THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL TO PRIVATE J. MURRAY, RESERVE REGIMENT OF LANCERS, ATTACHED 5TH LANCERS (LATE 5TH LANCERS) WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN SERVICE WITH THE 5TH LANCERS DURING THE SUAKIN CAMPAIGN OF 1885, SEEING SERVICE WITH MAJOR LITTLE OF THE 5TH

THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL TO PRIVATE J. MURRAY, RESERVE REGIMENT OF LANCERS, ATTACHED 5TH LANCERS (LATE 5TH LANCERS) WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN SERVICE WITH THE 5TH LANCERS DURING THE SUAKIN CAMPAIGN OF 1885, SEEING SERVICE IN 1885 ALONGSIDE MAJOR LITTLE OF THE 5TH LANCERS, AND AFTER BEING DISCHARGED FROM THE 5TH LANCERS IN 1892 BEING EMPLOYED IN CIVILIAN LIFE AS A VALET BY MAJOR LITTLE PRIOR TO RE-ENLISTING IN ORDER TO SEE SERVICE ALONGSIDE MAJOR LITTLE DURING THE BOER WAR AS MAJOR LITTLE’S BATMAN.

DURING THE BOER WAR MAJOR LITTLE WAS RECALLED FROM THE RESERVE OF OFFICERS FOR SERVICE. AT THE SAME TIME, FOLLOWING THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR, MURRAY VOLUNTARILY RE-ENLISTED INTO THE RESERVE REGIMENT OF LANCERS, REQUESTING THAT HE BE POSTED FOR SERVICE WITH THE 5TH LANCERS. THE TWO OLD WAR HORSES, MURRAY AND LITTLE, NOW BACK IN UNIFORM AT THE FIRST SOUND OF GUNFIRE, WERE THEN JOINTLY POSTED FOR SERVICE TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN, MAJOR LITTLE AS COMMANDANT AT VOLKSRUST AND MURRAY AS HIS BATMAN. Queen’s South Africa Medal, type 3, 2 clasps, Natal, Transvaal (officially named, engraved in sloping upper and lower case italic letters and numbers: 5564 Pte. G. MURRAY, Royal Reserve.). Note incorrect initial engraved on medal (should be “J” for John), some minor rim nicks and edge bruising, otherwise attractively toned, Almost Extremely Fine, rare named to the “Royal Reserve” (Reserve Regiment of Lancers), and with a length of original ribbon.

Murray’s full medal entitlement, Egypt Medal with Suakin 1885 clasp, Khedive’s Star and QSA with 2 clasps, Transvaal and Natal, probably unique to an other-rank of the 5th Lancers, given that only two squadrons of the 5th Lancers saw service during the 885 campaign and the length of time that elapsed between the Suakin Campaign of 1885 and the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899.

Medal accompanied by photocopied service papers (2 sets, for two separate periods of enlistment), copied extracts 1871 and 1901 census returns, extract QSA Medal rolls, confirming medal and clasps, and extract Egypt Medal 1882-89 roll, confirming Murray also entitled Egypt Medal with Suakin 1885 clasp and Khedives Star, along with copied research re. Major Archibald Cosmo Little.

Service papers and census returns confirm Murray’s christian name as John and, although one QSA Medal roll gives initial correctly as “J”, the other gives it incorrectly as “G”, which would account for the incorrect initial on Murray’s QSA (but both rolls give the same surname and regimental number, 5564). QSA roll with correct initial confirms that Murray saw service during the Boer War with the Reserve Regiment of Lancers, attached 5th Royal Irish Lancers and seeing service during that campaign as Major Little’s batman.

John Murray was born in Newport, Shropshire, circa 1860, the 1871 census recording Murray as having been born in Newport, Shropshire, and living in Newport, with his father, Thomas Murray, a 50 year old labourer, who had been born in Co. Mayo, Ireland, along with his mother, Catherine, five brothers and two sisters.

John Murray enlisted into the 5th Royal Irish Lancers for the first time at Birmingham on 7/12/1880. At the time of enlistment Murray was 21 years of age, gave his trade as that of groom and religion as Roman Catholic. On enlistment Murray was posted for service as 2380 Private, 5th Royal Irish Lancers. Murray never rose above the rank of private during his first period of service, transferring to the Army Reserve on 7/12/1888 and was discharged from the army for the first time on 11/12/1892. During his first period of service, in addition to service at home Murray also saw service in Egypt for 113 days, from 20/2/1885 to 10/6/1885. In Egypt he took part in the Suakin Campaign of 1885 (awarded Egypt Medal, Suakin 1885 clasp and Khedives Star), seeing service alongside Captain (later Major) Archibald Cosmo Little.

After leaving the army Murray was employed in a civil capacity at Major Little’s estate in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, as Major Little’s domestic valet (groom).

Following the outbreak of the Boer War, the by now 40 year old Murray enlisted for a second time, on 24/4/1900, into the Reserve Regiment of Lancers. At the second time of enlistment he again gave his trade as groom, and confirmed that he had previously seen service in the 5th Lancers. Service papers for Murray’s second period of enlistment confirm that, after enlisting into the Reserve Regiment of Lancers, he requested that he be posted for service with the 5th Lancers, Murray being immediately posted for service with the 5th Lancers, papers noting the “regiment selected” as 5th Lancers. During his second period of service, in addition to service at home Murray saw service in South Africa for 193 days, from 11/5/1900 to 19/11/1900, once again never rising above the rank of private and being discharged for the second time on 4/9/1901.

