WARRANT OFFICER J.A. MASON, 7TH BATTALION ROYAL IRISH RIFLES (LATE ROYAL HIGHLANDERS AND

WARRANT OFFICER J.A. MASON, 7TH BATTALION ROYAL IRISH RIFLES (LATE ROYAL HIGHLANDERS AND SERGEANT MASTER TAILOR 3RD BATTALION SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT). Five: Queen’s South Africa Medal, type 3, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (officially impressed: 4952 SERJT: MR: TR: J. MASON. S. STAFF: REGT.). 1914-15 Star (7-14560 Sergeant-Major, Royal Irish Rifles) British War and Victory Medals (7-14560 Warrant Officer 1st Class, Royal Irish Rifles) Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, Edward VII (6850 Sergeant Tailor, Royal Irish Rifles). Some scattered rim nicks and surface contact marks, the silver medals with attractive matching old dark tone, otherwise generally Good Very Fine to Almost Extremely Fine and mounted loose style, as worn.

Note: the Army LSGC Medal in this group is mounted on an unofficial ribbon, purple, with royal blue central stripe and two enclosing white stripes. This ribbon may have had some significance for Mason. However, the group is accompanied by an old length of the correct Army LSGC ribbon, which will match the other ribbons in the group with regard to wear and tear if purchaser decides to mount the LSGC using the correct ribbon.

Group accompanied by QSA Medal rolls (2), photocopied Medal Index Card and 17 pages of service papers.

John Mason, born in the parish of Brechin, Forfar, enlisted into the Royal Highlanders at Dundee on 28/7/1892. At time of enlistment he was 19 years of age, gave his trade as that of tailor and confirmed that he had previously seen service in the Forfar Artillery Volunteers. On enlistment Mason was posted to the Royal Highlanders Depot. From there, on 4/10/1892, he was posted for service with the 2nd Battalion Royal Highlanders. Mason transferred back to the Royal Highlanders Depot on 5/4/1898. After taking part in a training course held in Pimlico, Mason was promoted Sergeant Master Tailor, subsequently transferring to the Permanent Staff of the 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment on 1/6/1901. He transferred to the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, 13/9/1902, with the rank of Sergeant Master Tailor and was discharged from the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles on 6/4/1914 after 21 years and 253 days service with the colours. On the outbreak of WW1 Mason re-enlisted on 19/9/1914. At the time of re-enlistment he was 41 years of age and again gave his trade as that of tailor. On re-enlistment Mason was posted to the Royal Irish Rifles Depot with the rank of Rifleman, 19/9/1914, and appointed promoted Sergeant on the same day. Mason was posted for service with the 7th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles on 7/10/1914, promoted Company Sergeant-Major 28/11/1914 and Regimental Sergeant-Major 30/7/1915.

Service papers confirm active service in South Africa with the 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment (Kings Own Staffordshire Militia) 1901-1902. The Staffordshire Militia arrived at Capetown on 10/7/1901 and was initially placed in charge of Boer prisoners of war at Simonstown, with two companies of the battalion at Stellenbosch and Lowreys Pass. At the end of December 1901, the battalion took over a newly constructed line of block houses that extended for over 100 miles from the coast at Lambats Bay via Calvinia to Victoria West, with headquarters at Clanwilliam, Cape Colony. The battalion re-embarked for England on 2/7/1902. Service papers state that Mason saw active service in France with the 7th Royal Irish Rifles from 19/12/1915 to 9/4/1916. His Medal Index Card, however, gives date of entering the French theater of operations as 22/12/1915. The 7th Royal Irish Rifles was formed in Belfast in September 1914, landed at Havre on 20/12/1915, and saw service in France with the 48th Brigade, 16th Irish Division. By the spring of 1916 active front line service appears to have been beyond the physical capabilities of Mason and on 4/4/1916 he was “summarily reduced to the rank of Sergeant for inefficiency”. This, however, does not appear to have led to a black mark against his name, since he was discharged with a gratuity. Mason was discharged from the army on 20/4/1916

On his first enlistment Mason gave his next of kin initially as his brother, afterwards substituting his wife, Mary Anne Agnes, who Mason married at Perth on 17/8/1898.

Service papers include certificate for the award of Mason’s LSGC Medal, which confirms year of award as 1911, with a gratuity of £5. WW1 service papers give next of kin as Mason’s wife, Mary Anne, with an address at 17 Lodge Hill, Kingswood, Bristol. After being discharged from the army Mason emigrated to Canada, where he was resident at 46 Belmont Park, Montreal.