Queens South Africa Medal 1899-1902. No clasp (3591 Pte. J. H. Cattell. Middlesex Regt)

Medal Verification: Medal with no clasp entitlement confirmed per original QSA campaign medal roll of 2nd (DCO) Battalion Middlesex Regiment (ref WO 100/195) compiled & signed 'In The Field' at ,Utrecht, Transvaal, South Africa, on, 10 March 1902, the medal roll with remark 'Draft from India arrived in South Africa 27.02.1902.' The QSA medal subsequently issued with nil clasps per the original medal roll. A supplementary page in the same medal roll shows that the recipient was awarded the 2 x clasps 'Transvaal ' & 'South Africa 1902', which clasps were issued loose on 13 December 1904. Whether the recipient ever subsequently received the loose clasps is not known, the medal here offered sans clasps, and as originally issued

John Henry Cattell son of Walter Wallis Cattell, (Railway Inspector / Railway Clerk) and Emma Cattell (nee Bullard) was a native of, Poplar, London, England, Huntingdon, where he was born on, 26 August 1874. At the time of the compilation of the 1891 National Census for England & Wales, John and his family are recorded as 'Cathell' (sic), showing John employed as a 'Dock Labourer' and living with his family, then comprising his 'Widower' father, and 3 x siblings viz, elder sisters Katherine & Betsy, and younger sister Daisy

Prior to joining the regular British Army, at, Hounslow. Middlesex, London, on, 14 April 1892, - John, who lied about his age - was under just several months short of his 18th birthday. He was however no stranger to military life, as at enlistment he cited prior service with the 4th (Militia) Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. On enlistment, John was posted to the Regimental Depot of the Middlesex Regiment, and then served variously with the 1st & 2nd Battalions of the Middlesex Regiment. the majority of his service being spent overseas. John's service history summarised form his service records is shown below:

- Home: 14/04/1892-19/09/1892
- Gibraltar: 20/09/1892-24/02/1895
- India: 25/02/1895-31/01/1902
- South Africa: 01/02/1902-09/09/1902
- Home:10/09/1902-08/09/1902

After taking his discharge from the British Army, John took up a career in the Library Service, where we was employed as a 'Library Caretaker.' The 1911 National Census for England & Wales, records John & his wife (he had married Mary Eliza Knight at, West Ham, London, on 14 December 1902) living together at 'Carnegie Library, Custom House' in London. During the closing year of the Great War, John returned briefly to the British Army, serving in the period 1918-1919, with the Army Pay Corps, as a Clerk attached to his old unit the Middlesex Regiment. John did not serve overseas during the Great War, and he received no medals in respect of his 'Home' service 1918-1919. His extant service papers for this period, show his 'permanent address' as 'Carnegie Library, Prince Regents Lane, London, E.16. London'. By the time of the compilation of the National Register for England & Wales in 1939, John is shown recorded employed as 'Library Caretaker Incapacitated' and living with his wife, Mary Cattell, residing at, 75 High Street, Eaton Bray, Luton, Bedfordshire. England John Henry Cattell is confirmed having died at, Luton, Bedfordshire, England, sometime during the second quarter of 1945

The recipients service papers (for both Victorian and Great War service) are extant and are held and are accessible at The National Archives

Condition: GVF

Code: 21399