Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Gunner G. Prince, Royal Garrison Artillery

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal, Orange Free State (78781 Gnr. G. Prince, 15th Coy. S.D., R.G.A.); China 1900, no clasp (78781 Gr. G. Prince, No. 91 Co. R.G.A.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (78781 Gnr. G. Prince, R.G.A.), together with R.A. / R.G.A. badge (3), rivets sewn on the last two clasps of the first, nearly very fine or better and a rare Boer War/China combination of awards (6) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barrett J. Carr Collection of Boer War Medals.

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Just 35 men of the British Army received the Queen’s South Africa, China 1900 and King’s South Africa Medals, all of them members of the Royal Garrison Artillery; see the article A Slow Boat to China - and Back Again, and related roll, by Lt. Col. A. M. Macfarlane (O.M.R.S. Journal, Autumn 1993, pp. 198-200).

George Prince was born in the parish of Bright-Walton, Wantage, Berkshire, in March 1872 and enlisted in the Royal Artillery in April 1890. Having then served at assorted U.K. posts in the intervening period, he was transferred to the Army Reserve in April 1897, but with the advent of hostilities in South Africa he was recalled and posted to 15th (Seige Train) Company, R.G.A. Subsequently engaged against the Boers at Paardeberg and Driefontein, he also qualified for the “Orange Free State” clasp for services with the 14th Company, Western Division, R.G.A. Then in July 1900 he was embarked for China where he served in No. 91 Company, R.G.A. but, with the Boxer Rebellion drawing to a close, he was sent back to South Africa in March 1901, where he again served with the 15th Company and qualified for his King’s South Africa Medal with two clasps. Prince returned to the U.K. in August 1902 and was discharged the following month.