Pair: Corporal J. Rogers, Essex Regiment, late Royal West Kent Regiment

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1902 (3649. Pte. J. Rogers. Essex Regt.); Special Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (8709 Cpl. J. Rogers. 3/ Essex Regt.) edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine, rare(2) £400-£500

Only five Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medals were awarded to the Essex Regiment, four to the 3rd Battalion and one to the 1st Garrison Battalion; Rogers’ award was the first to the Regiment, and being the only recipient not to serve overseas during the Great War his combination of awards is unique.

John Rogers was born in the parish of St Clements, Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1861, and enlisted into the 40th Brigade at Colchester Camp on 10 January 1881, having previously served in the Essex Rifles. Posted to the 50th Foot (later 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment), he served with the Regiment in Egypt from 3 August 1882 to 8 January 1883, and then in Egypt and the Sudan from 4 September 1884 to 16 June 1886, and was present during both the Egyptian campaign of 1882 and the Nile expedition of 1884-85, taking part during the latter campaign in the battle of Ginnis.

Rogers returned to the U.K. from Gibraltar on 10 January 1887, and transferred to the Army Reserve on 13 January of that year. He was discharged on 9 January 1893, after 12 years’ service. He subsequently served with the 3rd Battalion, Essex Regiment, in South Africa during the latter stages of the Boer War, before enlisting in the Special Reserve, and was promoted Corporal. He was awarded his Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal per Army Order 204 of July 1912, the first Special Reserve L.S. & G.C. awarded to the Essex Regiment, and may have seen home service during the Great War.