Colonial Auxiliary Force Long Service Medal. GV issue 2nd Type (E.85 Rfm. Thomas H. Cooke, Southern Rhodesia Volunteers.)

The recipient Thomas Henry Cooke, was a long time settler resident in Southern Rhodesia

Medal verification: Medal entitlement confirmed per publication of award in the Southern Rhodesia Government Gazette issue of 18 April 1924

Reference 'The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal', (J. M. A. Tamplin, 1984) it is estimated that only 142 x Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medals are recorded as awarded in Southern Rhodesia, per awards gazetted in the period 25 December 1914 to 7 September 1945 - all medals issued bore the obverse of GV (including 3 x retroactive awards that were gazetted during the reign of GVI in the 1937 (x 2) & 1945 (x 1)

Thomas Herbert Cooke, an Ulsterman, was the son of Henry James Cooke & Annie Cooke (nee Corrie / Corry). Thomas was born at Library Lane, Banbridge, Co. Down, Ireland, on, 4 April 1877. He married Beatrice Lydia Hull (described as a 'British Colonial', born on, 10 March 1882). United Kingdom Incoming Shipping Passenger Lists contain several listings for Thomas Herbert Cooke, a resident of Southern Rhodesia, and described as a 'Company Secretary' who made several visits to the United Kingdom circa 1930-1957 where he is variously recorded as 'Secretary '/ 'Company Secretary'. On several visits he was accompanied by his wife Beatrice Lydia Cooke. The couple had a son Charles Henry Valentine Cooke, who had been born in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Southern Rhodesia, on, 14 February 1911, and who is reported to have died at Cape Town, South Africa sometime in 1996

Provenance: The medal was formerly in the definitive Southern Africa themed 'Upfill-Brown Medal Collection', that was sold at Buckland Dix & Wood, in London, December 1991, and where it hammered for GBP 100, almost 33 years ago.

A medal of the finest possible provenance

A very scarce seen Colonial long service medal for Southern Rhodesia

Condition: GVF

Code: 24036