BOER WAR QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL 4495 DARRIGAN YORK & LANCASTER REGIMENT

Queens South Africa Medal with 6 clasps to Private J.Darriagn 5622, 1st Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment.

Offered is a Queen’s South Africa medal 1899-1902, 6 clasps, CAPE COLONY, TUGELA HEIGHTS, ORANGE FREE STATE, RELIEF OF LADYSMITH, TRANSVAAL, LAINGS NECK. Impressed named 5622 P^TE J.DARRIGAN. I: YK:& LANC: REG^T: Comes with copy of the medal roll.

A good hard fighting QSA.

The 1st Battalion sailed on the Majestic about 13th December 1900, arrived at the Cape about the 30th, and was at once sent round to Durban.  At Venter's Spruit the York and Lancaster had heavy fighting, chiefly on 20th January, when they had 3 officers wounded, 10 men killed, and about 100 wounded. The battalion was not on Spion Kop, but on that day they had about 10 men wounded.

In the feint attack on Brakfontein, 5th February, the battalion got rather close, their losses being 1 killed and 21 wounded. The battalion having come north from Ladysmith with the remainder of the division, was present at the taking of Botha's Pass and the battle of Alleman's Nek.  Thereafter for a time they guarded the railway, and then were chiefly employed about the north of Natal and the south-east of the Transvaal.

The battalion remained a long time about Volksrust, Wakkerstroom, Ingogo, and Utrecht.  They frequently had some fighting, and several times had most arduous work taking out convoys to the columns working to the Swazi and Zululand borders.  In the memorable defence of Fort Itala, 26th September 1901 the battalion was represented and shared the glory, the regiment losing 4 killed and 14 wounded.

In January 1902 the battalion was employed under Brigadier General Bullock in erecting a line of blockhouses from Botha's Pass to Vrede, which they garrisoned till the close of the war.