Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Captain J. J. Walsh, South African Forces, late Imperial Yeomanry

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (15221 Cpl., 74th Coy. Imp. Yeo.), single initial ‘J.’; 1914-15 Star (Capt., S.A.F.T. & P.C.(sic)); British War and Bi-lingual Victory Medals (Capt.); Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service, G.V.R., 2nd issue (Lieut., 17th Mtd. Rifles), together with a Boy Scouts Association badge, in 9ct. gold, 22mm. overall height including integral suspension loop, the reverse of the arms engraved, ‘J. J. Walsh, April ’33’, and two bronze shooting medals, the first with one or two minor edge bruises, otherwise very fine and rather better (8) £400-500

Jasper Joseph Walsh was born in January 1878 and served in the 74th Company, Irish Imperial Yeomanry from March 1900 to July 1901, latterly in the rank of Corporal. Having then served in the ranks of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Volunteer Rifles from April 1906 to June 1913, latterly as a Sergeant, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 17th (Western Province) Mounted Rifles, and was mobilised in that capacity in August 1914. That December, however, he was appointed a Temporary Captain and District Signalling Officer at Cape Town, in which role he was commended by his senior officer for training over 100 men as signallers. Then in April 1915, on gaining attachment to the South African Field Post & Telegraph Corps (S.A.F.P. & T.C.), he was embarked for the German South-West African theatre of war, where he remained actively engaged until July of the same year. Walsh was placed on the Reserve of Officers in August 1926 and made a successful application for his Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal in November 1932.