Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen (1443 Sgt. J. Hart, 2nd Wilts. Regt.), contact marks, nearly very fine

Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (5562196 Sgt. J. A. Hart, Wilts. R.), this heavily polished, thus fine £140-180

James Hart, who was from Bradford-on-Avon, enlisted in the Wiltshire Regiment at Devizes in February 1886, aged 18 years. He subsequently witnessed active service with the 2nd Battalion out in South Africa from December 1899 until the end of hostilities, gaining advancement to Sergeant in April 1900 and a mention in despatches (London Gazette 10 September 1901 refers). Awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal in AO 172c of October 1904, he was finally discharged as a Colour-Sergeant Instructor of Musketry in the same year; sold with copied attestation and discharge papers.

James Albert Hart was born in Portsmouth in September 1896, one of four children of James Hart, and enlisted in the Wiltshire Regiment as a Bandboy in September 1911 - ‘promptly renamed “Tom” by the other Bandboys, during the next 25 years he became one of the best known personalities of the Regiment’ (a lengthy retirement feature in the regimental journal refers). Owing to a sporting injury, and much to his disappointment, he missed his regimental draft for France on coming of age, and instead witnessed active service in the Devonshire Regiment from March 1917, gaining entitlement to the British War and Victory Medals. He also served in North Russia in 1919. Post-hostilities, he rose to be Band Sergeant of the 1st Battalion in 1929-35, was awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal in AO 74 of April 1930. Latterly the Bandmaster of the 4th Battalion, he retired in early 1935, having on one occasion taken the baton for a performance in front of Sir Shenton Thomas, K.C.M.G., in Singapore, when the conductor fell ill.

Sold with research, including a copy of the above mentioned feature from the regimental journal.