Name/Title
Company Sergeant Major Harold Russell - 2nd Anglo Boer War Veteran & 1st P.W.R.F. Member (The Regiment's oldest surviving Boer War Veteran - 85yrs. [1878-1963])Description
Last surviving' CGG Regimental Family Boer War Veteran and the last documented 1st Prince of Wales Fusiliers Soldier to engage in War Service during WW2.
A Veteran of 3 Wars, CSM Harold Russell is one of the rare members of our Regimental Family to have been awarded a Queen's South Africa Medal, A Canadian 1914-15 Star, and a Canadian Defence Medal for WW2. He is considered the 'Oldest / Last surviving' CGG Regimental Family Boer War Veteran and the last documented 1st Prince of Wales Fusiliers Soldier to engage in War Service during WW2.Context
The Queen's South Africa Medal was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1900, for award to military personnel and civilian officials who served in South Africa during the Second Boer War from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902.
Three versions of the medal are known. Since the war was initially expected to be of short duration and to reach its conclusion in 1900, the first medals were struck with the years "1899" and "1900" on the reverse. Approximately fifty of these medals were awarded before it became evident that the war was going to last much longer, and both the dies and the remaining minted medals had the years machined off. The third version was minted without the years. There were approximately 178,000 medals issued.Created By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Create Date
December 26, 2021Updated By
Major Brian Tracey, MMM, CD4, retiredUpdate Date
January 2, 2022
