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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 505

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Natal, Orange Free State, Belfast, South Africa 1901 (Lieut: A. W. Strange, Ld. Strathcona's H:), unofficial rivets between State and date clasps, extremely fine

Alexander Wilmot Strange was born on 7 August 1866 at Woolwich, London, the second son of Major-General Thomas Bland Strange and his wife Elinor. Promoted Lieutenant on 7 March 1900, he served with the fledgling Strathcona's Horse:

On 11 January 1900, Lord Strathcona offered 'to equip and land at Cape Town, at his own expense, 500 Rough-riders from the Canadian North-West as a special service corps of Mounted Rifles'. Two days later his offer was accepted by the Secretary of State for War, and on 16 March the force embarked 28 officers, 512 other ranks, together with 599 horses, 3 maxims, 1 pom-pom, 500 rounds per rifle and 50,000 rounds for each maxim.

Landing at Cape Town on 10 April having already lost 200 horses at sea, Strathcona's Horse saw considerable action and served all through the advance to Belfast and Bergendal, and afterwards into the mountains of the Lydenburg district. In his final Despatch, General Buller noted, 'I can hardly speak too highly of the value Strathcona's Horse have been to the Natal Field Force'.

On 20 January 1901, the Regiment were re-embarked for Canada, via England. On 15 February they had the great honour to receive a new Colour from King Edward VII, who also presented their medals at Buckingham Palace. Strange returned to Calgary and married Miss Florence English, daughter of the Deputy-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, in March 1902.


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Sold for
£2,400