archie777

The enemy opened a heavy concentrated shell fire from the south-eastern heights, from the racecourse (east), and from Jackal's Tree (south-west), directed against Cannon Kopje. The fire was well aimed, and the racecourse gun took the work in reverse. For a time, little harm was done beyond knocking down parts of the parapet and smashing the iron supports of the lookout tower: most of the garrison were lying in the trenches some 80 yards at the rear of the fort. The gun and two Maxims in the work had been previously dismounted and stowed away for safety during shell fire, to which, they were powerless to reply. The telephone wire was cut away early in the proceedings. After half an hour's steady and accurate artillery fire, the enemy, who had been gradually massing on the high ground south and south-east of the fort, began to advance in the line of skirmishers from three sides at once; they were backed up by other parties in support. A large force also collected in the Molopo Valley, south-east of the town, and were formed evidently with the idea of storming the town after Cannon Kopje had been captured. As the enemy began to get within range of the fort, the garrison moved up from their trench and manned the parapets and Maxims. It was then that we suffered some casualties from shell fire. As the enemy continued their advance, I sent to Captain Goodyear's Colonial Contingent to advance a party on to a ridge above them, and so to take enemy's attacking line in flank, but they could not be got to move. Meantime, I had a 7-pr. run out under cover of houses near south corner of the town. This opened, under direction of Lt Murchison, on the flank of the enemy's line as it began to get near the fort. The gun made excellent practice, every shell going in among them and stopped the further advance of the Boers. These now hesitated and began to draw off, and as they did so their guns reopened on Cannon Kopje to cover their retirement. The fire then died down, and enemy sent our ambulances under Red Cross flags to recover their dead and wounded. We lost six killed and five wounded. Despatch by Baden-Powell.

After a brief attempt to defend a line closer to the Transvaal at Dundee, Lieutenant-General Sir George White, the British commander in Natal, decided to withdraw to Ladysmith and by the morning of 25 October the British army had concentrated there. Several Boer columns were converging on the town, but by 29 October the process was not complete. White launched a pre-emptive strike on those forces already in place to the north east and east of the town along with a force to Nicholson’s Nek, North of Ladysmith to prevent another Boer column and to block one possible route that a defeated Boer army might take. The British force consisted of six companies, all commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Frank Carleton, whose supplies were carried on the backs of well over one hundred mules. It would be the mules that would wreck the expedition.Carleton’s force got moving late on 29 October and by two in the morning on 30 October, decided it was too late to continue to Nicholson’s Nek and decided to camp on Tchrengula Hill, a steep hill to the side of the trail. During the climb, the mules stampeded, taking with them most of the supplies. The British, now in a vulnerable position, should have retreated back to Ladysmith but decided to remain. Carleton got most of his men to the top of the hill, but chose to camp on the southern, slightly lower, end of the hill, leaving the higher northern end unguarded. The British line was poorly laid out, but the soldiers worked to create a reasonably strong line of stone ‘sangers’ or breastworks. Meanwhile, the noise of the mules had alerted the Boers and around 500 men took up place at the north end of Tchrengula Hill and opened fire. Boer riflemen were scattered amongst the rocks on the top of the hill and refused to present a target for British musketry. Other Boer forces were on neighbouring hilltops, where they were able to fire into the sides of the British force. One part of the British line misinterpreted a warning of a flanking attack as an order to pull back, and abandoned the line of sangars, which the Boers quickly seized. The Gloucestershire Regiment had taken the brunt of the fighting and just after noon, Captain Stuart Duncan, convinced that his isolated detachment was alone on the hill, raised the white flag. When Carleton saw the Boer’s rise to accept the surrender, he decided that he had no choice but to accept the white flag and surrender the rest of this force. The Royal Irish Fusiliers, yet to be heavily engaged, were enraged by this decision, but had to accept it. The British suffered 38 dead and 105 wounded. Boer casualties were reported as 4 dead and 5 wounded. Carleton’s decision to surrender was almost certainly correct. From his position on Tchrengula Hill he could see back to Ladysmith, where White’s main attack had also failed. His ammunition running low and retreat impossible, it was the biggest surrender of British troops since the Napoleonic Wars. This defeat and the failure of White’s main attack at Lombard’s Kop ended any chance of avoiding a siege.

