Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut. W. W. Apperley, Imp. Yeo.) some contact marks, about very fine £180-220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Durham Light Infantry and associated units.

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William Wynne Apperley was born in Old Elvet on 20 October 1880 and was educated at Durham School.

He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion Durham Light Infantry on 1 June 1900 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 9 January 1901. He served in the Boer War with the 49th Company (Montgomeryshire) Imperial Yeomanry and was awarded the Queen’s Medal with five clasps. Although he resigned his commission on 30 April 1904, further military service followed firstly as Lance-Corporal in the Royal Canadian Mounted Rifles, 1904-07, then as Acting Regimental Sergeant-Major with the Newfoundland Rifles, 1908-11, next as a Private in Lord Strathcona’s Horse, 1911-14, followed by a short stint as a Sergeant in the Fort Garry Horse, 1914.

With the onset of war he was re-commissioned on 15 November 1914 as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant in the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, being promoted to Temporary Lieutenant on 3 June 1915. With the Battalion in France from December 1915, he was wounded on the Somme, 1 July 1916, and returned ill to England in September 1916. Lieutenant Apperley transferred to the Labour Corps in Jun 1917 and served in Egypt, April 1919-March 1920, being demobilised in May 1920 and returning to Canada.

Sold with copied research.