A rare ‘Alloa’ Boer War Tribute medal group of three to Sergeant John Allan, 7th Volunteer Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, S.A. 1901, S.A. 1902 (7249 Pte., V.Co. A. & S. Highrs.); Alloa Tribute Medal 1900, 9 carat gold, the reverse inscribed (For Active Service South Africa 1900, 7th V.B. A. & S.H. to L.Corpl. Jn. Allan from Alloa); Alloa Tribute Medal 1902, 9 carat gold, hallmarked 1901, the reverse inscribed (7th V.B. A. & S. H. South Africa 1902 Sergt. J. Allan) the first with official correction to rank, good very fine and very rare (3) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Massie Collection of Medals to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

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Ref Hibbard C1 and C17. See colour plate.

John Allan served with the first service battalion in the Boer War in 1900. Comprising just thirteen men from the Clackmannan and Kinross Volunteers, each man was presented with ‘a pipe and some tobacco and a sum of £2 in money; and, finally, a gold medal was given to each man by the burgh or town to which he belonged.’ Of this original contingent, five men hailed from Alloa. After returning from South Africa when the first service battalion returned to Scotland, Allan again volunteered with the third service battalion and again returned to South Africa in 1902. On this occasion he was once more presented with a gold medal from his home town. Sold with relevant copies taken from the History of the Clackmannan and Kinross Volunteers which confirms that John Allan went to South Africa on two occasions and that he received a gold medal on each occasion. Whilst Hibbard, in his book on Boer War Tribute Medals, asserts that these medals were presented to returning soldiers, it is clear, in this instance, that the medals were presented before they left for South Africa.