An excellent example of a Gentleman ranker from a good family, who resigned his commission to serve in two African Campaigns as an enlisted man

British South Africa Company Medal (1890-97), reverse Mashonaland 1897, period engraved named 34. CORPL. R.J: SINCOCK. B.S.A. POLICE.; Queen's South Africa Medal (1899-1902), 3 clasps, CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, BELFAST, impressed named 2738 R.J.E. SINCOCK. CLDSTM: GDS:; King's South Africa Medal (1901-02), 2 clasps, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902, impressed named 2738 PTE R.J.E. SINCOCK. COLDSTREAM GUARDS. Period swing style mounted as worn. Comes with copies of service papers Royal Dublin Fusiliers & Coldstream Guards, Coldstream Gds South Africa service book extract, medal rolls, London Gazette extracts, marriage register, newspaper extracts and research.

Richard John Enys Bain Sincock was born in September 1875 at St Agnes, Cornwall. His father, John Bain Sincock, was a Surgeon (The Sincock family line are from Cornwall and David Wise Bain ‘The richest man in Cornwall' is probably related). Richard was commissioned into the 3rd Battalion the Welsh Regiment (Militia) on the 28/4/1894 as a 2nd Lieutenant, promoted to Lieutenant December 1895 and resigned his commission November 1896, the same month that his father died. It was probably around this date that Richard made his way to Africa and enlisted into the British South Africa Police (service number 34), serving in the Mashonaland campaign 1897.

At the conclusion of the campaign he enlisted into the Royal Dublin Fusiliers as a Private (service no 6311) on 6/4/1898 in Natal. His enlistment papers record ‘None’ under occupation and previous service as 2nd Volunteer Battalion Prince Albert's, Somerset Light Infantry and Mashonaland Mounted Police. Also recorded was a ‘scar of bullet wound left hand’ (probably from the Mashonaland campaign). However, he bought himself out within the 3 months of enlistment on the 13th June 1898 for 10 pounds. (1/2 of this was refunded to him 25/7/1899 as he had joined the Guards)

By this stage he had returned to England where he enlisted as a Private into the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards (service number 2738) on the 19th June 1898 in London. Of note is his service papers records that the Sergeant Major of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Somerset L.I signed him up! Transferred to the 3rd Battalion 9/10/99 and appointed Lance Corporal 12/12/99. Posted 2nd Battalion 23/5/1900 for service in South Africa, reduced to Private 4/10/1900. Promoted to L/Cpl 3/12/1902 on returning from South Africa and posted to the Depot (Probably as a recruit instructor) 13/12/1902.  Promoted Corporal 25/2/1904 and posted 2nd Battalion 10/3/1904. Promoted Lance Sergeant 9/5/1904.

Served South Africa 23/5/1900 – 6/10/1902 with the 2nd Battalion.

Married 23/4/1904 to Dorothy Kathleen Gardiner, the daughter of an Engineer (they had 2 children).

To Army Reserve 19/6/1906 and to Sect B Reserve 12/9/1906, discharged 18/6/1911. It is probable that he was working/living in India during this time as passenger shipping records show his wife and 2 children sailed from Calcutta to London arriving in May 1914 with their permanent address listed as ‘India’

Thaker records the family sailed for India in October 1914 where he was working as an ‘Assistant, Shalimar Paint Works, Howrah, Calcutta’. By 1919 he was recorded as ‘Assistant, Shalimar Paint, Colour and Varnish Co Ltd, Goabariah, Howrah - residence 27-7 Waterloo Street, Calcutta’. He also served as Pte R.J.E. Sincock (service no 1000) Indian Defence Force during the war (probably in a home guard capacity) No trace in Thacker after 1920 for India. He would have returned to England, the Bexhill on Sea Observer 1920 records Richard as the proprietor of the ‘Bexhill Char-a-Banc Co’ with a motor touring car to seat 24 people. The London Gazette 15/9/1922 records another company that he was involved in. His son married in 1930 and his father’s occupation was recorded as ‘Commercial traveler’. He died in Surrey in 1935.