Presentation Scarf Knitted by Queen Victoria Awarded to Sgt. William Colclough, 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, and medals. One of eight scarves of which this makes six accounted for, personally crocheted by Queen Victoria and presented to British and Colonial soldiers during the Second Anglo-Boer War (South African War). This example presented to Sergeant William Colclough, 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. The lot includes: 1.) "The Queen's Scarf", crocheted of khaki Berlin wool and measuring approximately 9-inches wide and 60-inches long counting the 4-inches of fringe at each end. Queen Victoria's "VRI" Imperial cipher is rather naively executed in white or silver thread letters measuring approximately ½-inch in height on one of the knots of wool just above the fringe. At some later date a post-Victorian Devonshire Regiment collar badge was affixed to the scarf immediately above Victoria's cipher. 2.) Colclough's medals which includes the India Medal of 1895 with clasps for Punjab Frontier and Tirah; South Africa Medal with clasps for Laing's Nek, Transvaal, Relief of Ladysmith, Orange Free State and Tugela Heights; King's South Africa Medal with 1899 and 1901 clasps; WWI Victory Medal; King George VI Coronation medal; George V Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service medal and Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' medal. Excluding the Victory medal (which has been buffed on the edge) and Coronation medal, each medal is officially stamped on the edge, or engraved in the case of the India medal, with Colclough's regimental service number, rank at the time, and name. The three early medals also have the name of the Regiment. The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' medal is stamped with his name on the reverse side. 3.) Exhaustive research material including various contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts from the early to mid-1960s concerning not only Colclough's Queen's Scarf but also that of Canadian Richard Rowland Thompson's awarded scarf, photographs of Colclough's son, George, with the scarf, correspondence from George Colclough concerning his father's scarf as well as considerable research material accumulated from his research.
In 1900 Queen Victoria crocheted eight scarves as a token of her appreciation to be presented to members of her forces fighting in South Africa. The criteria for receiving a scarf was that the recipient was to be "the best all-round men taking part in the South African campaign". They were to be allotted to men as voted by their comrades as the most brave; four were to be given to soldiers of the British army and four earmarked for members of her colonial forces (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa). Lord Roberts, commander of Her Majesty's forces during the Second Anglo-Boer War, mentioned in his dispatch of March 1, 1902 that the scarves were gifts from the queen to the most distinguished private soldiers then serving. "In conclusion his Lordship desires to place on record that in April 1900, her late Majesty Queen Victoria was graciously pleased to send him four woollen [sic] scarves worked by herself, for distribution to the four most distinguished private soldiers in the Colonial Forces of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, then serving under his command. The selection for these gifts of honour was made by the officers commanding the contingents concerned, it being understood that gallant conduct in the field was to be considered the Primary qualification". The eight scarves were awarded to:

British:
Colour Sergeant F.F. [also listed as Thomas] Ferret DCM, Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment (his scarf currently in the Queen's Regimental Museum, Clandon House, Guildford, Surrey).
Colour Sergeant Frank Kingsley DCM, 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (his scarf whereabouts unknown).
Colour Sergeant Henry Clay DCM, 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (presently in National Army Museum, Chelsea)
Sergeant William Colclough, 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (now accounted for and offered for sale)
Imperial:
Australia - Private Alfred Du Frayer, New South Wales Mounted Infantry (Australian War Museum, Canberra).
Canada - Private Richard Rowland Thompson, Royal Canadian Regiment (Canadian War Museum, Ottawa).
New Zealand - Trooper Henry David Coutts, New Zealand Mounted Infantry (New Zealand War Museum, Auckland).
South Africa - Trooper Leonard Chadwick, Roberts' Horse (scarf's whereabouts unknown).
