THE RARE SOUTH AFRICA PAIR TO AN OFFICER WHO SERVED AS ‘GENTLEMAN RANKER’ IN THE BECHUANALAND BORDER POLICE DURING THE MATABELE CAMPAIGN OF 1893 AND AS AN OFFICER OF THE HEREFORD MILITIA, IN THE BOER WAR ATTACHED TO THE 4TH CHESHIRE REGIMENT

BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY MEDAL, REVERSE MATABELELAND 1893 ‘1696 TROOPER F. H. HEMINGWAY, B. B. POLICE’,QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA 1899, CLASPS CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902 ‘LIEUT. F. H. HEMINGWAY 4/SHROPSHIRE L.I.’

Francis Herbert (‘Frank’) Hemingway was born into a wealthy family near Macclesfield in 1870 and attended Repton School. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, North Staffordshire Militia in 1889, he resigned as Lieutenant in May 1892. However, like so many men of adventurous young men of the time of the time, he made his way to South Africa, there enlisting as a ‘Gentleman Ranker’ in the Bechuanaland Border Police and took part in Matabele campaign of 1893. Medal confirmed and roll states service at Singuesi/Empandeni in Nov. 1893 and other service in December.

On 3 April 1900, Hemingway was Commissioned as Lieutenant in the 4th King's Shropshire Light Infantry (the Hereford Militia), serving as Instructor of Musketry for some time and is frequently recorded in local Hereford newspapers re training, camps, inspections, social occasions etc. During the Boer War, the small contingent of the Hereford Militia were attached to the 4th Cheshire Regiment and served around Bethulie and Springfontein.

NOTE – prior to the formation of the Territorial Force in 1908, 4/KSLI was the Hereford Militia; campaign medals to this unit rarely seen. In the 1908 reforms, the Territorial Forces battalion of the KSLI was allocated the designation “4th KSLI”.

Promoted Captain in 1903, he resigned his Commission in April 1904 (same year as death of wife) and during the First World War, Hemingway served as an officer in the 4th (Vols) Hampshire Regt. from Oct. 1917 and relinquished his commission in Dec. 1919. He saw no overseas/campaign service and did not receive medals for WW1.

He married twice (first wife died 1904) – his second wife, Marion, died on a sea voyage aboard the highly exclusive and expensive yacht “Stella Polaris” off Malta in 1929 and was buried at sea! He lived largely in Bournemouth and Boscombe after c. 1905 and died in Boscombe, Hants., in 1955.

Hemingway’s QSA medal was personally presented (one of 17 in total) in a parade in Aldershot in June 1902.

Condition EF, lovely patina to both. Sold with copy research certainly more research potential. Ex DNW 2016.