The fine India Punjab Frontier Tirah Field Force and China Boxer Rebellion and Army long service group awarded to Corporal Collar Maker later Saddler Sergeant W. Pankhurst, Royal Artillery. From North Cray near Dartford, Kent, he was a Corporal Collar Maker with the 3rd Field Battery out on the Indian Frontier during 1897 to 1898 and a Sergeant with B Battery Royal Horse Artillery in China, and received his Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1903 when a Saddler Sergeant. He re-enlisted with the Special Reserve during the Great War, and became a Saddler Staff Sergeant, seeing home service throughout the war.
Group of 3: India General Service Medal 1895-1902, 2 Clasps: Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98; (46953 CORPL: COOLAR MAKER. W. PANKHURST. 3RD: FD: BY. R.A.); China Medal 1900, no clasp; (46953 SERGT: W. PANKHURST. B. BY. R.H.A.); Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, EVII bust; (466953 SDLR: SERJT: W. PANKHURST. R.F.A.), mounted swing style as worn on old ribbons.
Condition: note misspelling of rank on first, generally toned with light contact wear, overall Good Very Fine.
Together with the following original document:
Recipient’s Parchment Certificate of Discharge, dated 29 May1903.
His original Soldier’s Account Book, this folded as once carried in his inside pocket.
William Pankhurst was born in North Cray near Dartford, Kent, and having worked as a labourer, then attested for service with the British Army at Woolwich on 31 January 1885, joining as a Driver (No.46953) the Royal Artillery, and being posted to No.2 Depot. He then re-mustered as a Gunner on 14 August 1885, and saw service with the 2nd Brigade which was re-organised as the 49th Field Artillery Battery on 1 July 1889. Pankhurst was appointed to and then promoted to Bombardier and Collar Maker on 9 January 1890, before being poser to the 38th Battery on 16 November 1891, but then transferred to the 3rd Battery on 13 August 1896 and was posted to India on 10 September 1896.
Pankhurst was promoted to Corporal Collar Maker on 24 March 1897, and saw service during the operations on the Punjab Frontier with the Tirah Field Force between September 1897 and April 1898. He was then posted to China for service in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion from 2 November 1900 when on service with ‘B’ Battery, Royal Horse Artillery in the rank of Sergeant. Posted back to India on 11 November 1901, his promotion to Saddler Sergeant occurred on 1 January 1902, and he found himself posted to the 11th Field Battery. Pankhurst was awarded the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in Army Orders No.68 of 1903. He was posted home from 20 May 1903, and was discharged at his own request after 18 years service on 29 May 1903, returning to live in Cray.
Having gone on to work as a bootmaker, owing to the Great War he attested for one years service with the Army Reserve (Special Reservists) at Woolwich on 8 September 1914, being appointed as a Saddler Sergeant (No.38735) to the Royal Field Artillery for service with the 133rd Field Battery. He then saw home service throughout the war, during which period he was posted to the 36th Field Battery on 31 September 1914, and then to the 14th Reserve Battery on 6 November 1914. On his being posted to the 62nd Reserve Battery as a Saddler Staff Sergeant on 9 September 1917, and was ultimately discharged on 10 July 1918. Owing to having seen home service throughout the war, he did not receive any further campaign medals.