THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL AWARDED TO PRIVATE G. DUFFY, 1ST BATTALION ROYAL INNISKILLI

THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL AWARDED TO PRIVATE G. DUFFY, 1ST BATTALION ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS, WHO ALSO SAW SERVICE ON THE NORTH WEST FRONTIER OF INDIA DURING THE CAMPAIGN OF 1897-98 AND WITH THE 8TH CANADIAN INFANTRY (90TH WINNIPEG RIFLES), “THE BLACK DEVILS”, DURING WW1. Queen’s South Africa Medal, type II (ghost dates visible on reverse), 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Belfast (officially impressed: 3023 Pte. G. DUFFY, 1st. RL. INNIS: FUS:). Attractively toned, Extremely Fine.

Medal accompanied by 6 pages of copied British Army service papers, copied medal rolls, confirming QSA and clasps, and that Murphy was also entitled to India General Service Medal 1895 with Punjab Frontier 1897-98 and Tyrah 1897-98 clasps and the King’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps, 4 pages copied Canadian Army service papers and copied extracts from ships’ passenger lists for the period 1911-1930.

Born Burt, Co. Donegal, on 24/12/1873, George Duffy enlisted into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 11/12/1889. At the time of enlistment he was 18 years and 2 months old and gave his trade as that of labourer, and confirmed that he had previously seen service for 55 days with the 4th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (Royal Tyrone Militia). On enlistment Duffy was posted for service with the 1st Battalion Inniskilling Fusiliers, but transferred to the 2nd Battalion on 11/12/1891. Duffy transferred to the Army Reserve on 25/3/1898, but was recalled to army service following the outbreak of the Boer War on 9/10/1899, being posted for service with the 1st Battalion on 19/10/1899. Duffy never rose above the rank of Private, and was discharged on 14/7/1902 on the termination of his first period of engagement. Service papers confirm that in addition to service at home Duffy also saw service in India for 6 years and 103 days, from 1/1/1891 to 23/3/1898, and in South Africa for 2 years and 250 days, 5/11/1899 to 12/7/1902. Service papers give his next of kin as his father, William Duffy, care of James Smith, Lisfannan, Co. Donegal, and confirm Duffy as having married Annie Gill, at Londonderry, on 2/4/1899.

In the post Boer War years Duffy emigrated to Montreal, Canada (there is a 39 year old George Duffy recorded as having sailed aboard the Allan Line’s SS Lake Erie from London on 18/5/1911, presumably the recipient of the medal offered here). During WW1 Duffy enlisted into the 8th Canadian Infantry at Montreal on two occasions, 19/6/1915 and 17/1/1916. At the time of Duffy’s first time of enlistment into the Canadian Army he gave his trade as that of labourer and confirmed that he had previously seen 13 years of service with the Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was also recorded on his first set of service papers as having an extensive collection of “Unionist” tattoos, a collection of English, Irish and Scottish motifs, on his chest a ship, crown, the English flag and decorations, on his right arm a sunshine cross with the letters E.I.R., a woman, a church with tower, shamrocks, a harp and dog, two highland girls hand in hand, a heart and one star, a ring tattooed on his right annular finger, on his left arm a boy and girl hand in hand, forget-me-nots with decorations, an Irish soldier and a girl, an angel’s face with wings, and an anchor.

In the post WW1 years George Duffy is recorded on at least two occasions as having sailed from the UK to Canada, on 4/10/1929 from Glasgow aboard the SS Athenia (home address given as 19 Euclid Avenue, Montreal), and on 4/1/1930 from Londonderry aboard the SS Caledonia (destination Montreal)