Pair: Battery Sergeant Major M. J. Burke, Royal Horse Artillery, who received an extremely...

Pair: Battery Sergeant Major M. J. Burke, Royal Horse Artillery, who received an extremely rare to unit Africa General Service Medal with clasp N. Nigeria 1902 whilst attached to the Northern Nigeria Force, and died of heart stroke at Rawalpindi on 2 July 1905 East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, 1897-98 (74077 Sgt. M. J. Burke Y Bty: R.H.A.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Driefontein, Paardeberg, Relief of Kimberley (74077 Sgt. M. J. Burke, P Bty., R.H.A.) nearly very fine (2) £300-£400 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Michael Joseph Burke was born in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, in 1873 and attested there as a Boy Soldier for the Royal Field Artillery on 3 February 1889, having previously served as a Trumpeter in the 5th Battalion, South Irish Division, Royal Artillery. Advanced Sergeant on 31 May 1897, he served with ‘Y’ Battery on the African Gold Coast from 9 October 1897 to 26 March 1899, and took part in the expedition under Sir H. P. Northcote in the Northern Territorities. He subsequently served with ‘P’ Battery in South Africa during the Boer War from 28 October 1899 to 13 August 1900, before returning home, and suffered a wound of the scalp whilst on duty on 13 August 1901. Burke saw further service in West Africa attached to No. 2 Battery, Northern Nigeria Force from 16 November 1901 to 1 February 1903 (entitled to an Africa General Service Medal with clasp N. Nigeria 1902 - this extremely rare to the Royal Horse Artillery), and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal per Army Order 75 of 1904. Promoted Battery Sergeant Major on 12 January 1904, he was posted to India on 6 December of that year, and died of heat stroke at Rawalpindi on 2 July 1905, being commemorated on the memorial there. Sold with copied record of service; medal roll extracts; and other research.