Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 6 bars, Belmont, Modder River, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast, King’s South Africa, 2 bars, SA 1901, SA 1902, 9446 Private Alfred Bailey, Coldstream Guards.
Swing mounted as worn on old ribbons. With original cap badge, original parchment discharge B128, original burial plot receipt for his wife, and family tree extract. Also an original post card photograph in WW1 uniform from his return to service in WW1 Service Dress.
QSA officially impressed in the large early style with visible ghost dates: “9446 Pte A. Bailey, Cldstm: Gds:”
KSA officially impressed: “9446 Pte A. Bailey. Coldstream Gds.”
Confirmed on the medal roll and papers.
Alfred Bailey was born in North Lopham, Harling, Norfolk circa 1873. Son of locals John Bailey and Emma (Huggins).
Having been a Farm Labourer like most of his family, he first enlisted at London 20th April 1893.
He saw the following service:
Home, 20th April 1893 – 9th March 1899
Gibraltar, 10th March 1899 – 27th October 1899
South Africa, 28th October 1899 – 20th July 1902
Home, 21st July 1902 – 19th April 1905.
He would serve in total 12 years 0 days, of which 9 years and 205 days were on active service and 2 years 160 days in the reserve.
During the Boer War, he saw extensive fighting during the early part of the war with the Guards Brigade, these men would receive the enviable “6 Battle Bars” combination seen to the Guards who fought in many battles in only a short period of time.
Following his retirement from active duty, he by 1911 had returned back to his home town of North Lopham where he worked as a “Male Attendant” at some sort of medical institution.
With the outbreak of war in Europe, Alfred naturally would return to serve his country in some capacity, signing on with the Army on 20th January 1915, noted as a 42 year old “Attendant” with 9 years active service in the Coldstream Guards, he originally rejoined his old unit, serving with the 4th Coldstream Guards from 20th January 1915, then the 5th from 12th August 1918.
However being likely a little too old to go back to the front, he transferred over to the more familiar Royal Army Medical Corps on 10th October 1915.
He served out the rest of the war, all at home, until his discharged to the Army Reserve on 30th September 1919.
He received a 40% disability pension, for Mitrial Regurgitation and Rheumatism, having done his part, even if he would receive no medals for this service.
He and his long time Wife Jane, whom he had married right when he came home from South Africa on 4th November 1902, would have 8 children.
Returning to work as a Farm Labourer for most of his life, he remained in North Lopham until his death there on 2nd September 1941.
His obituary was posted in the Diss Express on 5th September 1941:
“OBITUARY
The death took place on Friday, of Mr Alfred Bailey, at the age of 68 years old.
Deceased was an Old Coldstreamer and saw service in the South African campaign and the Great War…”
