Boer War experts I need your help please. My grandfather, John Alfred Ashford (born Birmingham, England), served in the Second Boer War (1899-1902) as a private and received both the King’s and Queen’s South Africa Medal. The latter has six bars: Belfast, Diamond Hill, Johannesburg, Driefontein, Paardeberg and Relief of Kimberley. These medals are not in my possession and so I’m unable to determine his regiment. Does anyone know of a likely regiment in which he may have served given this list of offensives? He was not a casualty. He also received the India medal 1895 for Tirah (1897-98) and Punjab Frontier (1897-98). Any help would be very much appreciated.

The site listed below, and it's forum, should be useful to you.

http://angloboerwar.com/

http://angloboerwar.com/abwforum

The following sites should help you with the units involved in the Tirah expeditionary force.

http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armycampaigns/indianca...

http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=5901

BTW - Are you certain about the order of his forenames. ?

You don't mention his age or year of birth.

However, I've checked the birth registrations based on a birth in the Birmingham area, and given the likely time period involved.

I don't see a likely birth candidate for John Alfred Ashford, but I do see a good birth candidate for Alfred J. Ashford, born in Solihull in 1872.

Thanks so much for taking the time to find out all of this information. My grandfather was born on 18 November 1872 at Nursery Road, Harborne, Staffs. The birth was registered in Kings Norton (Worcs) Registration District. His name was given as John Ashford. This was also the case with his marriage certificate. The Alfred only appeared as his middle name on his death certificate and funeral service sheet. Therefore, it is very likely that he is recorded simply as John Ashford in military records. I will have a good look at the sites you suggest. Many thanks. Cheers Sue

Search the UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949 here on Ancestry (Search > all records > scroll down and click on United Kingdom > UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949.
For some reason I couldn't get to the rolls via search military.

You should be able to pick him out under both medals with the clasp you mentioned.

As he served after 1883 and provided he didn't also serve in WWI, you may be able locate his service record on Findmypast. If he did serve in WWI there's a slim chance you may find a record or pension file here on Ancestry but most WWI service records were destroyed in the bombing during WW2.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to my post. I will most certainly follow your advice and carry out your suggested search. We had assumed he served in WWI but have no information or medals to prove it. Many thanks.

Cheers Sue

I have carried out this search and found him! Thanks so much. He was in the 1st Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in India (1897-1898) and in the 2nd Battalion of the same regiment in South Africa (both regimental number 3422). He was listed as J Ashford. All the bars fit. Mystery solved thanks to you.

Sue,

Please contact me at jeffp dot h at bt [nospace] internet dot com as I have something of interest for you but cannot attach it here.

I am not a professional researcher.

Jeff