About the product

QSA Naval Brigade RM HMS Monarch

Queen’s South Africa Medal, 3 bars, Cape Colony, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, 9467 Pte. George Augustus Rich Walker, Royal Marines, HMS Monarch. Unique entitlement of bars to the ship.

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SKU: J7162 Category:
Origin: United Kingdom
Extremely Fine

Description

Queen’s South Africa Medal, 3 bars, Cape Colony, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, 9467 Pte. George Augustus Rich Walker, Royal Marines, HMS Monarch.

 

Officially impressed in large naval style as typically seen: “9467 Pte G. A. R. Walker, R.M., H:M:S: Monarch”

 

The only man on the roll entitled to only these 3 bars to the ship. HMS Monarch were issued about 1262 medals for service throughout the Boer War, 969 were without bars, and only 282 would earn between 1 and 8 bars to the medal for service ashore with the Naval Brigade, out of all those Pte Walker was the only one to earn this combination.

 

Entitlement confirmed on the medal roll, the remarks state that it was strangely returned to the mint, however the medal is officially impressed in the usual large naval style of the period and is in excellent condition, it was likely resent once they could locate his family, as Pte Walker had been discharged as dead around the time of the issue of the medal in 1904, the medal also bears very clear “Ghost Dates” on the reverse from its early manufacture.

 

George Augustus Rich Walker, was born on 29th May 1879 in Hammersmith, London.

 

Having been a young warehouseman and Pawnbroker’s assistant, he attested for service at London for service with the Royal Marines on 4th December 1896, being posted to the Royal Marines Depot Walmer.
He had previously attested for service with the 4th Battalion East Surrey Regiment, with service number 9591 on 16th October 1896, but appears to have then joined the Royal Marines in December.

 

He saw the following service throughout his 8 year career:

 

“Pte, C Company, R.M. Depot, Walmer, 4th December 1896 – 7th August 1897.
F Company, Chatham Division, 8th August 1897 – 31st December 1897
HMS Galatea, 8th June 1898 – 30th September 1899
Chatham Division, 1st October 1899 -2nd November 1899, at Gosport.
(At Gosport), 3rd November 1899 – 3rd November 1899, Embarked
HMS Monarch, 4th November 1899 – 14th October 1900
HMS Monarch (on S.S. Lake Erie), 15th October, 10th November 1900, On Passage.
Chatham Division, 11th november 1900 – 23rd February 1901, Embarked.
HMS Diadem, 24th February 1901 – 11th February 1902
Chatham Division, 12th February 1902 – 4th June 1902, Embarked.
HM Tribune (per Scylla), 5th June 1902 – 10th May 1904, Discharged as dead.”

 

The special service section states he “Landed on Active Service in South Africa, signed C.H. Bayly, 11th April 1900 to 28th July 1900.”

 

At the time of his death in 1904, the Tribune was stationed on the North American Station.