![TIBBETTS, T.R. QSA 5 Clasps to QLD IB (5th Reg.) [WM12-13] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WM12-13-1.jpg)
Description
A nice local Queensland Fifth Imperial Bushmen QSA with five clasps, medal unmounted and Extremely Fine.
Queen’s South Africa Medal, type 3, clasps “CAPE COLONY”, “ORANGE FREE STATE”, TRANSVAAL”, SOUTH AFRICA 1901”, & “SOUTH AFRICA 1902”, impressed “216 PTE T.R. TIBBETTS. QUEENSLAND I.B.”.
Frederick Dykes was born on the 30th of October 1880 in Sydney, New South Wales as the son of Janet Dykes and an unknown man, and at the age of 2 adopted the last name Tibbetts when his mother married Mr James William Tibbetts, thereafter being known as Frederick Richard Tibbetts. At some point during his early life, Frederick moved to Queensland, and at the time of the Anglo-Boer War he attested for overseas service in South Africa. He was posted to the Queensland 5th Imperial Bushmen Contingent which departed Brisbane in March of 1901, either on the 6th or 10th, with a strength of 23 officers, 506 others and 476 horses. The 5th Contingent departed South Africa the following year on the 27th of March 1902 and arrived back to Brisbane on the 30th of April after a stop Albany and Melbourne – of note, Frederick did not depart with the bulk of the 5th as he was left in hospital at Charlestown, South Africa, for an unknown reason, likely sick (The Brisbane Courier, Fri 16 May 1902, pg. 8), and returned to Australia with 61 other Brisbane men aboard the steamer Aurania (The Queenslander, Sat 31 May 1902, pg. 1174).
Following his service with the Queensland Imperial Bushmen, Frederick married Mary Elizabeth Bell on the 15th of July 1903 and had two sons, James and Stanley Tibbetts. In 1940, Mary passed away at the age of 58, and Frederick re-married on the 27th of October 1945 to Lillian May Bailes. Also, Frederick was also amongst the Boer War veterans attending the 40th Anniversary re-union of the South African War Veterans Association in 1942 (Western Star and Roma Advertiser, Fri 5 June 1942, pg 3). Frederick later passed away on the 15th of August 1961 at the age of 80 and is buried at Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, Holland Park, Brisbane.
