Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Private F. Tilley, Royal Marines Light Infantry

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (F. Tilley, Pte., R.M.L.I., H.M.S. Rambler); British War Medal 1914-20 (CH. 6257 Pte. F. Tilley, R.M.L.I.), very fine and better (2) £200-250

Of the 110 Queen’s South Africa Medals awarded to the crew of H.M.S. Rambler, 13 went to members of the R.M.L.I.

Frederick Tilley was born in Marylebone, London and enlisted in the Royal Marines in March 1881, aged 17 years. Discharged in November 1908, his only stint of active service was in the surveying vessel H.M.S. Rambler off South Africa during the Boer War; Commander H. E. P. Cust, the captain of the Rambler, with the support of the Chief Hydrographer Rear-Admiral Sir W. J. L. Wharton, successfully applied for the award of the Queen’s South Africa Medal for himself and his crew on account of their ship’s survey work ‘for the benefit of the navigation of transports close to the coast’.

Having enrolled in the Chatham Division of the Royal Fleet Reserve on being discharged, Tilley was called-up in August 1914 and served briefly at Chatham depot, thereby gaining entitlement to a single British War Medal; sold with copied service record and medal roll verification.