The war service medals of John William NEESON are missing. Can you help?
John William NEESON was born in Scotland during 1880. At 16 years of age, John joined the Royal Navy and sailed off from Britain. He saw his first action during the 2nd Matabele War within South Africa during 1896. It was during this action that John was wounded in action, receiving a spear wound to the back of his head. Within a short time, his parents had succeeded in recalling him from active service and he was delivered back to Scotland. This was partly due to the fact that he was underage.
Homelife did not appeal much to John and he soon left again for overseas. His travels took him to Malta, Spain and Odessa before travelling to China where he fought in the Boxer Rebellion during 1900. Later that same year he sailed for South Africa where the Boer War was taking place. He joined the Rhodesian Field Force in which he served for a short time before joining Kitchener’s 1st Fighting Scouts.
In 1902 he left the 1st K.F.S. and joined the Transport Stock Riders. He completed
his military service in South Africa in 1902. John later joined the Capetown Fire Brigade
before getting married in 1905 and emigrating to Australia. However, by 1910 he had moved with his family to New Zealand.
His medals were on display at the Rotorua Returned Service Association (RSA)
in Rotorua, New Zealand in the 1980’s where they had been on temporary loan from his descendants. The medal group were named to John William NEESON (Trooper J.W.Neeson) and it is believed that at least one of the medals awarded for service during the South Africa war, will be engraved with his unit the ‘1KFS’ .
IMAGE LEFT: The missing war service medals of John William NEESON. They consist of (from left to right) The China War Medal 1900, Queen’s South Africa Medal, King’s South Africa Medal, British South Africa Company Medal.
The medal group included:
– The British South Africa Company Medal (with Rhodesia written on the reverse)
– The China War Medal 1900
– The Queens South Africa Medal (with unknown bars)
– The Kings South Africa Medal (unknown bars)
His family also believe that a Parchment detailing his military service was in company of the missing war medals.
Any assistance in helping his descendants to relocate these awards, would be deeply appreciated.
Robbie Neeson (Great Grandson to John William NEESON)
