The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria

Four: Private W. R. Longman, 21st Middlesex (Finsbury) Rifle Volunteers and City of London Imperial Volunteers, later London Regiment and Royal Air Force

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill (1027 Pte. W. R. Longman, C.I.V.); British War and Victory Medals (146053 Pte 2. W. R. Longman. R.A.F.); Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, E.VII.R. (468 L.Cpl. W. R. Longman. 11/(C. of L.) B. Lon: Regt.) polished, nearly very fine or better (4) £200-£240

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria.

View
Collection

William Robert Longman was born at Holborn, London on 11 December 1876. A compositor by occupation, he enlisted into the 21st Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps (the Finsbury Rifles) on 22 January 1895 and served with their detachment in South Africa during the Boer War in the Infantry Battalion of the City Imperial Volunteers. Longman had extracts from two letters printed in the City Press: firstly on 25 July 1900, regarding the fight at Zand River he says, ‘twice I had a splinter strike the back of me, but the blanket on my back saved any serious harm.’ And secondly, on 25 August 1900, regarding the fight on 11 June 1900: ‘my Sergeant was wounded in the back through a wrong order being sent down the line.’

Longman’s Territorial Force Efficiency Medal was awarded per Army Order 7 of 1 January 1909, his volunteer unit now being named the 11th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles). During the Great War, he attested for the British Army, 22 June 1916, presumably in the 11th London Regiment, before transferring into the Royal Flying Corps on 11 February 1918, subsequently serving in its successor the Royal Air Force from 1 April 1918. Air 1/819 says: ‘Kite Balloon Section (Balloon Party) Labourer; Air Mechanic 3 / Private 2’. He was discharged on 30 April 1920 and died at Colchester, Essex in 1923.