United Kingdom. A South Africa and India Medal Group to Pte. Pigden, Royal Berkshire Regiment

An India Medal. In silver, full size, rim officially engraved 5906 Pte W. Pigden 1st Bn K. R. Rifle Corps., with RELIEF OF CHITRAL 1895 clasp, lovely patina, in extremely fine condition. 

A Queen’s South Africa Medal. Early Issue, in silver, full size, rim officially engraved 5957 PTE W. PIGDEN, 2ND RL. BERKS: REGT, with CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE AND TRANSVAAL clasps, reverse bears the ghost dates 1899 1900 denoting the first issue of the medal, minor contact marks, extremely fine. 

A King’s South Africa Medal. In silver, full size, rim impressed 5957 PTE W. PIGDEN. RL BERKS: REGT, with SOUTH AFRICA 1901 and SOUTH AFRICA 1902 clasps, bright, small contact marks, extremely fine.

Footnote: Private W. Pigden is on the India Medal of 1895 roll, and was entitled to the Relief of Chitral 1895 clasp. 

The India Medal (1895) was issued to British and Indian troops involved in campaigns on the North-West Frontier, including actions against tribal uprisings and frontier expeditions. The 1st Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps was a professional infantry unit of the British Army, deployed to India as part of Britain’s ongoing efforts to maintain colonial authority and security along volatile frontier regions. As a rifleman, Pte Pigden would have been involved in both patrolling and combat operations, supporting the battalion’s objectives in maintaining order, engaging hostile forces, and securing British positions.

W. Pigden is on the Queen’s South Africa medal roll as a lance corporal in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment and was entitled to the three clasps shown above. 

He is also present on the King’s South Africa medal roll as a private, entitled to the two clasps shown above. He was discharged on April 20, 1902. 

The 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment served in the Second Boer War (1899–1902) as part of Britain’s imperial forces in South Africa. The battalion was engaged in a combination of conventional and counter-insurgency operations, including securing railway lines and towns, protecting convoys, and conducting patrols against Boer commandos. Its soldiers often operated in dispersed detachments across challenging terrain, facing heat, disease, and guerrilla attacks, which tested both endurance and discipline. The battalion participated in multiple regions, including the Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and Transvaal, and its members were eligible for the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps reflecting their service. The experiences of the 2nd Battalion illustrate the adaptability of British infantry to the mobile warfare of the Boer campaign, highlighting both the operational and logistical challenges faced by regular troops in a colonial conflict.