THE SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL 1877-79 TO PRIVATE J. MOORE, 94TH FOOT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION CONNAUGHT RANGERS), WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN SERVICE AT YOKOHAMA IN JAPAN DURING 1871 PROTECTING WESTERN RESIDENTS OF THAT CITY FROM ANTI-WESTERN JAPANESE FACTIONS, AND IN PERAK DURING THE CAMPAIGN THERE OF 1874-76 WITH THE 10TH (NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE) REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 1ST AND 2ND BATTALIONS LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT) (ALSO ENTITLED INDIA GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1854-95 WITH PERAK CLASP), AND WHO SUBSEQUENTLY SAW SERVICE IN THE TRANSVAAL WITH THE 94TH FOOT DURING THE FIRST ANGLO-BOER WAR OF 1880-81, BEING PRESENT DURING THE SIEGE OF LYDENBURG DURING THAT CAMPAIGN, AND ENDED HIS CAREER AS A SERGEANT IN THE 4TH BATTALION ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT (NORTH TIPPERARY MILITIA) BEING DISCHARGED IN AUGUST 1892, HAVING SEEN SERVICE WITH THE COLOURS FOR OVER 21 YEARS DURING THE PERIOD 1870 TO 1892. South Africa Medal, 1870-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (officially named, engraved in serifed block capitals: 953 PTE. J. MOORE. 94TH. FOOT). Attractively toned, Good Very Fine.
Medal accompanied by pages 15 pages copied documents from Private Moore's service papers file (4 pages 10th Foot, 11 pages 94th Foot), and copied extracts original India General Service Medal roll, confirming Moore also entitled IGS Medal 1849-95 with Perak clasp, and South Africa 1877-79 Medal rolls (2, original and published), confirming South Africa Medal and 1879 clasp, along with extract regimental history of the 10th Foot, giving details of the regiment's services in Japan and Perak.
James Moore was born in the parish of St Andrews, Dublin, in 1853. He enlisted into the 10th Foot at Dublin on 23rd November 1870. At the time of enlistment Moore was 18 years old and gave his trade as labourer, Moore seeing service with the 10th Foot as 1947 Private. He never rose above the rank of Private whilst serving with the 10th Foot and was eventually discharged on 11/6/1877, after seeing 6 years and 194 days service with the colours (6 years and 193 days pensionable service), Moore having purchased his discharge, being discharged "at own request on payment of sixteen pounds". Whilst serving with the 10th Foot, in addition to seeing service at home, Moore also saw service in Japan for 7 months, 14/1/1871 to 7/9/1871, in China (Hong Kong) for 9 months and the Straits Settlements (including Perak) for 4 years and 8 months.
James Moore enlisted into the 94th Foot at Dublin on 3/10/1877. At the time of his second enlistment Moore was 24 years and 9 months old and confirmed his place of birth as the parish of St Andrews and his trade as labourer. Moore saw service with the 94th Foot as initially as 953 Private and was promoted Corporal 4/12/1877, but reverted to Private on 24/3/1879, was appointed Lance Corporal 20/3/1881, reverted Private 1/7/1881, promoted Corporal 23/11/1881, Sergeant, 4/10/1882 until 5/12/1883, when, having completed a total of 12 years and 264 days service with the regular army, he transferred to the 4th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment with the rank of Sergeant on 6/12/1883. Moore transferred to the 4th Royal Irish Regiment at Clonmel, Ireland, on 1/10/1889, to complete 21 years service, serving with the rank of Sergeant with that regiment until he was finally discharged on 15/8/1892, having completed a total of 21 years, 155 days service with the colours. While serving with the 94th Foot, in addition to service at home, Moore also saw service in South Africa for 3 years and 53 days, 26/2/1879 to 19/4/1882.
Moore first saw active service overseas in Japan with the 10th Foot. The 10th Foot saw service in Yokohama, 1868-1871, charged with protecting the small foreign community in the port. Yokohama was one of five Japanese ports open to Western trade following the 1855 treaty of Yokohama. That opening up caused considerable resentment in Japan, leading to the Emperor breaking with centuries of imperial tradition and issuing an order in 1863 to "expel the barbarians", leading to clashes between Japanese and Western naval forces in 1862, including the American-Japanese Shimonseki campaign and the Anglo-Japanese "Satsuma" war. Following a series of Japanese defeats, Japan surrendered to the western allies, permitting foreign troops to garrison Yokohama, in order to protect its western residents from attacks by anti-foreigner Japanese elements.
The presence of the 10th Foot in Japan had a lasting legacy that endures to this day, the Bandmaster of the 10th Foot, John William Fenton, is today remembered as the first band master in Japan and the father of military bank music in Japan. He is also credited with introducing the slow march to Japan and wrote the original musical melody for the Japanese national anthem "Kimigayo", in 1869.
After seeing service in Japan the 10th Foot saw service in Perak during the campaign of 1874-76, which at the time was beset by tension and outbreaks of violence between the native Malayan population and Chinese immigrants.
After transferring to the 94th Foot, Moore saw service in South Africa in 1879-81. The 94th Foot saw extensive service during the 1879 Zulu campaign, including the Battle of Ulundi, and at the end of that campaign remained in South Africa, taking part in the first Anglo-Boer War, when two companies of the 94th Foot were routed at the battle of Bronkhorstspruit, with the remaining companies of the regiment besieged by Boer forces at Standerton, Pretoria, Marabstadt and Lydenburg. The medal roll for Moore's South Africa Medal, dated Lydenburg, Transvaal, 21/11/1880, confirms that Moore was "with regiment" when that roll was drawn up, and would thus have been present in Lyderburg during the siege.
