THE KING'S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL WORN BY PRIVATE P. HOWARD, 1ST BATTALION ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS, WHO WAS WOUNDED IN ACTION, MENTIONED IN DISPATCHES AND AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY DURING THE BOER WAR, AND WHO IN 1904 WAS CONVICTED BY REGIMENTAL COURT MARTIAL FOR PAWNING HIS DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL AND SENTENCED TO 28 DAYS IMPRISONMENT WITH HARD LABOUR, King's South Africa Medal, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (renamed, contemporary re-engraved naming in upper and lower case letters and numbers: 4284. Pte. P. HOWARD 1st. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.).
Attractively toned, Good Very Fine to Almost Extremely Fine.
Medal accompanied by 6 pages copied service papers, King's South Africa Medal roll confirming medal and clasps, and extracts Queen's South Africa Medal rolls (2), confirming Howard also entitled QSA with Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Tugela Heights and Relief of Ladysmith clasps, along with extract 1901 census return.
Patrick Howard was born on 10/9/1875 in the parish of St Paul, Dublin. He enlisted into the Inniskilling Fusiliers at the Curragh, county Kildare, Ireland, on 29/4/1893. At the time of enlistment Howard stated that he was 18 years and 1 month old and gave his trade as labourer. Howard never rose above the rank of Private and was eventually discharged on 8/12/1904.
Howard was wounded in action during the Boer War, mentioned in dispatches, London Gazette 19/9/1901, and awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (London Gazette 27/9/1901).
Howard is recorded as having been convicted in january 1904 by Regimental Court Martial for having pawned his Distinguished Conduct Medal, for which offence he was sentenced to 28 days imprisonment with hard labour.
Howard no doubt pawned his South African campaign medals at the same time as he pawned his DCM, and as a result probably obtained this renamed medal as a replacement for his previously pawned original King's South Africa Medal for wear in place of that pawned medal.
The 1901 census records Private Howard's father, Patrick Howard senior, as a 54 year old boot maker resident at 4 Linenhall Street, Inns Quay, Dublin.
