Bidspirit auction | A QSA/KSA pair of medals

A QSA/KSA pair of medals for the Second Boer War to The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, including the clasp Talana, awarded for the historic first engagement between the British and Boer forces on 20 October 1899. Consisting of: Queen’s South Africa Medal (1 st type with shadow dates) with six clasps: Cape Colony, Talana, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith and Transvaal. Named to: 5688 Pte W Burbridge Rl Dublin Fus. Kings South Africa Medal with two clasps: South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902. Named to: 5688 Corpl W Burbidge Rl Dublin Fus. Note: Misspelling in naming of Burbidge for Burbridge on KSA. Correct name is Burbridge. William Burbridge was born in 1878 at Didsbury, near Manchester. He enlisted in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 5 February 1896 and served in South Arica, India and Aden before taking his discharge on 4 February 1908 after twelve years’ service. The 1921 census records him employed as a prison warder at HMP Pentonville, and living with his wife and two children in Islington. The 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers was stationed in India until 1897, when it was suddenly ordered to South Africa, because of the strained relations developing between the British government and the Transvaal Republic. On their arrival at Durban, however, the difficulties had been settled for the time being, and the regiment was quartered at Pietermaritzburg until it moved up to Dundee in 1899, just prior to the outbreak of war. The Boers declared war on 12 October 1899 and invaded natal and the Cape Colony. On 20 October the 2nd Dublins took part in the first major battle of the war, the Battle of Talana Hill near Dundee. The Boers had appeared on Talana Hill in the early morning and after they fired some artillery shells at Dundee, the garrison responded and attacked the hill. The 2nd Dublins took part in the attack and, after some fierce fighting, drove the Boers away although they suffered heavy casualties in the process, losing, amongst others, Captain George Anderson Weldon, the first officer of the Dublins to be killed in the war. The British had to abandon Dundee soon afterwards, withdrawing to Ladysmith which The Boers then besieged. On 15 November 1899, a detachment of Dublin Fusiliers and the Durban Light Infantry was operating an armoured train from Estcourt with the objective of monitoring Boer movements. The Boers ambushed them on their return and a section of the train was de-railed in the chaos. Among the passengers was Winston Churchill, then a war correspondent accompanying the detachment, who helped load the train engine with wounded before it made an escape attempt, pushing through the de-railed section that blocked its path and making its escape. The remaining troops put up a stout defence until they were eventually compelled to surrender, including Churchill who had returned to the remaining defenders. Churchill later made a successful escape attempt from his prison in Pretoria. He wrote glowingly of the gallantry displayed by the Dublin Fusiliers and the other troops that were present during the ambush, in which The Dublins lost three men killed. The Dublin Fusiliers played an active part in the efforts to lift the Siege of Ladysmith, which lasted from 30 October 1899 to 28 February 1900, and on 15 December took part in the Battle of Colenso, suffering heavy casualties in the process. The battle was a defeat for the British forces and became part of a notorious period for the British in the war, known as ”Black Week.” The Dublins took part in the heavy fighting in January and February 1900 to capture the high ground above the Tugela River (the Tugela Heights) and, on 27 February, they supported the Royal Irish Fusiliers in their final charge at Pieters Hill, suffering heavy casualties in taking the position. This victory led to the siege of Ladysmith being lifted the following day by cavalry, with the main force of infantry arriving on 3 March. On 10 March 1900 Queen Victoria decreed that a sprig of shamrock be worn on the headdress of Irish units on Saint Patrick’s Day to commemorate their gallantry in South Africa. This tradition remains in existence with Irish units of the British Army to this day. The Battalion remained in South Africa until January 1902 when it sailed to Aden. Its latter tasks included manning blockhouses to restrict the Boers’ movement during their guerrilla campaign and providing  mounted infantry (MI) companies tasked with hunting the (now small) groups of Boers. The Dublin Fusiliers also took part in the hunt for Christian de Wet, a prominent Boer commander. During the conflict, the 1 st and 2 nd Battalions between them suffered casualties of 31 officers and 655 NCOs and men, including killed, wounded, missing and those who died of disease. Corporal Burbridge survived. With copies of his service record and extracts from medal rolls.  Some light contact marking; otherwise, Very Fine (VF) condition.