A Boer War Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal operations, Coronation Medal 1911 and Second World War Civil Defence group awarded to Corporal T.J.A. Ralph, 2nd Battalion – East Kent Regiment – the Buffs who would later see service with the London Veteran’s Reserve and in Civil Defence during the Second World War.
Group of 3: Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 4 clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, this last bar loose on ribbon. (2293 CORPL. T.J.A. RALPH. E. KENT. REGT.) Defence Medal, privately named; (WARDEN T.J.A. RALPH. ESSEX C.D.) Coronation Medal 1911; (10623 SGT. T.J.A. RALPH. LONDON. VET. RES.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
Thomas Joseph Arthur Ralph was born in London, and attested on 23rd July 1887 giving his trade as a labourer and initially seeing service as a Private (No. 2293) with 2nd Battalion, East Kent Regiment – The Buffs. He would be appointed an unpaid Lance Corporal on 22nd April 1891, before being promoted Corporal on 4th January 1892. He would be transferred to to the Army Reserve on 24th November 1892.
He would be re-engaged on 23rd July 1899 and would travel to South Africa on the 3rd February 1900 seeing service in the Boer War during the operations in Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal before returning back to the UK on 16th September 1901.
Then transferred to the Army Reserve on 1st May 1902, he would be discharged on 22nd July 1903. He would later be serving as a member of the London Veteran Reserve at the time of the 1911 Coronation and would be employed as a Warden with the Essex Civil Defence during the Second World War.