Here we have the following award Military Veterans Hector Petersen Medal The ribbon on the medals , are reversed

The 600 strong Boshof Commando attacked a British patrol under Major Scott as they escorted an armoured train towards Dronfield Station on the Mafikeng line, 13 km north of Kimberley. The patrol was almost cut off but managed to push back the Boer forces. British losses: 3 killed, 21 wounded. Boer losses: 2 killed and 7 wounded. I was born in Kimberley and lived there for many years. I was previledged to visit most of the battle fields.

Here we have the following award Military Veterans Detachment Medal (Lethuli) The ribbon on the medal below, is reversed

General Sir G White, in an attempt to cover Maj-Gen J H Yule retreat from Dundee via the Helpmekaar road, moved out from Ladysmith with 18 guns and a mixed force of some 5000 infantry and mounted troops. In what was to be primarily an artillery action, he engaged about 1000 Free Staters deployed on the 2 hills (Tinta ‘Nyoni and Swartbooiskop) on the northern side of Rietfontein farm. White spent most of the day attempting to get close to the Boer lines. From 8am until early afternoon the two sides kept up a constant rifle and artillery duel, but the British were unable to get close enough to the Boer lines to charge. The shelling was largely ineffectual against the widely dispersed Burghers who replied with fierce small-arms fire. White’s force retired to Ladysmith at 3pm, after receiving news via heliograph that Yule’s force was no more in danger of being trapped. British losses were 14 killed and about 100 wounded while the Boers lost 13 killed and 31 wounded. Pte. Miles was killed in the Rietfontein skirmish. The following was published in the “Daily Mail” of 24 November 1900: DOING A SOLDIER’S DUTY A pathetic story is told of one of the soldiers killed in the recent fighting, Private Charles Miles, of the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, wrote the following letter from India on Sept. 16th to his parents, who reside at Cross Street, New Swindon, Wilts: “Dear Mother and Father, I am sorry to let you know that we are going to the war in South Africa. I hope this will not upset you, for remember I ama soldier, and have to do a soldier's duty. I am glad I'm going, though not for your sake, as I know what it will be like - a medal or a bullet. It can’t be helped, as our regiment is one of the best, and we are the first to go from India. Cheer up, for I will try to do my duty to the Queen and country. Remember me to my relatives, and if I am killed, tell them I died a good soldier's death. Your loving son, Charlie” The mother has since received this brief announcement from the War Office: “I have to acquaint you with regret the fact that Private C. Miles, of the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, was killed in action on the 24th instant."

In the week following the first shots of the Boer War (Kraaipan, 12 Oct 1899), the opposing forces in the vicinity of where the ZAR/Rhodesia/Bechuanaland borders meet (Rhodesia Regiment and the Zoutpansberg Commando) started taking up positions in the vicinity of Fort Tuli in Southern Rhodesia as well as Pont Drift and Rhodes’ Drift in Northern Bechuanaland. “Saturday 21 October 1899 saw some of the most intense fighting to date. Early that morning Capt Blackburn (D Troop) led a mounted patrol along the river towards Pont Drift. Two troopers were left at Rhodes’ Drift while 5 men, under Sgt Maj G A Yonge, travelled slightly inland along the border road taking with them the patrol’s horses. They planned to meet up with the remaining men who were scouting on foot along the thickly wooded banks of the Limpopo. On that same morning, however, Veldkornet Briel decided that there should be a determined push into Rhodesian territory from Pont Drift to try drive away the Rhodesians who had attacked his watering parties. Accordingly, he sent several Boer patrols across the river and one of these ambushed Yonge’s party on the road as it neared Pont Drift. Yonge was killed instantly, and the Boers captured most of the horses, several guns and the remaining four troopers – James Forbes, Walter Kelly, Richard Warren and George P Cook. Meanwhile Blackburn and his foot patrol came up on the rear of the Boers and a sharp skirmish ensued. In this action Tpr George H Nethercott was killed and Capt Blackburn was severely wounded.” “Plumer’s Men” by Robert S Burrell.

Here we have the following award Military Veterans 50th Anniversary Medal of Umkhonto we Sizwe

The Boers occupied the Elandslaagte Railway Station on 20 October and early the following morning a British mounted patrol with artillery shelled them. The Boers withdrew, took up a position on high ground overlooking the railway line and their guns forced the British to withdraw. Reinforcements were despatched from Ladysmith and the British subsequently executed a classic conventional attack, including a charge by the 5th Lancers that resulted in a staggering defeat of Gen. Jan Kock’s Boer force.

Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Merit Medal in Bronze

Before dawn on 20 October 1899, General “Maroela” Erasmus' force occupied Impati Mountain north of Dundee. Gen Lukas Meyer's men occupied the Talana Hill east of the town and Lennox Hill south of Talana and dragged several German manufactured Krupp field guns to the top. As dawn broke and the British spotted the Boers on Talana Hill, these guns opened fire. The British 16th and 69th Field Batteries galloped to within range and opened fire. Leaving the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regt and the 67th Battery RFA to guard the camp. The British infantry, led by the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and supported in succession by the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) and the Royal Irish Fusiliers (RIF), moved forward to make a frontal attack, and reached the foot of the hill where they were to advance through a small wood. However, they were pinned down by rifle fire from the top of Talana Hill. Lieut-Gen Sir William Penn Symons went forward and was mortally wounded. He was able to mount his horse and ride back into Dundee where he later died. Under Symons' successor, Brig-Gen J Herbert Yule, the KRRC managed to reach a small stone wall at the foot of Talana Hill, where the Dublin Fusiliers were pinned down by Boer fire. With the RFA laying down accurate fire on the summit the KRRC, supported by the RIF, were able to proceed up the hill. When they reached the top, they suffered casualties from their own supporting artillery. The Boers abandoned their positions on the hill. Despite the British artillery being repositioned to harass the Boer retreat, they declined to fire, worried that they might hit their own troops again. General Lukas Meyer's forces mounted their ponies and made off. A squadron of the 18th Hussars and the British mounted infantry tried to cut off their retreat, but most of the British horsemen strayed onto the slopes of Impati. General Erasmus's men, who had so far played no part in the battle due to Impati being shrouded in fog, surrounded the British mounted detachment and forced them to surrender. Talana was a British victory: Penn Symons’s force drove off a Boer force at least twice its size, and one that had taken up just the sort of strong defensive position that would cause the British so many problems later in the war. However, it came at a high cost. Ten officers (including Penn Symons) and 31 other ranks were killed, 185 men were wounded and 220 men captured or missing (many from Möller’s cavalry). Boer losses were reported as 44 killed in action/died of wounds and 91 wounded.

Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Merit Medal in Silver

Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Merit Decoration in Gold

Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Bravery Medal, Bronze

Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Bravery Medal, Silver Very bad picture

Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Bravery Decoration, Gold

Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Platinum Decoration Class 3 I don't know if the first ribbon was approved but they all sell with the black, yellow, green ribbons

