Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Westmount Boer War Tribute Medal, gold and enamels, 35 mm. x 28 mm., the obverse with depiction of town and rising sun, union jack below, ‘Town of/Westmount/Canada’ on three panels enamelled red, white and blue, surmounted by Imperial crown and two scrolls inscribed with town motto ‘Animo et Fide’; the reverse inscribed ‘Presented by the town of Westmount to Burnett K. Snider as a recognition of his services to Queen and Empire in South Africa’, name engraved remainder struck, the two scrolls with dates ‘1899 1900’, small ring for suspension, quite severe damage to enamels (see illustration), otherwise very fine and rare £800-1200

The only Canadian Tribute Medal recorded by Hibbard is that for Toronto. Westmount was a small town on the island of Montreal, Quebec, and is now an affluent enclave of the city.

Burnett Kitley-Kenny Snider, who was born in Brantford, Ontario, in 1883, served as a Private in the 10th Canadian Field Hospital in South Africa and was awarded the Queen’s Medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Transvaal and South Africa 1902. The Hospital, which numbered five officers and 56 other ranks, arrived in South Africa in February 1902, and was based at Vallbank, but a section accompanied the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles into the Western Transvaal.

Subsequently employed as an advertising manager, he was also a member of the Active Militia and, on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force at Ottawa. Assigned to Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, he went out to France and was wounded on 15 February 1915. Having then been commissioned as a Lieutenant, he was again wounded on 19 December 1916, and ended the War at the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp. He was discharged in January 1919.