Four: Lieutenant E. J. McKenzie, 5th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, late Cape Mounted Rifles and Natal Light Horse - twice court martialled and once tried by the civil powers for fraud

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (3621 Pte. E. J. MacKenzie, Cape M.R.); 1914-15 Star (Pte. E. J. McKenzie, Ntl. Light Hse.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. E. J. McKenzie) note minor variation in surname, edge bruising, very fine and better (4) £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A fine Collection of Medals to the Sherwood Foresters.

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Ernest James McKenzie served in the Boer War as a Private in the Cape Mounted Rifles. Prior to the Great War he was employed as a Journalist. In the early years of the Great War he served with the Natal Light Horse in operations in German South West Africa. Travelling to England he then attested for service with the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment on 7 September 1915, aged 33 years but was discharged to a commission in the 5th Battalion Notts. & Derbys on 19 September and seconded to the Machine Gun Corps on 29 September.

On 10 November 1916 2nd Lieutenant McKenzie was tried by Court Martial for ‘Behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming of the character of an Officer and a Gentleman’ - by issuing cheques with insufficient funds to cover them. Found guilty he was sentenced to be dismissed His Majesty’s Service. By a Submission, dated 23 November 1916, His Majesty commuted the sentence to one of forfeiture of seniority of rank. This was done and his seniority was dated from 10 December 1916.

McKenzie was Court Martialled for a second time on 13 October 1917 on similar charges, involving a cheque presented to a Madam Dollet of Bethune. Found guilty he was dismissed the service on 13 November 1917. However, his conviction was quashed in January 1918. He was then seconded for service with the Labour Corps and in May 1918 he was advanced to Lieutenant.

Lieutenant McKenzie was disembodied from the Territorial Force on 24 June 1919, having latterly served with the 125 Company Chinese Labour Corps. His address was given as ‘214 Clive Road, West Dulwich, London.’

McKenzie returned to South Africa in the early 1920’s but was back in England in the 1930’s. On 15 June 1932 at the Devon Assizes Lieutenant Ernest James McKenzie was convicted of five charges of obtaining credit by fraud and was sentenced to six months imprisonment in respect of each charge, the sentences to run concurrently. As a result of his conviction McKenzie was deprived of his rank of Lieutenant.

With a quantity of copied research.