A RARE & DESIRABLE QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL.
(Defence of Ladysmith, Belfast)
5th (Irish) Lancers
' Seriously Wounded at Battle of Waggon Hill '
An exciting
'LADYSMITH DEFENDER'
To:
4144. Q. M. Sjt. A. LANGTON. 5/Lcrs.
Arthur Langton was born in Brighton in 1868 and originally joined the Army as:
2991. Pte. A.Langton. 6th Dragoons on the 13 June 1889, aged 21.
He had previously been a shipping clerk.
He transfered to 5th Lancers on 21st December 1892.
During the Boer War he took part in the famous action at the
Battle of Waggon Hill,
where, while defending Ladysmith on the 6th January 1900, he was badly wounded in the head by a Boer shell splinter.
This led to his discharge as unfit for further service on 25th March 1902.
His service of 12 Years 286 days was described as "Exemplary"
He lived at St John's, Sevenoaks, Kent.
******
After his discharge Arthur obviously fell on hard times and is next seen in very sad and most difficultly reduced circumstances.
A newspaper article in The Nottingham Evening Post of Monday 16th January 1905 carried the following details:
LADYSMITH HERO's PLIGHT
Arthur Langton, 37, who has been acting as a Shoeblack at Victoria Station, appeared at Westminster on Saturday charged with Disorderly Conduct. It seems that the accused was formerly Quarter Master Sergeant of 5th Lancers but was shot through the head in the Siege of Ladysmith, and was discharged from the army as unfit with a pension of
3 shillings a day. His character in the army was exemplary. It was stated that his head appeared to be affected, and he was remanded to see what could be done for him. In his possession was a letter from the King's Secretery in reply to an application for work which the prisoner had addressed to him.
(*We are continuing in depth research in an attempt to find out what became of him after this sad incident. We can't stand to leave him ill and in Police custody ! Also we think it might be possible to obtain a picture of Arthur working in Victoria station in 1905, so if any of you keen railway history folks have any early photos which might show him working we would love to see them....He would probably be wearing his medal as so many old soldiers did in those days....Thanks ! )
Comes with copies of his service papers and an original Queen Victoria Christmas 1900 Chocolate tin. Also a copy of an interesting and humorous newspaper cutting of the period, where a 'DAILY NEWS' journalist had tried to "buy" a Victoria Choc' Box from an Essex Regt, soldier for £2 (without success !)
Officially Engraved in Serif Capitals as is the norm for this unit.
Medal About EF, Rear suspender claw is absent, (probably made this way)but suspension is well and originally pinned and firmly attached.
A real 'classic' to a HERO wounded in a famous action.
A 'must have' for the serious Irish or Cavalry collector.
£895