Description
Queen’s South Africa 2 bars, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, 4912 Private W.B. Preston, 4th Militia Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment.
Officially impressed: “4912 Pte W.B. Preston S. Stafford. Regt”
Silk ribbon.
Confirmed on the medal roll, the roll was written at Winburg on 4th July 1901 at the time it was noted that he had been “Invalided” home by that time.
Early into the Boer War, the 4th Militia Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment was embodied in December 1899, 650 men embarked in February 1900 for service in South Africa.
The regiment as a whole, excluding Preston who had been invalided earlier, came home in August 1901 and was disembodied.
William Bennett Preston was born circa 1881 in Aston, Warwickshire.
During World War 1, he returned to service, signing up with the Royal Flying Corps at the age of 36 on 5th June 1917 from the Army, his trade was an Aero Rigger.
He had been working as a Cabinet Maker before the war.
later served in the Royal Air Force upon formation on 1st April 1918, service number 83960.
After the war he was transferred to the RAF Reserve on 17th Feb 1919, discharge after on 30th April 1920.
Back in civilian life he returned home and lived with his mother Emily, a widowed Boarding House Keeper
In 1921, he was working as a Musical Instruments Salesman at Mindocks, Birmingham.
