Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Q.S.A. awarded to Private C. Girling, 1st Battalion Derbyshire Regiment, wounded at Vlakfontein, 29 May 1901, and a victim of Boer brutality

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (5302 Pte. C. Girling, Derby. Regt.) edge bruising, good very fine £180-220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A fine Collection of Medals to the Sherwood Foresters.

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Private C. Girling, 1st Battalion Derbyshire Regiment was wounded at Vlakfontein, 29 May 1901. Also entitled to the I.G.S. with clasps for Punjab Frontier and Tirah.

A report in The Times of 20 September 1901 reads: ‘The Derbys fought magnificently at Vlakfontein, and the two companies engaged “covered themselves in glory”, ... Out of 200 men almost half were to become casualties. It is regretable that on this occasion when so much gallantry was displayed, it was also an action in which the Boers treated the British wounded with a marked lack of humanity, a number of whom were shot in cold blood. The unfortunate Girling was one of those who managed to escape death in this fashion, and the following affidavit, of which numbers were taken at the time, is of great interest. ...’

Affidavit No. 6 Pretoria, August 20th 1901. Shooting of Wounded during fight at Vlakfontein, May 29th 1901. Reported in The Times, 20 September 1901. ‘Privates W. Bacon and Charles Girling, 1st Bn. Derbyshire Regt., being duly sworn state: “Whilst lying wounded on the ground with two other wounded men, four Boers came up to us, dismounted, and fired a volley at us. We were all hit again and Private Goodwin, of our regiment, was killed. The Boers then took our arms away, and after swearing at us rode away.”’

With copied research.