POW & 2ND MATABELE WAR QUEENS SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL 1074 A GRIFFIN RIFLE BRIGADE

Offered is a Queens South Africa Medal to Pte A.Griffin who fought in the Second Matabele War 1896 – 97 & the Boer War where he was taken prisoner of war & released, invalided home but returned to continue fighting in South Africa for a 3^rd time.

Queens South Africa Medal 1899 – 1902 with 2 clasps, CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE. Impressed named 1074 P^TE A. GRIFFIN. RIFLE BRIGADE. Medal beautifully toned, in exceptional condition. Comes with copies service papers, medal rolls & research.

He is also entitled to clasps PAARDEBERG, DRIEFONTEIN, JOHANNESBURG, DIAMOND HILL, RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY. Kings South Africa Medal with 2 clasps SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902 and the British South Africa Company Medal 1890 – 97 with clasp Mashonaland 1897.

Albert Griffin was born in 1872 in Leeds, Yorkshire. He enlisted into the Rifle Brigade on 20/2/1891 and was stationed in England until 1/5/1896 when he was deployed to South Africa 2/5/96 – 22/6/97 when he fought as a mounted infantryman with the Rifle Brigade in the 2^nd Matabele War. (Baden-Powell was assigned to Matabeleland as Chief of Staff to Gen. Carrington at this time and was in charge of the scouts)

He returned to England and served 23/6/97 – 26/10/99 when he was again deployed to South Africa to fight in the 2^nd Boer War 27/10/99 – 24/4/01. It was during this time he was taken prisoner by the Boers on the 30/6/1900 approximately 10 miles southeast of Heilbron (Newspapers but 7^th July at Rietfontein by the S.A. Roll). By 18 May 1900, the Orange Free State was defeated however many Boer fighters refused to surrender. The area surrounding Heilbron was rife with guerilla activity and he would have been captured by one of the Boer groups.

He was released from Nooitgadacht 5^th Sept 1900 by the newspaper account.

It would appear that he was invalided home on the 25/4/01 – 13/4/02 when he again returned to serve in South Africa 14/4/02 – 19/8/02 when he returned to England to be discharged on 19/2/03.