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  Collector's query

  By Farkas · Posted 6 minutes ago

  Hi Gents, I’ve not considered either previously and thought I’d have a quick look into them and see what I thought…   Myself, from a purely aesthetic standpoint I definitely prefer the look of both pieces of the Order of St. Michael and George Then, if I am reading things correctly, there is a difference in who gets it and why. It is often the UK Government that decides someone is to be put forward for the Order of the Bath, and therefore award, in my opinion, can be politically driven. In comparison, the Monarch themself decides who is awarded the Order of St. Michael and George and it is far more exclusive a ‘club’ At the monarch's pleasure, though typically awarded for extraordinary non-military service in a foreign country or for services to foreign and Commonwealth affairs Though under King charles iii a politically involved Monarchy is to be the new norm, I would still give more significance to receipt of the Order of St. Michael and George than the Order of the Bath in simple terms.   Me too, or at least knowing the identity of the recipient.   Every way I look at it…👇 this one.   & Its worth noting that, due to this image👇, of an angel standing on a slave (allegedly, being a big no-no… combined with a new ‘woke’ King… it may not be around much longer.   tony 🍻
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  Some new additions to my collection

  By Carlo · Posted 9 minutes ago

  Good morning everyone, I haven't been very active lately, but always looking for new pieces. I recently managed to get these two commemorative medals from the 1898 jubilee, bronze and silver class, both on the military ribbon with the correct bar with the years 1848-1898. With these there are two out of four, now only the ones on straight ribbon for civilians are missing, not counting the gold ones. The hunt continues   Regards   Carlo
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  6 NOVEMBER 1900 - BOTHAVILLE / DOORNKRAAL

  By archie777 · Posted 10 minutes ago

  “All day on the 8th and 9th of November, troops, mostly mounted, had been coming in from the west, and on the latter date, to the great delight of everyone, eight of the enemy’s guns were brought in and parked in the market square, together with a large number of prisoners, who were handed over to a guard of the troops in garrison.   These were the outcome of a most successful surprise of a Boer commando carried out near Bothaville on the 6th of November. The guns were a varied lot: there was a 12pr. Belonging to U battery and lost by them at Sanna’s Post, many months before; there was a 15pr. Which had belonged to the 14th Field Battery; two Krupp 9prs. In splendid condition; a Vickers Maxim, or pom-pom; a one-pounder quick-firing Krupp, a Maxim with a portable tripod stand, and a large quantity of ammunition.   The successful capture of all these guns, prisoners, ammunition and wagons was largely due to our old friend, Major Lean, of the 5thM.I., and after a good deal of questioning (for, like all good soldiers, he was reluctant to talk about his own achievements), the story of the fight was extracted from him.   It seems that Le Gallais’ force of Mounted troops, mostly Mounted Infantry, with U Battery, R.H.A., were near Bothaville, when intelligence was received of the presence of a Boer laager in the neighbourhood; so Major Lean with a few men of his own corps, all dismounted, went out one night to reconnoitre.   They had to ford the river, the water reaching up to their waists, and then went on for some distance, until Major Lean  observed some horses hobbled close to them: thinking this very curious, he went on a little further, and then saw, behind an ant heap, what looked like the head and shoulders of a man: without an instant’s hesitation he dashed forward and yelled to the man, “ Hands up!” To his astonishment several other men rose and put up their hands, and he discovered that he had inadvertently held up an entire Boer picket. Handing over the prisoners to his men, he and his party went on cautiously, and on coming to the summit of a rise in the ground saw the whole Boer laager at their feet.  The party was discovered, and a heavy fire opened on them at once; but the thirty men of the Mounted Infantry spread out under cover and devoted themselves to preventing the Boers from inspanning their oxen into the guns and wagons. Word had been sent back to Colonel Le Gallais, who came up rapidly and joined in, U battery opening fire on the Boer guns at a range of 400 yards, but from the other side of a ridge, firing by indirect laying. The Boers answered the fire from their guns, and an artillery duel was in progress for some little time.  A message had been sent back to General Knox, who, however, was out of reach, and also to Colonel De Lisle, who was some eight miles away; and the latter with his men came up rapidly, travelling the whole distance without drawing rein. They moved so as to envelope the flanks, but on their approach the enemy fled, leaving a large number of killed and wounded, and a considerable number of prisoners (114) twenty-eight of whom were dressed in the  blue uniform of the Staats Artillerie.   Unfortunately our loss had been severe, the gallant and dashing Le Gallais, Lieut.-Colonel Ross of the Durham Light Infantry, and two other officers having been mortally wounded, and seven officers severely wounded, while eight men were killed, and twenty-six wounded; but the success was great, and the rout of the Boers complete.   They left the whole of their guns, wagons and Cape carts, and fled on their horses, some not even waiting to saddle up first. The prisoners said that De Wet and Steyn had both been with the laager, but that they had fled directly the firing commenced.”  “Two Years on Trek” by Lt-Col du Moulin, p237-9
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  25-27 OCTOBER 1900 - JACOBSDAL SIEGE

