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QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL, 21ST.BATTERY, RFA., WOUNDED AT FARQUHAR'S FARM

Bar, 'Elandslaagte', officially impressed naming - 89806 Gnr. C.J. ANDREWS, 21st. Bty. RFA. (Royal Field Artillery) : (CHARLES JOHN ANDREWS - Born in 1869 at Chelsea, London, attested for the Royal Artillery at St Georges Barracks, London on 11 April 1892. Posted as a Gunner to 23rd.Battery, RFA. from 6 December 1892 for service in India. Transferred to 21st.Battery from 10 September 1899 and deployed one week later to South Africa for service in the Second Boer War : The Battery was engaged at the Battle of Elandslaagte on 21 October 1899, where with 42nd.Battery, they arrived at about 11.00am, 'thundering in at the gallop, each battery with double teams.' : The battle proper began at about 4.00pm. when the leading companies of British Infantry emerged from cover and were immediately peppered with shell fire from the Boer guns. The fire was soon answered by 21st.Battery which came on at the gallop, unlimbered and opened fire on the Boer artillery at a range of 4400yards. As the British advance progressed, the battery kept pace with it until the range closed to 2200yards. It was late in the day when the last koppie was taken and the Boers left the field, followed by the Lancers and Dragoons. The Battery was again in action on 30 October 1899, when with 42nd.Battery and other batteries at Lombard's Kop, sometimes called Farquhar's Farm, they prevented a check from being a defeat. 'The Times' newspaper historian writing that Britain owed very much to the six batteries RFA. engaged that day. The recipient was wounded in the action at Farquhar's Farm and subsequently invalided to England where from 6 December 1899, he remained at the Depot. He was transferred to Army Reserve from 16 October 1902 and finally discharged on 12 April 1908 : The most recent occasion on which a similar medal to 21st.Battery, RFA. was sold at auction was at 'Noonans' on 21 June 2023, when the medal to 13400 Gnr. W. Sanders hammered at a price of £900.) : Sold with the recipient's Army Temperance Society medal, verification, copy Service Papers, copy Casualty Roll entry and other related research. Rated in 'British Battles and Medals' as Extremely Rare ; EF - £795