Description

For sale is a Queens South Africa Medal (1899 – 1902), with 3 clasps, CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, period engraved Capt. H.H. Smith. Sco. Rif. Comes with copies of London Gazette extracts, medal roll and newspaper articles.

Captain Harold Harvey Protheroe Smith was born in November 1870 in Truro Cornwall. The 5th son of Sir Phillip Protheroe Smith.

His brothers included:

Sir Phillip Colville Smith who was the Grand Secretary, or Chief Executive, of the United Grand Lodge of England.

Commander Herbert Granville Smith, who died on 29/1/1904 in Sierra Leone, Africa. He died two days after being invalided from a command appointment in the torpedo cruiser Tartar, his death being due to apoplexy.

Chief Constable, Lieutenant Colonel, Sir Hugh Bateman Protheroe-Smith O.B.E. He was Chief Constable of Cornwall Constabulary from 16.10.1909-31.03.1935, and a 21st lancers Omdurnan charger.

He was commissioned into the 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant on 10/6/1890. At some stage he transferred to the 4th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) being promoted to Captain on 10/2/1900.

South Africa service. The 4th Battalion Scottish Rifles had been embodied in December 1899, for service in the war, and 600 officers and men embarked for South Africa in late February 1900.

Captain Smith Was invalided home at possibly twice? An article in the Morning Post 19/11/1900 records him as returning to England and a further article in the Aberdeen Press dated 7/6/1901 records him returning home again.

Unfortunately, on 27/5/1904 he took his own life when he shot himself in the head with a pistol on a London train. It would appear that he was experiencing financial problems.