Carte de Visite
The Newland Photographic Company - Photographer
52 Newland, Northhampton, England
c. 1900

Identified in pencil on its reverse side as John Harvey, this carte de visite appears to depict a member of the Northamptonshire Regiment. A search through service papers has turned up one John Harvey serving with the Northamptons and he could very well be the man pictured here.

The man in question is No. 5087 John Harvey who was born at Shoreditch, London around 1897 and attested for six years with the 4th (Militia) Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment on 1 January 1897. A finisher by trade, he was a resident of Kingsthorpe, Northampton at the time of his enlistment.

He transferred to the 3rd Battalion on 1 April 1899 and then to the 2nd Battalion for service in South Africa on 8 February 1900. The roll for the Queen's South Africa Medal lists No. 5087 Pte. John Harvey as being entitled to that medal with the clasps "Cape Colony", "Orange Free State", and "Transvaal". He was also entitled to the King's South Africa Medals with its "South Africa - 1901" and "South Africa - 1902" clasps.

Returning home, Harvey rejoined the 4th Battalion on 29 August 1902. He was discharged at the end of his 6-year term of enlistment on 30
December 1903.

All of the above information was gleaned from Harvey's militia attestation papers. Separate service papers for his time with the regulars have not been found.

A second Pte. John Harvey - No. 6380 - shows up in a separate Queen's South Africa Medal Roll for the 2/Northamptons. He is shown as being entitled to that medal with the clasps "Transvaal" and "South Africa - 1902". This man soldiered on with the 1/Northamptons during the Great War. Still serving under his Anglo-Boer War regimental number of 6380, he must have been serving continuously when World War One began.

During the war, he was appointed lance corporal and was entitled to the 1914 Star with clasp (arrived in France on 13 August 1914) and the British War and Victory Medals. He was discharged on 13 May 1918.

No service papers for No. 6380 John Harvey have been found.