  By archie777 · Posted 25 minutes ago

  “The story of Jacobsdal was one of carelessness and bravery. Here were 45 Cape Town Highlanders, 8 police, and a 15 pounder, manned by some Colonial Volunteers.   The men were lodged partly under canvas on the market square, partly in houses near at hand. In the night of October 25… 70 Boers under Field Cornet Bosman crept up the bed of the Riet River which runs through the town and gained some houses commanding the tents of the sleeping Volunteers.   Opening fire at 3am, they killed 14 and wounded 13 of the 34 men in the tents.    Those in the buildings held out until a relief party of 54 men arrived from Modder River. On the next day the town was evacuated, only to be immediately reoccupied by the Boers.” Time History, Vol V, p25-6
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  25 OCTOBER 1900 - FREDERIKSTAD

  By archie777 · Posted 30 minutes ago

  On 20 October 1900 the combined commandos of De Wet and Liebenberg, numbering some 1500 men with two Krupps and two pom-poms, take up positions adjoining General Barton’s camp at Frederikstad (20 km north of Potchefstroom). Barton immediately signals for reinforcements and recalls his patrols.   The burghers press closer, complete the encirclement and sustain a constant long-range fusillade until twilight. During the night of 21 October Barton abandons his camp at the railway station, leaving only his hospital, and disperses his troops on two hills, virtually splitting his force in two.   He places the Royal Welsh Fusiliers with  five guns on Gun Hill, north-east of the station, the Royall Scots Fusiliers on a long hill to the south-west with the rest of his men thinly spread out in between. Barton, under the impression that De Wet is being pursued by a British force, resigns himself to taking defensive positions and waits for reinforcements. On 23 October the burghers push their ramparts to within 400m of South Hill. De Wet realises that Barton’s reinforcements are approaching and on 24 October he and General Liebenberg decide to force the issue. Having noticed that the besieged force relies on water from a small dam near the railway bridge, De Wet orders Liebenberg and Froneman to furnish 200 volunteers to occupy positions dominating the dam.   He is convinced that, if the British can be denied water, they will surrender. The intended positions are about 1000m from the Boer lines, meaning that the men will be without support and will only be able to fall back safely after dark.   In the early hours of 25 October only about half of the burghers ordered to occupy the exposed position at the railway bridge between Frederikstad and Gun Hill muster. They move out under cover of darkness and, leaving their horses about 2km away, they make their way to the bridge where they dig in.   At daybreak some black attendants lead horses and mules to water. One turns and runs when ordered to surrender and is shot down. Barton initially thinks that only a few snipers are involved and sends ten ILH men to deal with them. However, when they are repeatedly repulsed, he launches a full-scale two-pronged attack, using five companies, against the isolated burghers.   Elsewhere De Wet directs his attack at Barton’s main positions. Barton comes under fierce fire and is hard pressed until reinforcements led by Colonel H T Hicks  start arriving from Welverdiend Station, where they have detrained.   The burghers near the railway bridge put up a stubborn resistance, but with their ammunition running low, they are forced to make a fast retreat over open veld towards the river and are mown down by artillery firing from high ground. In the confusion some burghers put up white flags while others continue firing. Liebenberg retires towards Klerksdorp while De Wet heads back to the Free State.  The burghers suffer heavily – losing about 80 killed, wounded and captured. In retaliation for the alleged abuse of the white flag the British deny a Boer doctor access to the wounded