The first shots of the Boer War were fired at Kraaipan, 65 km south of Mafeking. “Another strong force of Lichtenburgers under De la Rey crossed the border twenty-five miles south of Mafeking and made a rapid dash on Kraaipan in order to catch the police. In this they were disappointed, but they had not long to wait for their first success. Meanwhile they spent the day in damaging the railway for some distance to north and south of the station. Late in the evening the Mosquito, coming back from Vryburg with the two guns and a quantity of ammunition, ran over the gap in the track and ploughed its way to a standstill across the open veld. The Boers surrounded it, and a desultory fight was kept up all night. But De la Rey had in the meantime sent up for his artillery under Van der Merwe, and when it arrived in the morning the fate of the handful of men in the train was sealed. After the first few shells Nesbitt, who, with eight or nine of his men, was wounded, raised a white flag and surrendered." A.S. Hickman in "Rhodesia Served the Queen", Vol I supply much more detail: "An armoured locomotive was travelling ahead of the train and, without lights, had to move slowly; its driver was Flowerday. It was followed by the train at a stated interval on 40 yards, drawn by an ordinary engine, driven by R Booth, also without lights. The result was that driver Flowerday, in the pitch darkness, reached the point where the railway line was destroyed. Here he ploughed into the ground, after which he hurriedly jumped out with a red lantern to warn the approaching Mosquito. Nesbitt, however, proceeded slowly until he reached the derailed engine, and because there was no sign noticeable of any Boers he cut off steam and instructed the railway workers to repair the breach and put the derailed engine back on the line. For over an hour the rail workers were busy while the soldiers kept watch. The Boers, however, were busy assessing the position and preparing to move to better positions. Suddenly, the stillness of the night was broken by a volley of Mauser shots when Veldkornet Coetzee's men opened fire. This was immediately followed by the heavy boom from Nesbitt's cannon, augmented by a terrific Lee-Metford gunfire from the men of the Mosquito. It suddenly became evident to Nesbitt that nobody was safe outside the train. He therefore ordered that everybody had to seek shelter in the armoured truck. Immediately after this he was struck by a bullet in the mouth. After all of them had fled head over heels into the armoured truck Cpl Williams took over command and ordered that the train should retreat full steam. Booth, the driver, climbed out of the armoured truck, but was hardly outside when a bullet struck him in the hand so that his comrades had to help him back into safety. After that Trooper Collins volunteered to act as driver. He reached the engine, but a bullet had already damaged the steam pipe so that he could not release the brakes to get the train in motion. THE TRAIN CAPTURE AT KRAAIPAN Amongst the captured were 13 Bantu of whom four were wounded. Further there were 28 white prisoners, including Lieut R N Nesbitt (wounded in the mouth), Fireman J Jooste (scalded by the steam), A Collins (scalded by the steam and wounded), A Rossiter (wounded in the leg, and who later died at Vryburg) and R Booth (wounded in the hand). On the Boer side there were no casualties." Lady Sarah Wilson later visited the site and recorded her impressions in "South African Memories”: "There was not much to see, after all - merely a pilot armoured engine, firmly embedded its whole length in the gravel. Next to this an ordinary locomotive, still on the rails, riddled on one side with bullets, and on the other displaying a gaping aperture into the boiler, which told its tale. Then came an armoured truck: His Majesty's Mosquito that had been leaving Mafeking so trim and smart, but now battered with shot; and lastly another truck which had been carrying the guns. This had been pushed back into a culvert, and presented a dilapidated appearance, with its front wheels in the air. The whole spectacle was forlorn and eerie." Nicholas John Walsh enlisted on 18 Aug 1899 as Trooper in the Protectorate Regiment. He was with Fitzclarence in D Squadron in the Armoured Train skirmish and killed at an early stage. “Fitzclarence’s party dismounted short of the train and left their horses behind a cluster of deserted Barolong huts. As Fitzclarence advanced the Boers fell back. Spurred on by the ease with which the Boers were being driven off, he sped up. The Boers, unbeknown to Fitzclarence, were sucking him into a trap. They were manoeuvring in such a way that Fitzclarence was brought between them and the train thus cutting off the fire from Williams, who feared hitting British soldiers. The Boers were now able to concentrate their fire on Fitzclarence. Particularly effective were Boer snipers concealed in the branches of trees scattered round the Boer position. First to fall, shot through their heads, were two Irish cousins, Corporals Parland and Walshe...” “The Boy” by Hopkins & Dugmore (p 84).

Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Platinum Decoration Class 2 I don't know if the first ribbon was approved, but they all sell with the black, yellow, green ribbons

DTD & ABO: Veldkornet H.C.W. Vermaas; 1914/15 Star: Kapt. H.C.W. Vermaas, Lichtenburg Kdo.; BWM & AVM (Bil) with MiD Oakleaf: Mjr. H.C.W. Vermaas. Veldkornet Vermaas claimed on his Vorm “A” (DTD Application) that he was the person who fired the 2nd shot of the 3-Year War. After the Kraaipan Skirmish he served for the full duration of the War, including Actions at Kalmberg/Rooidam on 5 May 1900: “At Kalmberg, with the assistance of three others, I saved the gun when the majority of the gun-crew were wounded” and at Silkaatsnek on 11 July 1900 “I was the first person to disarm the English artillery while they were still asleep”. He was also present at, inter alia, Magersfontein, Kimberley, Ysterspruit (Van Donop) and De Klipdrift (Methuen). He stated that he initially served as Adjutant to Field Cornet J C Coetzee (the man who is documented as firing the first shot) and Commandant Vermaas (his father), then as Lieutenant of a Spy Corps under Captain J J Pienaar and finally as Field Cornet of Ward III, Lichtenburg Commando. During the First World War Vermaas served as Captain/Major in the Lichtenburg Commando in German South West Africa (Left Wing, 1st Mounted Brigade, Northern Army) and was Mentioned in Despatches: “For conspicuous gallantry in action at Riet; he is an obedient and hardworking Officer and maintained good discipline among his men”. The action of 14th October, before the investment was complete, was fought at Five Mile Bank north of Mafeking. An early morning patrol exchanged shots with the enemy advancing along the railway and an armoured train with a 1 pounder Hotchkiss, a .303 Maxim, and 15 BSA Policemen were sent out. It became heavily engaged with Boers who had a 7 pounder Krupp and a 1 pounder Maxim. Captain Fitzclarence attacked with a squadron of the Protectorate Regiment, the train being on his left. Another troop under Lord Charles Bentinck with a 7-pounder reinforced the situation, and after four hours' fighting, the enemy was driven off. Baden Powell later stated that the armoured train put the Boer Krupp out of action before it had fired a shot, and drove the Maxim from the field. When Captain Fitzclarence withdrew, the enemy made no attempt to follow. Casualty figures for this action, as quoted by various sources, differ dramatically. Baden Powell claimed that the Boers lost 53 killed, including 4 Field Cornets, and many wounded. However, the Boer Casualty Returns, as compiled by the Red Cross and published in the ZAR Government Gazette of 13 December 1899, list 2 Burghers killed and 8 Burghers wounded. The names of the 2 Burghers who were killed are confirmed in the published diary of a Boer participant. The British loss, as stated by Baden Powell, consisted of 2 men killed with 2 officers (Lieutenants Lord C C Bentinck and Brady) and 14 men, all of the Protectorate Regiment, wounded and 1 cyclist taken prisoner. The SAFF Casualty List, however, contains the names of 7 men killed, another 2 men who died of wounds and 2 officers and 14 men wounded. Baden-Powell commented: "In this, their first engagement, the Protectorate Regiment showed a spirit and dash worthy of highly trained troops and were most ably led by Captain Fitzclarence and Lord C Bentinck. This smartly fought little engagement had a great and lasting moral effect on the enemy".

