Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 2 bars, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, 3375 Private G. Dean, 5th Bn Royal Fusiliers, City of London Regiment.
Officially impressed: “3375 Pte G. Dean. 5th Rl. Fus.”
Good piece of old ribbon.
Confirmed on the medal roll. With Militia Service Papers.
Also issued loose later with the two date clasps, SA 1901 & SA 1902.
George Henry Dean was born during 1884 in Wenham, Uxbridge, Middlesex.
It was in the middle of the war that he signed on with his local Militia, the 5th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment).
He attested for service, then aged 17 years 10 months old on 28th January 1901.
A few months later, having freshly turned 18 years old, his unit was embodied for active service on 6th May 1901 and his papers are stamped: “Embarked for South Africa 4th June 1901”, then after the war “Disembarked from South Africa 26th July 1902”.
For his volunteer service he was issued with a War Gratuity of £5 and this South Africa Medal.
With the war over he did not seem to wish to fully finish his terms of engagement and chose to discharge himself by Purchase on 26th June 1903.
The departure of the unit was recalled in the Newspaper Chepstow Weekly Advertiser on 8th June 1901:
“TROOPS FOR THE CAPE
Brilliant weather favoured the embarkation of two Militia Battalions of the 5th Royal Fusiliers and 15th Lancashire Fusiliers from Aldershot on their arrival at Southampton on Tuesday forenoon.
The Montrose and Britannic were berthed at the Old Extension and Ocean Quays respectively. The former took on board 26 Officers and 597 Men, and Britannic 32 Officers and 865 men, including a number of details, and by noon the work of embarkation was practically completed. The vessels sailed in the afternoon for the Cape.”
