THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL TO TROOPER M. CRUMP, 1ST BATTALION IMPERIAL LIGHT HORSE WHO SAW SERVICE WITH THE IMPERIAL LIGHT HORSE DURING THE RELIEF OF MAFEKING AD PRIOR TO THE BOER WAR HAD BEEN EMPLOYED AS A STABLE LAD BY ONE OF THE LEADING

THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL TO TROOPER M. CRUMP, 1ST BATTALION IMPERIAL LIGHT HORSE WHO SAW SERVICE WITH THE IMPERIAL LIGHT HORSE DURING THE RELIEF OF MAFEKING AD PRIOR TO THE BOER WAR HAD BEEN EMPLOYED AS A STABLE LAD BY ONE OF THE LEADING RACEHORSE TRAINERS IN GREAT BRITAIN. Queen’s South Africa Medal, 3 clasps, Relief of Mafeking, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (officially named, impressed in plain block capitals: 929 TPR: M. CRUMP. IMP: LT. HORSE). Suspender appears to have been tightened at some state (light scratches in obverse field next to suspender claw), scattered contact marks, rim bruises and edge nicks, otherwise Almost Very Fine and with a length of original ribbon.

Relief of Mafeking clasp scarce to the Imperial Light Horse.

Medal accompanied by copied extract 1891 census, enlistment details, copied extract from John Stirling’s “The Colonials in South Africa”, giving details of the services of the Imperial Light Horse during the Boer War, and QSA Medal roll extracts (2), confirming medal and clasps.

Martin Crump was born in Worcester, Worcestershire, in 1872. He is recorded in the 1891 census as a 19 year old “servant, stable lad” resident at Beckhampton House, the premises of Sam Darling, then one of the leading racehorse trainers in Great Britain. Crump enlisted into the Imperial Light Horse at Pietermaritzburg on 18/4/1900. Medal rolls confirm that he was discharged from the Imperial Light Horse on 7/1/1901 and gives a contact address for him as (Brogens?) Hotel, Johannesburg.

The Imperial Light Horse was perhaps the most pre-eminent colonial regiment to see service during the Boer War. John Stirling, in his “The Colonials in South Africa” giving the regiment pride of place in his collection of regimental histories, placing his history of that regiment first, and noting with regard to the regiment that “no other corps can point to a prouder history so far as the South African War is concerned”. The 1st Battalion of the regiment was raised at Pietermaritzburg on 21/9/1899, just prior to the outbreak of war, and was largely recruited from “Uitlanders” who had been forced to leave the Transvaal as a result of increased tensions between the Transvaal and the United Kingdom. On the day when war broke out, 13th October 1899, the 1st Battalion, already over 350 strong, was immediately posted for frontline duty, playing a prominent part in the battle of Elaandslaagte, 21/10/1899, after which the bulk of the battalion retreated to Ladysmith, where it was besieged with the rest of the garrison. Men from the battalion subsequently saw service during the Relief of Mafeking, forming part of the column under Colonel Mahon that began its march to the relief of Mafeking from Berkley West on 4/5/1900, just over two weeks after Martin Crump enlisted. The siege of Mafeking effectively came to an end when an advance patrol from Colonel Mahon’s column, comprising one officer and six men from the Imperial Light Horse, entered Mafeking on the night of 16th-17th May 1900.

Martin Crump’s previous experience as a stable lad for Sam Darling no doubt stood him in good stead when he enlisted into the Imperial Light Horse, the regiment making a point of enlisting recruits who were both accomplished horsemen and good shots.

There is a Martin Crump recorded as sailing from London for South Africa on 30/12/1891. That Martin Crump was recorded as being 27 years of age and a merchant by trade, so if this was the recipient, his age and occupation recorded on the ship’s register are incorrect. A copy of the entry in the ship’s register for that Martin Crump also accompanies medal.

Sam Darling (1952-1921) was one of the leading racehorse trainers of his day, the trainer of two Derby winners, Galtee More and Ard Patrick, who published an autobiography titled “Sam Darling’s Reminiscences”. His stables at Beckhampton House was a substantial operation, with 58 boxes, and required 30 stable lads and numerous ancillary staff to run it.