Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Staff Quartermaster G. Ross, King’s Royal Rifle Corps and Middlesex Regiment, who was recommended for the D.C.M. during the Boer War and was twice Mentioned in Despatches

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1889-92 (6209 Pte. J. [sic] Ross, 4th Bn. K. Rl. Rif. Corps); India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Relief of Chitral 1895 (6209 Corpl. G. Ross, 1st Bn. K.R. Rifle Corps); Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Laing's Nek, Belfast, Cape Colony (6209 Serjt. G. Ross, K.R.R.C.) unofficial rivets between fifth and sixth clasps; King's South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (6209 Serjt. G. Ross, K.R.R.C.); Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (12336 C. Sjt. G. Ross, Middx. Regt.) contact marks and edge bruising, polished, therefore good fine and better (5) £1000-1400

Provenance: Glendining’s, March 1989.

George Ross was born at Grantham, Lincolnshire in August 1869 and attested for the King's Royal Rifle Corps at Derby on 30 January 1891. Posted to the 4th Battalion in Burma, he joined 'F' Company at Thayetmyo in September 1891 and served with them during operations in Upper Burma, being awarded the India General Service Medal & clasp, one of 61 to the Battalion. Transferring to the 1st Battalion, he was promoted Corporal in January 1895, and served with the General Sir Robert Low’s Force in the Relief of Chitral operations.

Promoted Sergeant in January 1898, he served with the newly formed 1st K.R.R.C. Mounted Infantry Company in South Africa during the Boer War and was present at the battle of Talana, 20 October 1899, and at the Defence of Ladysmith; glimpses of him during the siege are to be found in Sergeant-Major Rowat's memoirs A Soldier Who Did His Duty among them Ross reading I John iv and giving thanks on the town's eventual relief.

Ross was one of 14 Mounted Infantrymen under the command of Lieutenant F. M. Crum who was present in the action at Middelburg on 23 January 1901, when Kitchener's train came under attack. Crum’s Memoirs of a Rifleman and Scout later paid tribute to his Sergeant's courage and initiative that day, crediting his fire with several empty Boer saddles, and for going forward a mile to rescue two colleagues. Subsequently recommended for a D.C.M., he was instead Mentioned in Lord Kitchener's Despatch of 8 March 1901 (London Gazette 7 May 1901). Appointed Colour-Sergeant of No. 1 Company in the newly formed 25th Battalion of Mounted Infantry, Ross yet again distinguished himself and was Mentioned for a second time in Lord Kitchener's Despatch of 23 June 1902 (London Gazette 29 July 1902).

On returning home, Ross was posted to the 5th (West Middlesex) Volunteer Rifle Corps in early 1908, which afterwards became the 9th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment in the newly established Territorial Army. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal per Army Order 57 of 1909, before being discharged on 29 January 1912, after 21 years’ service.

Ross re-enlisted in the Middlesex Regiment in May 1918 for service during the Great War, and was re-appointed to his old rank of Colour-Sergeant. He subsequently served at the Regimental Depot as an Acting Quarter-Master Sergeant and as Deputy Superintendent Clerk. On his demobilisation in August 1920, he was given a presentation tea service by the Sergeant's Mess.

Sold together with a Middlesex Regiment cap badge and an extensive file of copied research; a picture of Ross appears in Crum's Memoirs of a Rifleman and Scout.