Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, bar Cape Colony, 3716 Private J.R. Charnock, 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, who died of disease at Kimberley just after sending a letter home.
Officially impressed: “3716 Pte J.R. Charnock, 1st L.N. Lanc Regt”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
Pte Charnock died of disease as Kimberley on 23rd February 1900.
He had just sent home a letter to his family which had been published locally barely a week earlier.
In the Blackburn Times on 19th February 1900 this following letter was recorded titled “No Dinner or tea on Christmas Day.”
“Mrs Charnock of Nevin, has received a letter from her son No 3716 Private J.R. Charnock, of the 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, who is now stationed at Modder River.
He says:- ‘The Boers are fierce lot of people. They are being taken prisoners every day. I had only 2 biscuits on Christmas Day for my breakfast, and I had no dinner or tea.”
Unfortunately we do not have access to the archive of the Blackburn Times for a copy of the article, it should be available in their archives or held on microfilm.
