Day 1 of Three-day Sale
Lot 214:
A Queen’s South Africa Medal (first type with prominent ghost dates) with two
clasps ‘Cape Colony’ and ‘Orange Free State’ named to: 4667 Sapr H C McBurney
RE (Sapper, Royal Engineers).
Henry Coates McBurney was born in Belfast on 23 May 1870. He attested for the
Royal Engineers at Belfast on 28 May 1900 and served in South Africa with the 1 st
Telegraph Division (later Battalion). He was severely wounded at Smithfield on
30/03/1901 and was discharged as unfit for further military service at Aldershot on
20/05/1902. He married Margaret Kirkwood (1878-1953) on 20/08/1902. He re-
enlisted into the RE Signal Service (Home Service) during the First World War, as
554419 L Cpl H C McBurney and was finally demobilised on 14/02/1919. He had no
WW1 medal entitlement for his home service. He worked for the Belfast Post Office
for a total of 44 years and retired in 1930 as Assistant Superintendent. He died in
Belfast on 22/01/1966 at the great age of 95.
With copies of service record and medal roll extracts confirming the clasps and also
showing his entitlement to the additional clasp ‘South Africa 1901’. Note: These date
clasps were issued separately from the medals and battle clasps and commonly
were never attached to the medal or were lost.
Also with copy family
photographs, 1911 Census of Ireland record and other copy documents.
Good Very Fine (GVF) condition
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Cadmore Auctions
3 Station Close
Potters Bar,
Hertfordshire
EN6 1TL
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01992633373
