Description
Queen’s South Africa, no bar, 5190 Private J. Smith, 3rd (Militia) Battalion Princess Louise’s Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.
Officially impressed: “5190 Pte J. Smith. A and S. Highrs:”
Confirmed on the medal roll which unusually states that each man was entitled to the Cape Colony clasp however they then struck through every entry on the medal roll making it an odd no bar issue to a British Regiment.
The medal roll was written on 19th August 1902 at Beaufort West.
A later medal roll dated 7th November 1902, then recalls the separate issue of the Cape Colony and SA 1902 dated clasp noting that all the men had already had their QSAs applied for.
The 3rd Militia Battalion of the Argylls saw serving in the Boer War towards the tail end of the war during 1902.
They are also known by their previous name as the “Highland Borderers Light Infantry Militia”.
“Nearly 2,000 Officers and men embarked on the Canada at Southampton on Saturday for South Africa. They included 32 Officers and 796 men of the 3rd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and 31 Officers and 812 men of the 5th Durham Light Infantry. Among the Officers on board is Major General Walter Kitchener, whose leave of absence is expired.” – Dated 7th Feb 1902
