Lot 220
An example of the excessively rare (possibly unique), named, Boer War Tribute Medal issued by the Corporation of Clitheroe, in a group of six medals to a St John Ambulance Brigade
and WW1 Royal Army Medical Corps recipient. The group consisting of: Queen’s South Africa Medal (QSA) with four clasps: Cape Colony; Johannesburg; Diamond Hill; Wittebergen; named to: 244 Ordly J T Riding St John Amb Bde 1914/15 Star, named to: 30 Sgt J T Riding RAMC British War Medal and Victory Medals named to: 30 A WO Cl 2 J T Riding RAMC St John Ambulance Medal for South Africa, named to: Pte J T Riding Clitheroe Div Boer War Tribute Medal from Clitheroe, named to: Ordly John T Riding (named in reverse field) John Thomas Riding was born on 23 May 1877 in Clitheroe, Lancashire. As a
member of the Clitheroe Division of the St John Ambulance Brigade, he volunteered for service in the South African War and served in South Africa from January to
August 1900. For his service in South Africa he received the Queen’s South Africa medal with four clasps, including, scarce to the SJAB, the three ‘battle’ clasps Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Wittebergen, which he earned serving under fire during his period as a member of the 21 st Infantry Brigade Bearer Company during Lt Gen Ian Hamilton’s famed advance from Bloemfontein to Pretoria. He also received the SJAB Service Medal and was presented with the Boer War Tribute Medal awarded by the Corporation of Clitheroe. Following his service in South Africa, John Riding worked as a Fish and Chip fryer in Lancaster, and later as a workhouse porter. He enlisted in the RAMC (Territorial Army) at Kendal on 26 November 1914 and joined the West Lancashire Casualty
Clearing Station (34 th CCS (1/1 st West Lancashire) Territorial Force) in the rank of Serjeant (with the low number ‘30’). He disembarked in France on 10 November 1915 and was finally discharged on 20 July 1919 having achieved the rank of Acting Warrant Officer Class 2. The 34 th CCS remained in France up to the Armistice and
played a particularly vital role during major battles such as the Battle of the Somme. After the end of the First World War, John Riding applied for a disability pension, but was unsuccessful. The 1921 Census records him living in Kirkham, Lancashire with his wife Mary Ellen (nee Thompson), together with a widowed Aunt and two cousins, and employed as the caretaker of the public baths in Kirkham. The 1939 Register records him still at the same address and now the Baths Superintendent. He died in
Blackburn, Lancashire in 1957, at the age of 80.
The Clitheroe Tribute Medal is regarded as extremely rare; in his authoritative book on Boer War Tribute Medals, published in 1982, M G Hibberd stated that only four examples of this medal are known. In fact, two others have appeared in recent decades – that to Pte G Hitchen E Lanc Regt, sold by DNW in 2011 for £1,900 (hammer) and that to Orderly T Driver Clitheroe Div SJAB sold by Noonans in 2023 for £1,400 (hammer) – see attached extracts from auction catalogues. This medal group, including the Tribute Medal named to John Thomas Riding, was obtained directly from a family member and has never previously been on the market. It is possible that this grouping is unique. With copy extract from the medal roll for the QSA – note that the roll indicates three clasps Jo’burg, CC and OFS issued, but there are references to later correspondence which presumably led to the correct four clasps (as attached to the medal) being issued – copy MIC, WW1 medal roll, medical history and extract from
‘AngloBoerWar.com’ concerning the circumstances of the award of the Clitheroe Tribute Medal. Also copy extracts from the ‘Clitheroe Times’ concerning the award of the Tribute Medal to the Clitheroe volunteers, including transcripts of four fascinating and informative letters written by John Riding from South Africa to the newspaper, friends and relatives. The medals are mounted court style for display and in generally Very Fine (VF) condition, although there has been a rather crude attempt to tighten the Tribute Medal suspender swivel, and an attempt to erase the ‘A’ (for Acting) before WO Cl 2 on the BWM and Victory Medals.
Sold for £2,300
