Lot 3252

Description

Queen's South Africa Medal 1899, (type 2 reverse), - three clasps - Cape Colony, Rhodesia, South Africa 1901; Coronation Medal 1902. 355 Tpr: E.P.Rich, Victorian M.R. on first medal, second medal unnamed as issued. Named medal impressed. Contact marks on first medal, otherwise very fine.

Edmund Press Rich 4th (Imperial) Contingent; contingent comprised 31 officers (and 2 supernumeraries) and 598 other ranks; Emb.01May1900; Rich RTA and Disemb.05Jan1901 at Victoria; Returned to South Africa and rejoined 15Feb1901; granted passage to England and discharged there.

Private E.P.Rich was given a rousing farewell in late April 1900 when a very large number of residents of Blackburn and the surrounding districts assembled at the Recreation Hall, Box Hill. A similarly large reception was given to him on 16 January 1901 after he had returned from South Africa. His name appears on the Box Hill South African War Memorial.

While on service Private Rich had an excerpt from a letter he wrote published and it took up the entire column of the Reporter, Box Hill in Victoria. The letter was written from Mandegas, Central Africa dated July 7/00 and starts off, 'We are going to the front by degrees. We have come 129 miles in four weeks. There are fourteen of us camped here to look after any truck horses as they come up from Biera. They stop here for four hours to get a feed and drink, then we truck them again to go to Umtali, which is the next station, where they stop for a rest.'

With research and copies of unit medal rolls.