Hi Marco. The pictures is unfortunately not the best, but I hope to get better ones for you Here we have the following award MK Military Veterans Platinum Decoration Class 1 I don't know if the first ribbon was approved, but they all sell with the black, yellow, green ribbons

Hi Marco, Will cover the MK Vererans awards tomorrow Was away today Regards Archie

Anglo Boere Oorlog/War Medal (Komdt. G.M.J. Van Dam) Gerard Marie Johan van Dam was the Kommandant of the Z.A.R.P. during the Anglo Boer War. He served as an Active Staff Officer for the Boer Contingent during the Boer Spectacle at St Louis in 1904. He was also awarded the Officer’s Dekoratie Voor Trouwe Dienst however that medal is unfortunately missing. Gerard was the son of George Alexander and Cornelia Digna Kroeff and was born in Delfshaven in Holland in October 1855. Emigrating from Holland he arrived in the ZAR with his parents in 1868 and they settled at Potchefstroom. In 1876 he was living in Kimberley but returned to Potchefstroom the following year. From the outset he was opposed to British influence in the Z.A.R. and fervently denounced Shepstone.He was soon appointed as the secretary of the Volks committee and played a role in the discussions with the British Colonial Secretary, George Hudson, at Kleinfontein. He first served as a burger with the Schoonspruit commando, this being the commando that supported General PA Cronje, and on 13 December 1880 he was appointed as secretary to the Transvaal Volksraad at Paardekraal. He was the first official of the restored republic to take the oath. In 1881 he took part in the fighting in what has become known as the First Anglo Boer War taking part in the actions at Laing’s Nek and Ingogo. From 1881 to 1888 he was a messenger of the court, acting landrost and public prosecutor at Potchefstroom, and in August 1888 was appointed as the first commandant of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Rijdende Polisie (Z.A.R.P.) on the Klerksdorp goldfields. In January 1893 he was appointed as second-in-command of the police on the Witwatersand goldfields and in November 1896 became the commandant of Johannesburg police district. Soon after martial law was proclaimed on the outbreak of the Anglo Boer war, Van Dam left for the Natal front at the head of 400 members of the Z.A.R.P. He took part in the Battle of Nicholson’s Nek, the reconnaissance of Escourt and the Battle of Colenso. On 1 January 1900, then assigned to General Hendrik Schoeman, he was attached to General De la Rey and took part in the battle of Rietfontein and, under General Louis Botha, in the actions at Pienaarspoort and Donkerhoek. In April 1901, while on a reconnaissance of Swazie Captain Umbudula, commandant Van Dam was ambushed by Steinaeker’s Horse and captured. He was initially sent to the P.o.W. camp at Ladysmith then to Durban and finally the P.o.W. Camp in Green Point at Cape Town where he was held until the end of the war. After the war he left for the U.S.A. with General Ben Viljoen. He later returned to South Africa and in 1908 resumed police duties for a while and from the time of Union until his retirement he held the rank of Major. From 1908 to 1913 he was commandant of the Rustenburg police district and from 1913 to 1918 was stationed at Potchefstroom. Gerard van Dam married Martha Magdalena Steyn in April 1877. At the good age of 84 years, he died in Pretoria on 12 January 1940.

