DIED OF DISEASE QUEENS SOUTH AFRICA BOER WAR MEDAL KEEL 6 INNISKILLING DRAGOONS

Offered is a Queens South Africa Medal (1899 – 1902) with 2 clasps CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, correctly period engraved named 3334 Corpl. ShSth. G.KEEL. G/Drgns. Ghost dates to reverse and a beautiful condition medal. Comes with copy medal roll, soldiers effects list, brothers service papers and newspaper article.

Shoeing Smith Corporal George Keel was born in 1874 at Elmstead, Kent. A agricultural labourer by trade, he enlisted in the 6th Dragoons 4/4/1893. His brother Richard Keel, 6460, enlisted into the Royal Artillery 20/10/94 (also served Boer War and survived)

The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons landed in South Africa December 1899 and were immediately engaged in the fighting. Unfortunately Shoeing Smith Corporal George Keel died of enteric fever (Typhoid, which is caught from eating or drinking contaminated water/food) at Kroonstad 2/6/1900 (Orange Free State) he was married at the time and his widow received 8 pounds 12 shillings as a final payment.

The British army lost 7,582 killed, but some 13,139 died of disease. More than half of British casualties during the war were caused by illness, especially typhoid fever, rather than enemy action.