War Medals

INDIA MEDAL 1895 : KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS : SEVERELY WOUNDED DURING THE STORMING OF THE MALAKAND PASS, 3 APRIL 1895 :

Bars, 'Relief of Chitral 1895', 'Punjab Frontier 1897-98', 'Tirah 1897-98', correct style of running script engraved naming - 2540 Pte. J. O'NEIL, 2nd. Bn. K.O.Sco. Bord. (King's Own Scottish Borderers) : (Recipient is recorded on the Regimental Medal Roll dated 29 June 1896, for the India Medal 1895 with bar 'Relief of Chitral 1895' where he is shown as '2540 Private O'NEIL J.' from which roll his medal was prepared : There is no other man named O'Neil or O'Neill recorded as serving with the Regiment in the Chitral Campaign of 1895 : He appears in the London Gazette dated 15 November 1895 in the Return of Casualties in action at Malakand Pass on 3rd April 1895, where he is recorded as '2546 Private J. O'Neil, 2nd.Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, severe gunshot wound of arm.' : He recovered from his wound and continued to serve with the Regiment, later taking part in the Tirah Campaign of 1897-98 : On the Regimental Medal Roll for the later campaign he is recorded as '2546 Pte. O'NEILL J.' and is confirmed as already in possession of the India Medal 1895 with clasp 'Relief of Chitral 1895' and in addition entitled to the clasps for 'Punjab Frontier 1897-98' and 'Tirah 1897-98' : There is one other man named O'NEILL on this roll but his number is 5189 and he was not in the Chitral Campaign and therefore only entitled to the bars for the 1897-98 actions : In the Remarks column the Roll shows the recipient as, 'To Army Reserve' : It was on 3 April 1895 that the King's Own Scottish Borderers together with the Gordon Highlanders, the King's Royal Rifle Corps and some companies of the 4th.Sikh Infantry, stormed the Malakand Pass and forced their way through at the point of the bayonet : The British losses were ten killed and forty wounded, the recipient was one of those severely wounded in this action, where the Regiment had two men killed; two Officers severely wounded and thirteen other ranks wounded mostly severely.) : Sold with verification; copy London Gazette entry; copy Casualty List : As commonly found, the clipped top lugs of first have been neatly reconstituted in order to facilitate attaching the later bars : A medal to a rare casualty of the Relief of Chitral GVF - £695