PRIVATE G. POTTS, 94TH FOOT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION CONNAUGHT RANGERS) AND ROYAL IRIS
£575.00
PRIVATE G. POTTS, 94TH FOOT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION CONNAUGHT RANGERS) AND ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT, WHO SAW SERVICE IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE ZULU WAR, 1879, AND THE FIRST BOER WAR, 1880-81, IN EGYPT, 1882, AND AT HOME DURING THE SECOND BOER WAR, 1900-1901. Three: South Africa Medal 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (renamed, contemporary re-engraved naming in serifed block capitals: 391 PTE. G. POTTS. 2/CONNAUGHT RANGERS) Egypt Medal 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Tel-el-Kebir (all naming details, apart from regimental number, renamed, re-engraved in contemporary block capitals: 929 PTE. G. POTTS 2 RL. IRISH REGT) Kehdive’s Star, obverse dated 1882 (unnamed, as issued). All three medals with a length of original medal ribbon, the silver medals attractively toned, generally Good Very Fine.
Group accompanied by Private Potts’s original Regimental Account Books (2) for his first period of service, 1875-1882, and his Regimental “Small Book” for his second period of service, 1901-1902, giving details of Potts’s postings, lodgements and deductions from regimental account, etc.
Group also accompanied by copied birth certificate, extract from 1861 census return, 13 pages of copied service papers and copied extracts from medal roll for the South Africa and Egyptian campaign medals, confirming medals and clasps.
George Potts was born at home on 11/8/1855 at 3 Meeting House Alley, in the parish of St George in the East, London, the son of George Potts, a farrier, and Rose Potts. He is recorded in the 1861 census as a 5 year old schoolboy living in the parish of St Pancras, London, with his parents, three brothers and a sister. Potts enlisted on 30/12/1875 into the 24th Brigade for general service as 391 Private and was initially posted for service with the Welsh Regiment. Potts was one of a number of men from various regiments who transferred to the 94th Foot (2nd Battalion Connaught Rangers) in 1879, in order to bring that regiment up to full strength prior to its being posted overseas for service in South Africa. Potts joined the 94th Foot as 2161 Private on 18/2/1879 and saw service in South Africa with the 94th from 26/2/1879 to 19/4/1882, seeing action at the battle of Ulundi, 3/7/1879 and seeing service in the Transvaal, 1880-81, during the First Boer War. Potts never rose above the rank of Private whilst serving with the 94th Foot and was transferred to the Army Reserve on 3/5/1882. He was recalled to the colours following the outbreak of the war in Egypt in 1882 and was posted for service with the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment as 929 Private, seeing service with the Royal Irish Regiment in Egypt from 11/8/1882 to 11/2/1883, including the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, 13/9/1882. Potts never rose above the rank of Private whilst serging with the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment and following the end of the Egyptian campaign transferred back to the Army Reserve on 8/4/1883 and was eventually discharged from the army on 4/3/1888.
Following the outbreak of the Boer War, Potts re-enlisted on 19/3/1900 into the Royal Irish Reserve Regiment as 187 Private. He was discharged for a second time on 18/3/1901, once again never having risen above the rank of Private. Potts did not see service overseas during the Boer War, so no compaign medals awarded to him for that campaign.
Private Potts had his South Africa Medal 1877-79 engraved with his 24th Brigade enlistment number “391”, rather than his Connaught Rangers regimental number “2161”.