Description
Queen’s South Africa, no bar, 283 Corporal J. Garner Senior, 1st Battalion, Port Elizabeth Town Guard.
Officially impressed: “283 Corpl. J. Garner. P. Elzbth. T.G.”
Excellent preserved condition
Confirmed on the medal roll which notes he was the “J. Garner Sr”
It recalls during the war he served on “Escort” duties.
J. Garner Senior was a Corporal with service number 283.
Service Number 281 was J. Garner Junior, who looks to be his son who signed up at the same time, however Jr did not get a medal.
The medal rolls feature 779 men in the unit, however it was also noted that almost half the men did not get one, reading “437 to receive medal” and “342 not to receive medal”. J. Garner Jr was included on the crossed off names who did not get a medal.
Also Corpl Garner alongside many other men of the regiment were supposed to receive the Cape Colony clasp, however this looks to have been cancelled, as every page has the clasp crossed through for all men of the regiment, the roll remarks “for authorisation to erase clasps see 68/SA/6349” it looks like due to some technicality the men were not allowed the Cape Colony clasp just a no bar medal for their services.
Looks like he was:
John Garner, an Englishman born circa 1855.
Came to South Africa, settling in Port Elizabeth, after the war he died there at the age of 53, living at Newmarket Place in Port Elizabeth.
Occupation shown as “Railway Constable”.
J. Garner Junior was likely James Garner, born 1886, who died also in Port Elizabeth during 1939, aged 53.
This article about Port Elizabeth recalls the history of the Port Elizabeth section of the Cape Mounted Police.
It notes that in 1883 the small staff of the local police contained 5 men, 1 Sergeant and 4 Constables.
One of the constables was “John Garner”.
