Queen's South Africa Medal : Private J Dawes, 1 New South Wales Mounted Rifles

Queen's South Africa Medal engraved around edge with recipient's details.

Associated with the service of 39 Private John Dawes. Private Dawes' early life is unknown, but it is thought he was either a shopkeeper or a farmer, from the Lithgow area, before he enlisted in the New South Wales Infantry. This unit was the only infantry contingent sent to South Africa from New South Wales, and was made up of 125 men - five officers and 120 other ranks.

The unit embarked from Sydney aboard the steamship Aberdeen on 3 November 1899 and arrived in Cape Town on 6 December. On 9 December they joined the First Australian Regiment at Belmont. On 1 February 1900 while the company was at Naauwpoort, the unit was converted into the 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles, and supplied with Indian cavalry remounts. Serving as part of Major General Clements' column, from February to March the unit took part in the relief of Colesberg, and then from March to April in the advance on Bloemfontein. In April the unit joined General Ian Hamilton's column as it advanced from Bloemfontein to Diamond Hill. Although already fighting as a mounted unit, in May the company became 'E' Squadron of the 1st Regiment, New South Wales Mounted Rifles.

The squadron continued to serve in the Orange Free State and Transvaal for the rest of the year. It was involved in actions around Bethlehem, Palmietfontein, Vredefort, and Lindeque Drift in July; and in the march to Pretoria, via Rustenburg, in August. It was subsequently involved in a number of operations and skirmishes in the northern Orange River Colony, at Witkoppies and Reitzburg, and in the capture of Potchefstroom.

The regiment embarked from Cape Town aboard SS Orient on 13 December 1900. They disembarked at Sydney on 8 January 1901.