Pair of silver fingernail guards: Sergeant Major H W Blyth, New South Wales Naval Contingent

Pair of silver fingernail guards with embossed plum blossum decoration surrounded by a meander pattern border.

The Chinese upper class grew their nails long as a sign that they did not have to undetake manual labour. Guards were worn over the nails to protect them. These guards were usually highly decorated and came in pairs, one for the little finger and the other for the ring finger.

These nail guards were aquired by Sergeant Major Herbert William Blyth of the New South Wales Contingent to China. Blyth was born in 1868, in Feltham, United Kingdom, to Thomas and Elizabeth Blyth. In 1872 he migrated to New Zealand with his family. Sometime before 1899 he migrated to New South Wales. In 1900 he enlisted in what was known as the 3rd Contingent for South Africa, listing his trade as being an adventurer. The 3rd contingent consisted of 250 men, but was surplus to the requirements for the New South Wales Imperial Bushmen unit being sent to fight in South Africa. After months of training and a number of unsuccessful bids to be sent overseas, the contingent was disbanded. Some men went to South Africa as cattlemen and attempted to enlist in an imperial unit from there. Others took up an offer to join the permanent forces, while 25 men were used to form the New South Wales Marine Light Infantry, Blyth among them.

The New South Wales Marine Light Infantry was raised to give an infantry unit to the New South Wales Contingent to China in 1900. They wore their khaki uniforms and departed with the rest of the contingent on 7 August 1900 aboard the SS Salamis. Arriving in Hong Kong on 26 August, they continued their sea voyage to Sin Ho, before moving overland to Tientsin. Blyth had been accepted into the contingent as a sergeant in No.3 Section. On 7 August, 1901 he was promoted to sergeant major. The men of the contingent were disappointed to have arrived too late for the major fighting in the Boxer Rebellion. Some men, like Blyth, took the opportunity to collect souvenirs. When he returned from China he gave these items to his sister, Florence Amy Armour.

After returning to Australia in April 1901, Blyth made his way to South Africa, where he received a commission as a lieutenant in the Border Scouts, an irregular unit based in the Cape Colony. In 1903 he migrated to Canada. He married Charlotte Mary Wright in 1909 in Golden, British Columbia, they had a son, Richard Teynham Blyth, on 4 February 1913.

In August 1915 Blyth enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He initially served with the 158th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Battalion, then the 1st Reserve Battalion, before transferring to the 8th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troop. In May 1917 he was slightly wounded by gas. He was classified as permanently unfit for service on account of his age and bronchitis in November 1918 and returned to Canada. Blyth moved to Australia in 1921. He died in Adelaide on 17 September 1957.