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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 159

The 2nd Battalion, 4th 'King's Own Royal' Regiment

The unit 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 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 (421. Pte. D. Sullivan. 2/4th. Foot), very fine

Daniel Sullivan was born at Tosist, Kinmaine, County Kerry in 1855 and enlisted at Cork in October 1874. Having served in South Africa, he transferred to the Army Reserve at Lancaster in October 1880. Sullivan re-enlisted in the Royal Artillery at Portsmouth in December 1880 and served in India from November 1882-March 1889 and would see further active service in the Third Burmese War (Medal & clasp). He was released for the second time in April 1889; sold together with copied research.

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Estimate
£600 to £800

Starting price
£480