While there are detailed accounts of the circumstances surrounding the award to the other seven recipients, information pertaining to Sergeant Colclough's award remains elusive. Lord Roberts references the award to the four British soldiers in the June 17, 1902 edition of the London Gazette wherein he mentions the Colonial awards and citing it as a continuation of his dispatch in the September 4, 1901 edition of the London Gazette. Sadly, this edition is missing from the London Gazette's archives. The only clue to the circumstances surrounding Colclough's award is found in a transcription in William Colclough's own hand of the original battalion orders, issued at Karroo Bridge, August 24, 1900 by Lt. Col. H. Batson, Commanding. It read" "Queen's Scarf 1. The Cmdg. Officer having considered the names of eight N.C.Os. and men elected by their Companies for the Queen's Scarf, has selected No. 2776 Sergt. W. Colclough." Another hand-written document reads in full: "The Queen's Scarf During the South African War 1899-1902, the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, one Bn. each of the Royal West Surreys (Queens), Devonshires, West Yorks, East Surreys, earned a high reputation in gaining the objectives assigned to it. This being brought to the attention of Her Majesty Queen Victoria she awarded 4 scarves, which she had croched [sic] herself, one to each Bn. of the Brigade with instructions that a vote be taken by the N.C.Os and men of each Company of each Bn. who had been in every action to date the results to be brought before a Board of Officers of each Bn. and their findings submitted to the Cmdg. Officer of the Unit for his approval. No. 2776 Sergt. W. Colclough 2nd Devons. gained all but 2 votes of the men of his Company (D) his own vote and that of a man of the Company, and the Board of Officers unanimously voted in his favor. Battalion Orders by Lt. Col. H. Batson Comdg. 2nd Devon Regt. Karroo Bridge 24 Aug 00 The Comdg. Officer having considered the names of the eight N.C.Os and men elected by their Companies as candidates for the Queens [sic] Scarf has selected No 2776 Sergt W. Colclough. B. G. L. Bols Capt & Adjutant A Bn. parade was called on the 3d Sept 1900 and Sergt. Colclough was formally presented with the Scarf by Lieut Col H Batson on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Victoria".
William Colclough was born was born October 27, 1872 in All Saints Birmingham in the county of Warwick, England. From his original records (copies included), Colclough enlisted at Aldershot in the Devonshire Regiment as a private on October 26, 1889. His records indicate his previous occupation was a pearl button maker. Either his birthdate is incorrect or he lied about his age upon enlistment as his enlistment records indicate he was "18 years and 1 month" old in October of 1889. He was member of the militia when he joined and he lists "14 days previous service in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He rose from private to sergeant before his discharge in 1902. His military career included garrison duty in Egypt from January 28, 1891 until December 28, 1892, service in India for over 5 years, and duty in South Africa from October 20, 1899 until October 8, 1902. After his discharge in 1902, Colclough came to Canada and settled in Winnipeg. He served in the 53rd and 108th Battalions of the Canadian Militia and Canadian Army during the First World War with the 10th Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Forces, returning to Winnipeg after the war. He retired from service as commanding officer of the Winnipeg Light Infantry in 1930. He died January 31, 1955 in Calgary and is interned in the Field of Honor, Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary.
This is the sixth accounted for and identified Queen's Scarf of the original eight. This scarf has not seen the light of day since an attempt in 1965 to place it on loan with either the Canadian government or the Devonshire Regiment. Over the years there has been some confusion with the status of the Queen's Scarf in the hierarchy of British military awards, with an attempt to compare it to the Victoria Cross. Indeed, there were 78 awards of the Victoria Cross during the Second Anglo-Boer War against the award of 8 Queen's scarves. However, the Queen's Scarf was never intended to be a substitute for any valor award. The Assistant Keeper of the Queen's Archives states that the only papers in the Royal Archives which refer to this matter come from an extract from a note made in the Royal Archives dated May 26, 1956. In reads in part: "In a certain sense the scarves may be regarded as a greater honour stitched as they were by the hands of The Queen herself, and strictly limited in number. But whatever their relative status, they can hardly be treated as the precise equivalent of the V.C. In the first place, they were not (so the Stationery Office informs us) gazetted. Secondly, they were awarded on a different basis from the V.C. One was to go to the bravest soldier in each of the four Colonial contingents fighting in South Africa. To be the bravest soldier in a particular contingent is not, in itself, sufficient qualification for the award of the V.C. Clearly, then, they must be treated as a separate honours." (* i.e., than the Victoria Cross). This note to the Royal Archives was made presumably on account of the confusion arising as to the status of the scarf caused by a controversy at the time of the Centenary of the Victoria Cross Celebrations.
Condition: 1.) Excellent. The scarf appears to be in the same condition as when it was awarded to Sergeant Colclough. 2.) Very good to excellent. The medals and ribbons themselves are in excellent condition but the group is unmounted.