1st May 1898
12th Battery, 26th June 1900
57th Battery, 1st April 1902
4th Depot, 29th November 1902
Transferred to Army Reserve Section B, 1st July 1903.
Discharged at the end of his term of engagement on 26th September 1908.
Seeing the following overseas services:
“Home, 27th September 1892 – 20th October 1896
India, 21st October 1896 – 1st July 1900
China, 2nd July 1900 – 21st November 1901
India, 22nd November 1901 – 22nd December 1902
Home, 23rd December 1902 – 26th September 1908.
Campaigns served: “N.W. Frontier of India 97-98, China 1900-1.”
Medals earned: “Indian Medal of 95 with clasps Punjab Frontier and Tirah 97-8.
China 1900 with clasp Relief Pekin”
During his service with the Army Reserve he married Emma Dowdell in Little Langford, Wiltshire on 18th may 1907.
By 1911 he was living with his wife in Steeple Langford, Wilts.
Shown on the 1939 Census, living with his wife Emma on Market Street in Poole, described as a “Store Man Retired”.
Having moved in later life to Poole in Dorset, he died there at the age of 72 described as an “Army Pensioner” on 1st March 1947.
