![J. HEANEY. QSA 2 clasps 2nd Bn. Aus. Commonwealth Horse [WM12-3] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WM12-3-HEANY-JAMES-1.jpg)
Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, Type 3, with clasps “TRANSVAAL” & “SOUTH AFRICA 1902”, edge impressed “580 PTE J. HEANEY. AUST: COM: H:”.
A noteworthy Queen’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps to a Victorian serving with the Australian Commonwealth Horse and later the Pietermaritzburg Volunteer Rifles in the Anglo-Boer War, who would also later attest for WWI service with the 6th Australian Infantry Battalion and rise to the rank of Sergeant and be wounded in action. A devoted serviceman, he was initially part of the colonial militia forces, and inter-war served with the Victoria navy. Medal seen some wear, good Very Fine, the reverse better.
Born in the suburb of Haddon of Ballarat, Victoria and the son of Mr Charles Heaney, James Heaney was a labourer by trade and a serviceman with the 3rd Australian Military District, serving with the Victorian 5th Contingent within Ballarat from 1898. James attested for the Victorian (3rd M.D.) Military Forces on Wednesday the 8th January 1902 for overseas service in South Africa and was posted to ‘C’ Company of the 2nd Battalion Australian Commonwealth horse and assigned the service number 580 and rank of Private.
The 2nd Battalion was raised following the Australian Federation in the image of the 1st Battalion and consisted of three Victorian companies, ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, a ‘D’ Company raised from South Australia, and a half strength ‘E’ company from Western Australia.
- Embarked with the Victorian companies 12th February 1902 aboard H.M.T. ‘St. Andrew’
- Disembarked at Durban 10th March 1902
- Marched out to Newcastle and united with ‘D’ and ‘E’ companies 18th March 1902
Although the 2nd Battalion Aus. Commonwealth horse departed for Australia aboard H.M.T. ‘Norfolk’ on 8th July 1902, James Heaney remained in South Africa and served with the Pietermaritzburg Volunteer Rifles, as detailed on his World War I attestation papers.
Upon returning from his overseas service, Heaney returned to his previous trade of a labourer, later upskilling and becoming an apprentice plumber, and in 1908 re-attested for the 3rd Australian Military District and served with the Victorian Navy for the following 7 years. He also married Ms Ruby Amelia Heaney.
At the age of 33, James Heaney attested for the Australian Imperial Forces at the Melbourne enlistment centre on the 22nd July 1915 and was posted to the 12th reinforcements to the 6th Infantry Battalion and assigned the service number 3791
- Embarked aboard H.M.A.T. ‘Ceramic’
- Promoted to Sergeant 23rd February 1916
- Attended the 1st ANZAC Corps school on the 6th May 1917 while in France
- Wounded in action on the 14th October 1917 with a gunshot wound to the ear
Following the end of the First World War, James was deemed medically unfit for post-war service due to pneumonia and bronchitis and was invalided, returning to Australia aboard the H.M.A.T. ‘Karmala’ on the 2nd January 1919. He disembarked at Melbourne on the 15th February 1919 and was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on the 1st April 1919.
