Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private G. T. Russ, King’s Royal Rifle Corps

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, N.E. Frontier 1891 (No. 4934 Pte., 4th Bn. King’s Royal Rifle Corps); India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Relief of Chitral 1895 (4934 Pte., 1 Bn. K.R.R.C.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 7 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, South Africa 1901 (4934 Pte., K.R.R.C.) unofficial connection to last clasp, first two are later issues, good very fine and better (3) £450-550

George Thomas Russ was born in Steventon, Berkshire, the son of Joseph and Ann Russ. Being unemployed, he attested for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps at Winchester on 23 January 1889, aged 19 years. He served with the 2nd Battalion, May 1889-February 1890, 4th Battalion Mounted Infantry, February 1890-October 1892, and 1st Battalion, October 1892-February 1897. With his unit he served in India, February-October 1890 and Burma, October 1890-January 1897. For his services he was entitled to receive the India General Service 1854 with clasps for ‘Lushai 1889-92’ and ‘N.E. Frontier 1891’ and the India General Service 1895 with clasp for ‘Relief of Chitral 1895’. However, by 19 August 1895 Russ was under arrest and awaiting trial for being drunk on duty and receiving stolen goods. Found guilty, he was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment with hard labour and in addition his two I.G.S. medals were forfeited. He was transferred to the Army Reserve in February 1897. In November 1899 he was recalled to the Colours and served in South Africa, December 1899-December 1901 with the Rifle Reserve Provisional Battalion, November 1899-February 1900 and the 1st Battalion K.R.R.C., from March 1900. On 23 August 1900 an I.G.S. 1854 with clasp for N.E. Frontier 1891 and an I.G.S. 1895 with clasp for Relief of Chitral 1895 were restored to him - the restoration due no doubt to his continued good service in the field - however no mention was made of the ‘Lushai 1889-92’ clasp to which he was also entitled. Returning home, Russ was discharged on 22 January 1902, being time expired. With a quantity of copied research including copied service papers.