King’s South Africa medal two clasps: South Africa 1901 & South Africa 1902 (Capt. S.H. Chapin. D.S.O. S.A.L.H.) Naming impressed on original rim. Sydney Herbert Chapin was clearly an interesting individual. He was the son of a New York surgeon and is reported to have served as a transport officer on General Buller’s staff during the Anglo Boer War. In his younger days he was purportedly called “Slick Sydney” during his military services. Having been appointed as a Member of the Distinguished Service Order for “meritorious services” on 29 November 1900 this award was revoked towards the end of the Great War (London Gazette, September 24, 1918) – His Majesty the King directing that “his name shall be erased from the Register of the Order.” An earlier Gazette had reporting that he “is dismissed by sentence of a General Court-Martial. 23rd May 1918.” Clearly a recipient worthy of much research. The well-known Anglo Boer War Forum website records the following: “Sidney Chapin was born in New York, USA, in 1875. In 1895, Chapin travelled to Rhodesia, where he joined the Matebele Mounted Police. During March 1896, he was attached to Coopes Scouts as part of the Matebele Relief Force. Afterwards, he joined the French Foreign Legion and was sent to Athens, taking part in the Battle of Pharsala. During 1897, he took part in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee with the Rhodesian Forces. Chapin then returned to Rhodesia, where he joined the British South Africa Police. In September 1899, he enlisted in the South African Light Horse as a Trooper and was shortly promoted to Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. After the Relief of Ladysmith, he received a commission as Lieutenant, and four months later, was promoted to Captain. He saw considerable action with the South African Light Horse. He received the Distinguished Service Order and stated in a letter that to the best of his knowledge, he was the first American citizen to receive it. After the Boer War, Chapin became a Sub-Inspector with the Criminal Investigation Department of the South African Government Railways. He next served as Adjutant of the British Contingent with the company that brought General Piet Cronje to the Saint Louis Exposition in 1904. Chapin then took a position with the Department of Immigration in Guatemala. He next served for five years as Assistant Commissioner of Police and Superintendent of Prisons, Gold Coast, West Africa. He was appointed Lieutenant in the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards in 1914 being wounded in September 1915 and promoted Temporary Captain in February 1916. Chapin was then promoted Temporary Major and transferred to the 17th Battalion Liverpool Regiment in December, 1916. He was dismissed from the service after a Court-Martial on May 23 1918. He died in London in September 1952. Major Chapin was Mentioned In Despatches (General Buller's Despatch, June 19, 1900), “S. Chapin has done invaluable service throughout the campaign,” and again (Lord Robert's Dispatch, April 2, 1901), “For meritorious services.” He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette, April 19, 1901). Chapin had the Distinguished Service Order revoked (LondonGazette, September 24, 1918). He is not listed in the DSO book. Some accounts suggest he was involved in the Jameson Raid but there is no evidence to support this.”

