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Truth be told there was nothing special that recommended itself to me about these medals. It was a case of....they were on E... I was on E... and our worlds collided
That said I grew in appreciation for them and the man who used to pin them to his chest.

Charles Ilsley

Sergeant Drummer, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony and Orange Free State
- Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal E.VII.R

Charles Ilsley had an interesting military career spanning some 21 years and beyond. He was born in Horsham, Sussex in 1859 the son of Charles Augustus Ilsley and his wife Eliza. His early years are a bit of a blur and we pick up his story when, on 26 September 1881 at the age of 22 years and 6 months he completed the Short Service Attestation forms at Dover for service with the Royal Artillery.

A Carpenter by trade he had been apprenticed to a Mr Seager for seven years which, by implication, meant that whatever schooling he had received had ended by the time he was 15 years old, not uncommon in Victorian England. He was a strapping lad, tall for the times at around 6 feet in height and weighing some 166 pounds. He had a fresh complexion with brown eyes and light brown hair and was a member of the Church of England.

Having been passed as Fit for the Army at Brighton he was enrolled in the ranks of the R.A. with number 21806 and the rank of Gunner. Serving at home with the Cinque Ports Division until, having been promoted in the meanwhile to Bombardier, he purchased his discharge for £18 on 27 February 1886 after 4 years and 155 days of service. It is important to note that on 25 March 1884 he was mustered as a Bandsman which role as a Musician, was to define him and his military career from that moment on. On discharge his military character was rated as Good and, having furthered his education whilst in the army by achieving a 3rd and 2nd Class Certificate, he took his leave.

On 24 April 1886, at the age of 27 and no longer in uniform, he tied the knot with Harriet Calcutt a widow of 33 years of age. The ceremony took place in Summertown, Oxfordshire. Harriet must have been quite recently widowed as the 1881 England census shows her with two children, Louisa Caroline Calcutt (aged 2) and Charles Edward Calcutt, a mere babe of 5 months.

On 17 October 1889 Ilsley once more donned a uniform. On this occasion he enlisted with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment at Oxford on 26 October 1889. Now 30 years and 6 months old he confirmed that he was Musician by occupation and that he had previous service in the Royal Artillery. Mention was also made that he had been residing in Summertown for at least 3 years. The years had been good to Ilsley he now weighed in at 191 pounds and had hazel eyes, brown hair and a complexion which was still fresh. By way of distinguishing characteristics he had a scar on the left side of his forehead.

Initially assigned to the Depot with No. 2582 and the rank of Private he was appointed to the 3rd Battalion as a Drummer on 17 October 1891. Some 6 months before that, at the time of the 1891 England census, Charles “Helsley” (Ilsley) and his small family were recorded as living at 24 Barrack Yard in Warwick where he was reflected as being a Musician with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Aside from Harriet the only other occupant of the house was her son, Charles Edward who was now a schoolboy of 10.

On 20 August 1892 he was transferred to the 1st Battalion and promoted to the unusual rank of Sergeant Drummer the same day. In October 1895 he extended his service to complete 12 years with the Colours and on 9 May 1896 was transferred to the 2nd Battalion, all these moves being with the Royal Warwicks.

Unbeknown to Ilsley or pretty much anyone else low down the pecking order; the Empire was about to go to war with two obscure and miniscule Boer Republics on the far away southernmost tip of Africa. On 24 November 1899, a month after war was declared he set sail with his regiment on the “Gaul” for the conflict zone arriving at the Cape on 16 December. The Warwicks were ordered to the Britstown-De Aar district where they saw quite a bit of service. When Lord Roberts reorganised at Modder River prior to his eastern advance, the 18th Brigade was formed under Major General T E Stephenson, then colonel of the Essex, the battalions being the 2nd Warwicks, 1st Yorkshire, 1st Welsh, and 1st Essex; but ill-luck again followed the Warwicks, as they could not be spared from the lines of communication until the Militia regiments sailing from England in January 1900 had arrived. No doubt the rising in the Prieska district contributed to keep them in the south, consequently they missed Paardeberg and the fighting at Poplar Grove and Driefontein. It will be remembered that the situation in the west of Cape Colony became so serious in February and March 1900 that Lord Kitchener was despatched to organise a force to operate in the Britstown, Carnarvon, and Prieska district. That force consisted of the Warwicks, part of the City Imperial Volunteers, some New Zealanders, Canadians, Yeomanry, and Militia. The rising having been put down, the Warwicks joined the main army in April

A year after his arrival, on 10 September 1900, Ilsley was attached to the 4th Battalion this was to coincide with his return home to England and he was to play no further part in the Boer War. On the 3rd of July 1901 after being at home for 296 days, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion and set sail for Bermuda where he, along with the rest of the Battalion was deployed as guards for the Boer Prisoners of War sent there.



Ilsley was more than likely one of these chaps on parade in Bermuda


In total Ilsley was to spend a year and 150 days as a prison guard before returning to England on 29 November 1902, after all the remaining prisoners had been repatriated to South Africa. His family remaining behind in England were, according to the 1901 census, staying at 9 George Street in Oxford. Aside from his wife, her daughter Louisa (now married to a Weston) was in residence as well as her son Charles Edward, a Bootmaker by trade, and 7 year old daughter Harriet.

Back on home turf he spent another 3 year 166 days before transferring to the Reserve on 14 May 1906. The award of his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, with gratuity, appeared in Army Order 72/1903 and he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps Cape Colony and Orange Free State. Interestingly the clasps Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Belfast seem to have been allocated to him initially but were replaced by the ones aforementioned.

His military service of 21 years having come to an end Ilsley scouted around for something to do. That he was going to select an income generator with a military slant to it was almost a no-brainer and the 1911 England census showed that he was an Army Pensioner and Caretaker/Owner of a Miniature Rifle Range. Now a ripe age of 52 he; Harriet and daughter Harriet Florence (17) lived at 33 East Street, Osney in Oxford.
1914 saw the outbreak of the “war to end all wars” and one would have been forgiven for thinking that a 55 year old Pensioner would be at all interested in joining the fray.

Those that thought that would have been mistaken, on 2 October 1914 he completed the Territorial Force Attestation form for 1 Year’s service in the United Kingdom at Warwick and became, with number 9015 and the rank of Sergeant, the newest recruit for No. 1 Company, 4th (Reserve) Battalion, Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry. Of course he probably wouldn’t have been allowed through the process were his true age to be known so he “modified” it a bit claiming to be 52 years of age. Serving until 28 April 1916 in that capacity it was on that day that he transferred to No. 258 Protection Company of the Royal Defence Corps before being discharged from the service for the very last time on 5 July 1917 with service reckoned to be 2 years and 277 days.

All of this was spent at home which meant that Ilsley wasn’t able to add to his medal tally.

Charles Ilsley passed away at Headington in Oxfordshire in 1930 at the age of 72. He had served his country well.

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I don't think you need worry about how a particular medal/pair/group fits in to a collection, if you like it, that is a good enough reason and always has been for me at least.
Any LSGC is nice to see, regardless of a particular Regt/Corps, it was in effect, a token, from the commanding officer, in this case, it is interesting to see the very bold impressed naming, I have always liked this, great to see it here with his QSA.