Q.S.A Medal 4 Bars to Pte. J. McBride, 1st Bttln. Gordon Highlanders

Description

Queen’s South Africa Medal 4 Bars – Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, and Belfast to 1506 Pte. J. McBride 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders

Condition – E.F.

Pte. J. McBride was a member of the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders when the Boer War broke out. He arrived in South Africa in November 1899 where the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders joined Brigadier-General Smith-Dorien’s 14th Brigade of the 9th Division. Pte. McBride first saw action at the disastrous Battle of Magersfontein on 11th December 1899. The 1st Battalion was heavily engaged and casualties amounted to 31 men. Following this, Pte. McBride was to see further action at Dewetsdorp on 22nd April 1900 and at Houtnek on 1st May 1900.

During the Johannesburg campaign, the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders was engaged at Klip Rivers Berg on 29th May 1900, when approximately 100 men were lost. Pte. McBride later saw action at Dalverkrantz on July 11th, 1900. The 1st Battalion’s final action in South Africa was on 7th January 1901 during the Defense of Belfast against a series of major Boer attacks. Pte. McBride remained in South Africa until his Battalion returned home to Great Britain in early 1902.

This is a very desirable medal to a highly distinguished Regiment that saw much action in the Boer War. Altogether, during the Boer War, the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders lost 58 men killed and 197 wounded.