This unique Presentation Jewel measures approximately 160 mm x 65 mm and weighs 97,63 grams. The surrounding wreath on the lower portion is stamped “C.G. Braxmarco 14K” the marking of Charles George Braxmar of New York who is well known today as “The Badgeman”. Obverse Description: hanging from an ornate gold top suspender broach which boldly sets out his name as “Col F.E. Fillis” the central jewel comprised an inverted horseshoe with his initials elaborately intertwined in the centre the ornate circular lower disc depicting the fine image of a rodeo horseman surrounded by a wreath, the reverse of this “medallion” being engraved as follows: PRESENTED TO COL. FRANK E. FILLIS BY MEMBERS OF THE BOER WAR SPECTACLE AT BRIGHTON BEACH NEW YORK U.S.A. AS A token of regard and esteem JULY 13. 1905 Francis Edward Fillis was born in Lambeth, London on 13 July 1857. After the death of his first wife he married Eliza Mayol in 1880 and she later became known as Madame Fillis. Having moved to Southern Africa he first established a circus in 1879 and soon became South Africa's greatest and best known circus proprietor of the late 19th and early 20th century, presenting spectacular shows in late Victorian and Edwardian Cape Town, Johannesburg and Kimberley. His circus was generally known as Frank Fillis's Circus, or simply Fillis' Circus. Always promoting dramatic real-life shows, he opened a "magnificent new building" in Johannesburg in 1889 which was capable of holding 2,500 patrons for which he spared neither "pains nor money". The two Boswell brothers, who later opened their own circus company, were among his top acts. Frank himself became a highly talented horseman and animal trainer and a choreographer of epic spectacles. In addition to entertaining crowds throughout Southern Africa, his 100-member strong company also toured the colonies and settler societies of Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India, however his greatest shows of all, for which he is especially remembered today as the ultimate showman, were the epic spectacles he produced in London in 1899 and at the St Louis World’s Fair in 1904. His “historical”and military reconstruction show in London titled “Savage South Africa” were re-enactments of the Matabele Wars of 1893 and 1896 for which several hundred native African people were imported. He followed this in St Louis in 1904 where his Anglo Boer War Spectacle employed veteran soldiers and officers from both sides to recreate some of the major battles of 1899-1902. Years before he had staged an episode from the Zulu War in Australia in 1893 but there were no greater shows than those which he presented in America in 1904 and 1905. His shows were, understandably, not without considerable political controversy. Frank died while on tour the Far East on 18 November, 1921 and is buried in the Jewish cemetery in Bangkok, Thailand. In 1998 Floris Van der Merwe published a 95 page booklet titled “Die Boere-Sirkus van St Louis (1904)” (The Boer-Circus of St Louis) in which he recorded the full story of Edward Fillis and the various shows of which he was the “Managing Director”. The story and the events which led in the presentation of this unique ornate gold presentation jewel may be briefly summarised as follows: - The World’s Fair, held in Forest Park in St Louis in 1904 commemorated the centenary of the Louisiana Territorial purchase from Napoleon which almost doubled the land area of the young American Republic. The Exposition was received by the public with much acclaim and was judged as being the greatest of all shows. It was in this event that a certain Captain Arthur Smith decided to include and stage a special Boer War exhibition and he persuaded Frank Fillis to manage the undertaking. To achieve this an independent South African Boer War Exhibition Company was formed. Edward Fillis assembled the necessary equipment, collecting batteries of artillery, numerous guns and ox-waggons etc and engaged a company of about 50 Basutos. Some 300 Boer veterans, many of whom later received the Anglo Boere Oorlog medalje, signed on as the “actors’, their number including several officers most notably Veg Generaal Ben Viljoen and General Piet Cronjé. Similarly, a theatrical contingent of 250 British, colonial, Australian and Canadian veterans of the recent war in South Africawere also drawn in. The show arena for the “Anglo Boer War Historical Libretto” covered 10 acres. Three distinct scenes were played out - firstly the Battle of Colenso, secondly the Battle of Paardeberg and the surrender of General Cronjé and thirdly General De Wet’s escape. In choreographing the extravaganza, Edward even trained many of hundreds of horses engaged in the show to fall down during the staged fighting and to remain still until the end of the scene! Vast numbers of spectators watched the show, the popularity of St Louis at that time being enhanced due to the concurrent holding of the Olympic Games in that city. Eric Rosenthal in an article published in the well known South African Afrikaans magazine recorded that some two million people watched the show! Following the displays at St Louis the “Show” now dubbed “The War” moved to Chicago for a period of six weeks whereafter it moved to New York at the end of January 1905 where it was held at Coney Island situated in the South Brooklyn Borough of New York City. Brighton Beach as noted in the engraving on this presentation jewel was an amusement resort in the middle of Coney Island. The enactment stage crafted by Edward Fillis is still considered to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest staged spectacle ever at Coney Island having been performed on a patch of swampland between Manhattan Beach and Brighton Beach. To express their appreciation to him the Members of the Boer War Spectacle presented him with this massive 14ct gold jewel memento in July 1905. From the photographs included in a simple booklet titled “Photographic Views of the Boer War Spectacle” published in St Louis at that time it is clear that the image of the horseman depicted on the obverse of this gold jewel is of Edward Fillis himself, riding his horse named Povero. The archive includes a copy of Van der Merwe’s booklet, various contemporary St Louis advertising programmes and published photographs, Eric Rosenthal’s Huisgenoot article, various other maps and photographs and a “One dollar, Ladies Ticket” for the “Grand Military Masquerade” “Reception and Ball” held at the Coliseum in Chicago on Saturday 19 November 1904.