In South Africa, Murray saw service as the servant or “batman” of Major Archibald Cosmo Little, 5th Lancers. Major Little and Private Murray are listed together on their own 2-man QSA Medal roll, that roll bearing a note in the margin reading “Major Little belonged to Reserve of Officers and was attached to 5 Lancers for duty in South Africa. He landed in Natal 9th June 1900 served with 5th Lancers and as Commandant at Volksrust Transvaal. He returned home Nov 20 1900. Private Murray joined Royal Reserve and accompanied Major Little as his servant. Major Little has received his medal from H.M. The King but not the clasps he is entitled to.”

The 1901 census records John Murray as living in one of the estate cottages at Major Little’s estate, Upton House at Tetbury Upton, Gloucestershire. He is recorded in the census as the head of his household, 41 years of age, and employed as a domestic valet (Murray being valet to Major Little, who was then living in Upton House).

Major Archibald Cosmo Little (1855-1934), born 21/6/1855, was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 5th Lancers, 15/8/1877, and promoted Lieutenant, 1/3/1879, Captain, 7/3/1883, and Major, 15/6/1885, transferring to the Reserve of Officers with the rank of Major.

Major Little first saw service as a Captain during the Sudan expedition of 1885 as ADC to the Brigadier-General commanding the Cavalry Brigade (mentioned in dispatches, London Gazette, 25/8/1885, Egypt Medal with Suakin 1885 clasp and Khedives Star, promoted Brevet Major). After returning from the Sudan Major Little transferred to the Reserve of Officers and was recalled for service from the Reserve of Officers during the Boer War, seeing service in Natal, during the operations in the Transvaal, February and April to May 1902, and the operations in the Orange River Colony, January to April and May 1902 (awarded Queen’s medal with 2 clasps).

Major Little married, 4/10/1887, Guendolen Teresa Chetwynd-Talbot, eldest daughter of Charles Henry John, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot. Major Little died at Tetbury, Gloucestershire, 8/1/1834, his death being marked by a brief obituary in the local newspaper “Major A.C. Little at Tetbury, son of Indian Mutiny hero. The death has taken place at Upton House, Tetbury, of Major Archibald Cosmo Little, aged 78, who was the eldest son of the late General Sir Archibald Little, G.C.B., one of the heros of the Indian Mutiny. Major Little was formerly a follower of the Beaufort Hounds. He was also a magistrate and associated with numerous organisations in Tetbury. Major Little was educated at Eton, and married Lady Gwendolen, the daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury and widow of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Chaplin, M.P. He was a J.P. of the Coounty of Gloucester, he was a Captain and Brevet-Major in the 5th Lancers, retiring in 1892 and Adjutant of the Warwickshire Yeomanry from 1888 to 1892. He served in the expedition to Sudan in 1885, with the Natal Field Force in the Boer War in 1900 and afterwards as Major (Second in Command) of the City of London (Rough Riders) Imperial Yeomanry from 1901 to 1905. During the Great War he was Superintendant of a Re-Mount Depot.”

Tetbury-Upton is a small village Civil Parish in the Cotswolds area of Gloucestershire. Major Little’s family home, Upton House, is a neo-clasical country house built in 1752 to a design usually attributed to William Halfpenny of Bristol.

Only two squadrons of the 5th Lancers (approximately 200 officers and men) present during the Suakin campaign of 1885, including the battle of Hasheen, 20/3/1855.

During the Suakin campaign of 1885 the two squadrons of the 5th Lancers took part in the advance from Suakin to Hasheen, taking part in the action at Hasheen, a significant defeat for a much superior Dervish force. The troops taking part in the advance to Hasheen doing so in a defensive open square, with the cavalry, including the 5th Lancers, advancing in open formation in front of the square, scouting and skirmishing, the 5th Royal Irish Lancers taking part in a charge against a far superior force of Dervishes. The following description of that charge, commanded by Major Harvey, is taken from the regimental history:

“On the extreme right rear of the British force the 5th Lancers now got their opportunity. A number of the enemy tried to break through in the direction of the redoubts which the 70th were constructing, and Major Harvey charged the Arabs on the flank, going right through them, and then, wheeling about riding them down a second time. The Arabs practised their usual tactics, and lay flat on the ground when they saw the Lancers approaching, doing their best to hamstring the horses as they passed. But on this occasion they had the Queen of weapons to reckon with, and the lance put an end to many a Mahdist before he could put his plan into execution. The leader of this dashing charge was himself wounded by one of the lances of the Bengal Cavalry, with which an Arab had armed himself. Kneeling on the ground, the fellow kept himself in front of Harvey, who was somewhat perplexed to know what he was going to do, so he went straight at him with his drawn sword. The Arab suddenly jumped on one side, and as Harvey passed him, endeavoured to run him through with the lance. So quick was the Arab, that the sword was too late to parry the point, and the spear was lodged deeply in the rider’s thigh, so deeply indeed, as to wrench it from the Arab’s grasp. With the bridle in one hand and his sword in the other, there was no possibility of Harvey withdrawing the lance, which caught in a bush and nearly unhorsed the gallant major. Another officer of the Fifth laid four of the enemy low before he emptied his revolver, and such execution did the lancers do, that only seven of the enemy made their escape. The casualties amongst the Fifth were, Troop Sergeant-Major Nicholls and four men killed, Major Harvey and seven men wounded.”