TOPIC:

Hi everyone

I am new to this website and I am hoping you will be ableto help me with my research. I would love if someone could explain the attached medal bars. My Gran-uncle and I think my Gran-father were in the Boer War. I cannot find any record of them anywhere. Any help or information would be gratefully appreciated, this research has been going on for the past 30 years.

Best regards
Ann

Hello Ann

Two service medals were awarded for the Boer War - the Queens South Africa Medal and the Kings South Africa Medal - and what you have there is representative of both. The KSA could not be awarded on its own - it had to have the QSA alongside whereas the QSA could be a chaps only entitlement especially if the service was less than 18 months in the war.

This is a very basic explanation but yiou can read up more under "Medals and Awards" under the main menu on this site.

Regards

Rory

Ann,

If you would like to post their names, I am sure many of the members here could help you out further.

Mark

Thank You so much Rory and Mark.

My Gran-uncle was William Shanley from Templemichael, Longford, Ireland.

I found records for him where signed up again on the 28/06/1902 and he was in the 6th Riffle Brigade his number was1786. On the 08/10/1902 he transferred to the "Lancers of the line" his number on these was 5168. On this form he states that he was in South Africa 1900 - 1901 and received The Queens SA Medal.

My Gran-father was Thomas Shanley from Templemichael, Longford Ireland.

I have no records for Thomas, my father always said that he was in the two wars, which I presumed he meant the Boer and WW1. We still have his medals from WW!.

Best regards
Ann

Hello Ann......

There is only one T. Shanley located in Find My Past.......

If he served in WW 1 it cannot be him though......

First name(s) T
Last name Shanley
Service number 22440
Rank Acting Bombardier
Regiment 79 Battery Royal Field Artillery
Memorials St James's Park north-east corner. Memorial. Royal Artillery, The Mall, London, England
Notes [Anglo-Boer Memorials Project] Initial 'P'
Event detail Killed on 25/12/1901 at Tweefontein
Event unit 79 Battery Royal Field Artillery
Event source South African Field Force. JB Hayward & Sons

Gazetteer
[2828: 2814-2839 marked as Groenkop] a farm in the Orange Free State (Harrismith district; Free State), 35 km east of Bethlehem. A force of some 500 men of the Imperial Yeomanry with a gun and maxim all under the command of Maj F.A. Williams, 1st South Staffordshire regiment, was in camp on the farm protecting the head of a blockhouse line under construction from Harrismith to Bethlehem. The detachment was camped on a hill, Groenkop, with precipitous sides to the west and south and a gentle, well entrenched slope to the east. On the night of 24/25 December 1901, detachments from eight commandos comprising some 500 burghers under the command of Chief-Cmdt C.R. de Wet silently scaled the steep west face in stockinged feet taking the defenses completely by surprise. Led by Cmdt W. Mears and Cmdt G.A. Brand, the burghers completely overran the camp within an hour. De Wet left at dawn with some 240 prisoners as well as two guns, 20 waggons, supplies of ammunition and tents, and 500 horses and mules. British casualties were 57 killed (including Williams) and 88 wounded; the Boers lost 14 killed and 30 wounded; among those killed were Cmdt G.J. Olivier of the Bethlehem commando. This action is known to Afrikaner historians as that of Groenkop or Krismiskop, Groenkop having become known as Christmas Kop. HMG IV pp.391-395; Times V pp.433-442 (maps facing p.442); De Wet cap.XXXIII (map on p.338); Wilson IV pp.890-898 (map on p.890).
A Gazetteer of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. HM & MGM Jones (Military Press, Milton Keynes 1999)

Country Great Britain
Record set Anglo-Boer War records 1899-1902
Category Military, armed forces & conflict

Hope this is of some help......

Mike

Hi Again Ann......

In the World War One FMP Records......

There are several Thomas's but I think that this may be the best.......

Mike


First name(s) Thomas
Last name Shanley
Age 40
Birth year
Birth country Ireland
Service number 33858
Regiment 2nd Life Guards
Year 1917
Series WO 363
Series description WO 363 - First World War service records 'burnt documents'
Archive The National Archives
Record set British Army Service Records
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Subcategory First World War
Collections from Great Britain

AND

First name(s) Thomas
Last name Shanley
Birth year
Birth country Ireland
Service number 374847
Regiment Labour Corps
Unit / Battalion 255th Area Employment Company
Year 1919
Series WO 363
Series description WO 363 - First World War service records 'burnt documents'
Archive The National Archives