Signature from Short Service Attestation
John, baptised Alfred John,
gave his place of birth as Desborough in his short service attestation,
but he was baptised in
Islington just 6 weeks after he was born and his parents gave his place
of birth as "St Lukes" in London in the 1881 and 1891 censuses.
He served with the Militia in
South Africa for two years and was awarded the
Queen's South African Medal, with clasps for Wittebergen & Cape Colony,
and the King's South Africa Medal 1901-02.
www.angloboerwar.com/boer-war-period/1875-queens-south-africa-medal
shows images of the Queen's medal and the reasons for the award of the
clasps.
John was discharged as medically unfit after a
few months in the Army (no details are given of his condition).