Pair: Lance-Corporal R. L. Handley, Military Foot Police

Coronation 1911, unnamed as issued; Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (675 L.Cpl. R. L. Handley. M.F.P.) light contact marks, good very fine (2) £70-£90

Richard Leonard Handley was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, in 1871 and attested for the Highland Light Infantry in London on 28 August 1890, having previously served in the 4th (Militia) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. He served with the 2nd Battalion in India from 10 March 1891 to 21 January 1898, and then with the 1st Battalion in Malta and Crete, taking part in the occupation of Crete, from 10 March to 26 December 1898. He saw further service in South Africa during the Boer War from 23 October 1899 to 11 November 1902 (entitled to the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps Transvaal and Wittebergen and the King’s South Africa Medal with both date clasps), and whilst in South Africa transferred to the Military Foot Police on 1 March 1902. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal per Army Order 101 of 1909, and was discharged on 27 August 1911, after 21 years’ service, being one of only a handful of junior N.C.O.s from the Military Police to receive the 1911 Coronation Medal.

Re-enlisting for service during the Great War on 23 September 1914, Handley served with the Military Foot Police on the Western Front from 1 May 1916, and was promoted Corporal on 27 September 1918. He was finally discharged on 27 March 1919, after a further 4 years and 186 days’ service.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.