The South African campaign medal to Sub-Lieutenant T. L. G. Griffith, 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, youngest of the battalion’s five officers killed at the battle of Isandhlwana

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1877-8-9 (Sub-Lieut. T. L. Griffiths, 2/24th Foot) brilliant extremely fine and very rare £10000-15000

Ex Spink auction 28 March 1995 and formerly in the collections of Dr S. Z. Ross and Norman Holme.

Thomas Llewelyn George Griffith was born at Chadlington, Oxfordshire, on 8 October 1857, eldest son of the Reverend Thomas Llewelyn Griffith, M.A., of Pen-yNant, near Ruabon, North Wales, and Rector OD Deal, Kent, and Mary Moncrieff, his wife, daughter of Brevet Major George St Vincent Whitmore, Royal Engineers.

He was educated at Marlborough College and at the Priory at Croydon, passing his Army examination as well as those at Sandhurst and Edinburgh, where for a period he was attached to the 78th Highlanders. On 14th August 1877 he was gazetted as a Sub-Lieutenant into the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, his commission being antedated to 11 November 1876.

He joined the battalion at Chatham in October 1877, and on 1 February 1878 embarked with the regiment for the Cape of Good Hope. He was present during many operations during the Kaffir War and saw much service with his battalion. In November 1878, he joined the force preparing for the invasion of Zululand, and took part in the subsequent advance into that country, being present at the storming of Sirayo’s stronghold in the Bashee Valley, afterwards proceeding to Isandhlwana.

On the morning of 22nd January 1879, Griffith left Isandhlwana with the main body of the column under Lord Chelmsford, but subsequently rode back on special service with Major Smith, Captain Gardner and Lieutenant Dyer, to convey the General’s orders to advance the camp. Colonel Black, visiting the battlefield five months afterwards, for the purpose of burying the dead, found the bodies of some sixty officers and men lying in a group, giving evidence of their having gathered together and fought desperately to the last. Among them were the remains of Captain Wardell, Lieutenant Dyer and a captain and subaltern of the 2-24th, the latter, it is believed, being the body of young Griffith.

A memorial lectern in the parish church of St Leonard’s, Deal, marks the estimation in which he was held by those round his own home, having been placed there by friends in his father’s parish and the neighbourhood. His South Africa medal with clasp 1877-8-9, incorrectly named ‘Griffiths’, was issued on 30 June 1882. The above information was extracted from The South African Campaign of 1879, by J. P. Mackinnon and S. H. Shadbolt, and The Noble 24th, by Norman Holme.