Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: Private W. Burnett, King’s Own Scottish Borderers

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg (6650 Pte. J. Burnett, K.O. Scot. Bord.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (6650 Pte. W. Burnett, K.O. Scot. Bord.) note different initials, contact marks, good fine (2) £100-140

William Burnett was born in Perth, Scotland. A Labourer by occupation and a member of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Gordon Highlanders at Aberdeen, he attested for the King’s Own Scottish Borderers at Aberdeen on 10 January 1898, aged 20 years, 8 months. With the 1st Battalion he served in South Africa, April 1900-February 1903 and was awarded the Queen’s medal with three clasps and the King’s medal with two. Not the best behaved soldier; his papers record several brushes with authority, mostly for being absent without leave, drunk, and once ‘absent missing a tattoo’. Not surprisingly his military conduct and character was summed up as being only ‘Fair’ by the time of his discharge in 1916. In 1906 Summers was transferred to the Army Reserve to which he later re-engaged.

On 5 August 1914, Burnett was mobilized at Berwick-on-Tweed. With the 3rd Battalion K.O.S.B. he landed in France on 15 August 1914 and became entitled to the 1914 Star, together with the British War and Victory Medals and Silver War Badge. He served in France until 7 July 1915 and was discharged in January 1916 having completed his period of engagement.

With a large quantity of copied service papers.