A Collection of Boer War Medals to the Royal Artillery

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Defence of Ladysmith, Transvaal (16986 Gnr. T. Nerney, 10th M.B., R.G.A.) attempted erasure of service number, suspension post slightly bent, edge bruising, about very fine £180-220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Boer War Medals to the Royal Artillery.

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Thomas Nerney was born in Edinburgh. A Labourer by occupation and a member of the 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Militia), he attested for service in the Royal Artillery at Middlesbrough, on 28 October 1896, aged 19 years 2 months. With the R.G.A. he served in South Africa, December 1898-April 1903. Serving with the 10th Mountain Battery at the defence of Ladysmith, he was slightly wounded on 18 December 1899. The war diary records, ‘Dec. 19th. One of our 6.3” Howitzers struck by 6” shell from Telegraph Hill. Gr. Narney (sic) wounded. Howitzer carriage was repaired and in position again at Ration Post in forty-eight hours’. (The Diary is remiss in omitting to state how long it took to repair Gunner Nerney!). However, soon after Nerney fell foul of officialdom and in November 1899 was tried and imprisoned for 28 days. He was again imprisoned for 56 days in November-December 1901. Nerney was discharged to the Army Reserve in October 1903 and discharged from the Army having completed his period of service in October 1908. Although papers exist that state his medal was forfeited under Section 18 of the Army Act (Disgraceful Conduct of a Soldier), for his service in the Boer War he was awarded the Queen’s medal with two clasps and the King’s medal with two. Nerney re-enlisted into the Cork R.G.A. on 24 April 1912 as ‘3269 Gunner T. Nerney’. Serving with the 22nd Trench Battery, R.G.A. in the Great War, he was killed in action on 6 July 1915. Having no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial.

With copied service papers and other research.