Description
Militia Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, EDVII, 5005 Private Robert Potter, 3rd Battalion Norfolk Regiment of Militia.
Robert Potter, a Norfolk native, born in St Edmund, Norwich, Norfolk during 1858, first attested for service with the Norfolk Regiment of Militia aged 18 on 28th June 1876.
Medal awarded in Army Orders August 1905, with 3rd Battalion Norfolk Regiment.
Awarded within the first year of issue, he was long overdue the award, having been a member of the Norfolk Militia since 1876, he had already amassed 29 years of service.
During the Boer War, the Norfolk Regiment went over to South Africa during 1900, during this time the 3rd Battalion, which was part of the Militia was mobilised for service, becoming the 3rd Norfolk Volunteer Company, 3rd Battalion Norfolk Regiment.
Potter was renumbered from 5005 to 6282 and earned the Queen’s and King’s South Africa Medals, with bars for Cape Colony Orange Free State, and the 2 date bars to the KSA.
He was embodied with the 3rd Norfolk Regt on 25th January 1900, ending his active service on 11th April 1902.
Upon his discharge he re attested with the Militia aged 45, on 25th April 1903, he stated he had seen 26 years previous service with the 3rd Norfolk Regiment and had been discharged on ending his terms of engagement with V. Good character.
Once his active service was no longer required he reverted to the Militia his service papers read:
“Reverted from Reserve Division of the Military to the ordinary conditions of service in the Militia under Para 600 in Regs” dated 5th April 1905.
At the time the new Militia Long Service and Good Conduct had recently been instituted and accepting recommendations for those who had completed “18 years of service and attended at least 15 trainings” and that commanding officers should only recommend those who had “irreproachable character and conduct, who have proved themselves in every way worthy of this distinction during the whole of their service”.
He was discharged from the Militia with time expired on 24th April 1907.
