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Auction: 18002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 249

(x) The 2/4th Regiment

The 2nd Battalion, 4th 'King's Own Royal' Regiment, received orders at the North Camp, Aldershot, in the first week of December 1878 to proceed to Natal on active service. Embarked in the transports Dunrobin Castle and Teuton on the 10 and 13 December respectively, the Battalion arrived at Cape Town in early January 1879. United once again after a long voyage, the men marched to Pietermaritzburg, and from there, upon receipt of the news of the disaster at Isandhlwana, on to Helpmakaar.

The companies of the Battalion were subsequently distributed in reserve over a wide area of country, including the Utrecht district, Potgreter's Farm, Luneberg, Balte's Spruit and Conference Hill. Following the Battle of Ulundi, the men were relieved by those of the 24th Regiment, and proceeded to the Transvaal; on 8 September, Colonel Bray, with three companies of the regiment, assisted by the Frontier Light Horse and a detachment of Engineers, blew up the caves known as Umbellini's, in the neighbourhood of the Intombi River. Manyanyoba, the independent chief who had long given great trouble, then surrendered.

On 8 February 1880, the Battalion embarked for Bombay, leaving two companies behind to assist with the defence of the frontier.

999 Medals were issued to 2/4th Regiment, 971 of them with the '1879' clasp.

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (Qr. Mr. H. Rowland, 2/4th. Foot), better than very fine


Harry Rowland later transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment and was appointed Hon. Lieutenant.

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Sold for
£650