Pre WW1 Queens South Africa Medal Lieutenant A E Balfour 1st Gordon Highlanders

Queens South Africa Medal to 2nd Lieutenant A.E. Balfour 1st Bn Gordon Highlanders, who later served WW1.
Queens South Africa Medal 1899 – 1902 with 4 clasps, CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL, SOUTH AFRICA 1902, engraved in sloping serif 2/Lt: A.E. BALFOUR, Gordon Hdrs. Medal is in near mint condition. Comes with copies officers service papers, London Gazette’s, Officers lists, medal rolls, WW1 M.I.C., National census 1911 and 39, List of Etonians who fought in the Great War 1914-1919, Commonwealth War Graves record WW2 and basic research.
Alec Edward Balfour was born on 4 May 1880 at North Mymms, Hertfordshire, the son of City broker, Robert Drummond Balfour. He attended Eton and Oxford College graduating in 1899, Balfour was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Bedford Regiment (London Gazette 12/2/1901), he transferred to the Gordon Highlanders (LG 3/12/1901) and served with the Gordons in England 4/12/01 – 26/4/02, South Africa with the 1st Battalion 27/4/1902 – 21/10/1902. England 22/10/02 – 18/06/06 when he resigned his commission. Between the wars he was living and working in London as a printer. During WW1 he was gazetted a temporary 2nd Lieutenant 28/10/1914 and served with the 8th Battalion Gordon Highlanders rising to the rank of Captain. He was attached to the R.A.O.C. when he landed in France in 1918. Post war he travelled to Musselburgh and stood as the National Democratic and Official Coalition Candidate for the Edinburgh East Parliamentary Seat but was unsuccessful. On 29/3/1919, Balfour married Marie Amelie Louise Helene Robertine d'Harcourt, youngest daughter of the late Marquis d'Harcourt-Olonde. The couple went on to have three children, the eldest of whom, Lieutenant Roy A. E. Balfour, 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, was killed in action at Salerno on 17 September 1943. Three years later, Balfour divorced his wife on the grounds of desertion, she likely returning home to 11 Rue Constantine, Paris. He died on 26 April 1970.