Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Corporal A. F. Weaver, 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, together with his original unpublished diary describing events during his service with the Gloucesters and the 5th Mounted Infantry in the Boer War

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen (4898 Pte. A. F. Weaver, Glouc: Regt.) note incorrect second initial, number, rank and initials officially re-impressed; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (4898 Corpl: A. Weaver. Glouc: R.) mounted as worn, toned, nearly extremely fine (2) £600-£800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Gloucestershire Regiment.

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Albert Thomas William Weaver was born in the Parish of St Peters, Bristol, and enlisted into the Gloucestershire Regiment at Bristol on 24 October 1896, aged 18 years 10 months, a fitter by trade. Posted to the 2nd Battalion in January 1897, he subsequently served in South Africa from 1 January 1900. On 24 March 1900, Weaver was posted to the 5th Mounted Infantry earning the clasps for Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, and Wittebergen, which were not earned by the Gloucesters as a regiment. He returned to the 2nd Gloucesters on 7 July 1902. At Bloemfontein on 22 June 1903, he purchased his discharge for the sum of £18 and settled in South Africa, where he was employed at the South African Garrison Institutes in Bloemfontein, and later worked for Tweespruit Dairies Ltd, at Tweespruit, and Anderson & Co., Confectioners in Bloemfontein.

Weaver kept a detailed diary throughout the war which accompanies his medals together with other original documents. Commencing with his mobilisation in December 1899 and departure from Liverpool on 1 January 1900, his arrival at Cape Town on 21 January and subsequent journey by train to Enslin, where the regiment arrived on 11 February. The action started quite soon as shown in his entry for 19th February at Paardeberg:-

“Under long range fire all day without any orders coming until afternoon, when we got orders to take the hill with the Yorks supporting us. We advanced under heavy fire. Our guns shelling the Kopje from behind us. We charged the lower part of the kopje with the bayonet, killing and wounding 87 Boars (sic). Our casualties were 6 killed and 30 wounded including Colonel Lindsell, we then stayed for the night on the hill and built sangars.”

Daily detailed entries continue for the duration of the war, highlighted by the frenetic movements and operations of the 5th Mounted Infantry with whom Weaver was attached for most of the war. This neatly hand-written and legible diary is unpublished and as such remains a document of historic importance. The diary has been fully transcribed and saved to memory stick.

The following original documents accompany the medals and diary: Parchment Certificate of Discharge, dated Bloemfontein, 22 June 1903; Parchment Certificate of Character on Discharge, 22 June 1903; Third Class Certificate of Education, dated 4 May 1903; Certificate of Qualification for Promotion [to N.C.O.], dated 9 April 1903; Account Book/Pocket Ledger and Monthly Settlements book; various Certificates of Baptism; Receipt for £18 on account of purchase of discharge, 23 June 1903; Marriage Certificate of Albert Thomas Weaver and Lucy Lydia Connolly at Bloemfontein Cathedral on 2 November 1905; four various Driver and Motor Licenses issued at Bloemfontein 1913 & 1914; several testimonial letters, offers of employment, and other correspondence.