Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (4728 Dvr: F. Taylor No:2. Local Ammn: Col: R.H.A.) polished to high relief, nearly very fine £80-£100

Fred Taylor was born in Bury, Lancashire, around 1882, and enlisted in the Royal Horse Artillery at Manchester on 16 February 1900. Sent to depot at Woolwich, his Army Service Record states that he deserted on 23 July 1900; returned to his unit a month later, he was tried and imprisoned with hard labour for 28 days by the C.O. of “A” Depot Battery. Released and posted to “X” Battery on 26 October 1900, Taylor served six further terms of imprisonment ranging from 2 to 14 days before being sent overseas to South Africa from 19 June 1901 to 4 April 1902. He survived the Boer War, but continued to fall foul of his superiors; imprisoned in March 1903 for 14 days and further convicted of a crime in May 1903 - for which he received his longest term of incarceration of 112 days - the Army finally grew weary of his behaviour and discharged Taylor as ‘incorrigible and worthless’ on 20 June 1903. The medal roll notes that he forfeited his QSA Medal at the time but that it was later restored under Army Order No. 353 of 1915.

Sold with copied service record and research.