THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL AWARDED TO CAPTAIN AND ADJUTANT (LATER LATER LIEUTENANT-COLONEL) J.C. COLQUHOUN, D.S.O., WHO COMMANDED THE 6TH BATTALION LEINSTER REGIMENT DURING WW1. Queen’s South Africa Medal, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free

THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL AWARDED TO CAPTAIN AND ADJUTANT (LATER LATER LIEUTENANT-COLONEL) J.C. COLQUHOUN, D.S.O., WHO COMMANDED THE 6TH BATTALION LEINSTER REGIMENT DURING WW1. Queen’s South Africa Medal, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1902 (officially engraved: Capt & Adjt: J.C. COLQUHOUN, Leins: Rgt:). Extremely Fine and Virtually As Struck.

Medal accompanied by biographical details, copied extract from “Boer War Services of Military Officers” confirming entitlement to QSA with 4 clasps, copied WW1 Medal Index card, extracts from Army Lists of the period and from the Regimental History.

Julian Campbell Colquhoun, was born 31st December 1870, in Perthshire, Scotland. He was the son of William Campbell Colquhoun and Charlotte Emily Julian Orde, daughter of the Reverend L. Shafto Orde. Colquhoun was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment, on 5th December 1891, and promoted Lieutenant, 1st October 1893, Captain, 27th July 1898 (Adjutant, 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment, 3rd January 1903), and retired and transferred to the Reserve of Officers on 6th March 1907. When WW1 broke out Colquhoun was recalled for service from the Reserve of Officers, being appointed Captain in the newly raised 6th (Service) Battalion Leinster Regiment, on 29th August 1914. The Regimental History confirms that Colquhoun was one of the original officers of the 6th Leinsters. He was subsequently promoted Major and given temporary command of the 6th Leinsters. He was promoted Lieutenant Colonel, 29th September 1915 and commanded the 6th Leinsters from 29/9/1915 to January 1917. Colquhoun was seriously wounded in September 1916, whilst commanding the 6th Leinsters during fighting against Bulgarian forces on the Struma front in the Balkans.

Colquhoun first saw active service during the Boer War with the 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment, taking part in the operations in the Transvaal, March – May 1902 and the operations in the Orange River Colony, February – March 1902 (awarded Queen’s Medal with 4 clasps). During WW1 Colquhoun saw service with the 6th Leinsters in Gallipoli, 29/7/1915 to 1/10/1915, and in Greek Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, European Turkey and the islands of the Aegean Sea, 5/10/1915 to 25/1/1917. After being invalided from the Balkans, Colquhoun saw service in France and Belgium, 5/7/1918-11/11/1918 (for his services during WW1 Colquhoun was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, Mentioned in Dispatches, London Gazette 6/12/1916 and awarded a 1914-15 Star trio).

Lieutenant-Colonel Colquhoun died in Midlothian on 4th April 1937.

Colquhoun is mentioned on a number of occasions in the Regimental History, which confirms that he was severely wounded whilst serving on the Struma front in 1916.

The 6th Leinsters was raised in Ireland in August 1914 and sailed from Liverpool for Gallipoli on 9/7/1915, landing at Suvla Bay on 6/8/1915. The battalion was evacuated to Mudros on 2/10/1915 and subsequently saw service in Salonika, where it absorbed the 7th Battalion in September 1917. During Colquhoun’s period of command the 6th Leinsters took part in the battles of Suvla Bay, 6th – 15th August 1915, including the landing at Suvla Bay, the capture of Chocolate Hill and Hill 60. In Salonika Colquhoun commanded the 6th Leinsters during the retreat from Serbia, including the battle of Kosturino, 7th – 8th December 1915 and the battles of Karajakois, 30th September – 2nd October 1916, and the capture of Yenikoi, 3rd – 4th October 1916.