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A Queen's South Africa to Lord Strathcona's Horse

Item: GB1849

A Queen's South Africa to Lord Strathcona's Horse

$1,800

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A Queen's South Africa to Lord Strathcona's Horse

A Queen's South Africa to Lord Strathcona's Horse - NATAL, BELFAST (437 CORPL: W. GRAY. STRATHCONA'S HORSE). Naming is officially impressed. Light contact, near extremely fine. Accompanied by a duotang binder containing copies of his Recruit Declaration Paper, Medical Examination and papers declaring him as an Invalided Soldier, Special Service in South Africa records, along with a letter from the War Veteran's Allowance Board and another from Ottawa accompanying his QSA, dated 1902. Footnote: Constable William Gray was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and was recruited by Stathcona's Horse for service in South Africa. He signed on as a recruit on January 26, 1900 at Lethbridge, Alberta and was accepted for service on February 10. Although no birthdate was recorded, he stated his age for the record as 30 months, 10 years, that he was single and that he had had nine years service with the North-West Mounted Police (later the Royal Canadian Mounted Police). The regiment was one of the last in the British Empire to be created and raised by a private individual, Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal. During the Boer War, Lord Strathcona recruited and equipped the cavalry regiment at his own expense for service in South Africa. Many skilled horsemen (cowboys and North-West Mounted Police members) enlisted, allowing for a short training period and rapid deployment to South Africa. The 537 officers and men, as well as 599 horses, of the new regiment sailed from Halifax on March 18, 1900 and arrived in Cape Town on April 10. Along with The Royal Canadian Dragoons, the regiment won renown for their scouting skills. William Gray was made a Corporal with the Strathcona's Horse and served for six months in the South African theatre, before he had to be invalided to England on October 13, 1900. Upon examination in Halifax, Nova Scotia on February 5, 1901, it was determined that he was invalided, as he had sustained an injury to his right foot and leg, which was caused by falling on the leg, bending it and delivering a fracture of the tarsal bones. He also badly strained the ligaments of the knee and hip, thereby preventing him from returning, at least in the short term, to his duties with the NWMP. He settled in Blairmore, North-West Territory (later Alberta). (BCM1154)