Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902

Obverse Bust of Queen Victoria, crowned and veiled, with order (left) Legend: 'VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX'. Reverse: Britannia standing wearing a helmet (right), a flag in her left hand, holding out a wreath in her right hand towards troops on the march, ships in distance. Legend: 'SOUTH AFRICA'. Inscription on edge: '166916 A-B: J.J.C. BARNES, H.M.S.POWERFUL'. Bars "BELMONT',. 'MODDER RIVER'. Fitted with an unidentified multicoloured ribbon.

John James Clifford Barnes (1876-1934) was born in Poplar, the redhaired son of James Thomas Barnes, a telegraph instrument maker and later a block maker. John James joined the Royal Navy on 12 September 1894 as a boy 2nd class. He trained in ‘Impregnable’, ‘Ganges’ and ‘Boscawen’ then spent his early career in home waters. Barnes joined HMS ‘Powerful’ on 8 June 1897, just after her commissioning. She participated in Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Fleet Review before being sent out to the China Station where Barnes was rated Able Seaman. On her way back in 1899, her captain picked up troops from Mauritius and delivered them in South Africa at the start of the 2nd Boer War. She then ferried four 4.7 inch guns to Durban. British forces under General Redvers Buller were divided, with one division under General Lord Methuen tasked with raising the siege of Kimberley while Buller advanced on Ladysmith. Methuen was joined by a naval brigade with men from ‘Doris’, ‘Monarch’. ‘Terrible’ and ‘Powerful’ with four 12 pounder naval guns on improvised carriages. It included Barnes. The Brigade took part in the action near Belmont, supporting the Guards’ Brigade. The British advanced over open ground towards Boer positions on top of Belmont Kopje. They suffered heavy casualties but the Boers retreated. Methuen was also in command at Modder River where he deployed the four naval brigade guns. The Boers were entrenched on the River bank but after an initial stalemate the British found a river crossing which outflanked them and they withdrew. Barnes was back in the United Kingdom in 1900 and served on various drill and training ships until retired with the rank of Petty Officer 2nd class in 1903. He had married Emily Harrison at Edmonton in 1897 and the couple had two children. In 1911 the family was living in nearby Enfield and he was working as a tram driver. During the same year, the Barnes family left for Melbourne, Australia on SS ‘Themistocles’ - a ship of the Aberdeen Line which carried passengers and refrigerated cargo. In 1934, Barnes was killed by a train in Yallourn, Victoria. where he was employed at the lignite mine.