GSWA Medal with bar KALAHARI 1907

[Bernd D]

I like to raise your attention to a new book about the German South West Africa Commemorative Medal by Gordon McGregor.

The description of the book is

This book endeavours to portray the unique occurrence when Imperial Germany awarded her medals en-bloc to Imperial British troops for an operation deep in the Kalahari Desert in the northern part of the British colony of the Cape of Good Hope early the previous century.

This operation was against Morenga and his band of followers and resulted in the Battle of Eenzaamheid on 20 September 1907. At this battle Morenga and the majority of his followers were killed and when the German colonial authorities learned of this they were so relieved that Moreng, who was a thorn in the side of the Imperial German colonial administration, was dead that they decided to award the South West Africa Commemorative Medal, with the bar ?KALAHARI 1907?, to those members of the force that had defeated him en-bloc. This was to be the one and only time that such an en-bloc awarding of Imperial German medals to Imperial British forces occurred and as such is unique in history.

Also is the story of the awarding of Imperial German medals to members of the British Bechuanaland Protectorate Policy Force who assisted the German colonial authorities in tracking down Simon Koper and his band also deep in the Kalahari Desert. This led the German colonial troops to organise a force to pursue Simon Koper into his hideout in the Kalahari Desert and engage him. This force engaged Simon Koper at the Battle of Seatsub and defeated him there and was generally known as the ?Kalahari Expedition?. Again the German colonial authorities were relieved that the last of the thorns in the side of the German colonial authorities had been eliminated that they also awarded the South West Africa Commemorative medal but with the bar ?KALAHARI 1908? to them.

This book is a must for every historian and colonial collector dealing with the former colony of German South West Africa and the activities of Imperial British forces in Southern Africa.

On 102 pages, paperback, you will find the story, a name list, pictures of medal groups, certificates and photographs. Including a story about British administration and how they deal with foreign awards. ISBN 987-99916-40-74-7

It is about 13 ? without shipping and can be ordered at

Namibia Scientific Society

P.O. Box 67

Windhoek

Namibia

mailto: nwg@iway.na

A German bank account is available. Shipping by airmail is recommended because by land will take 6-8 weeks to Germany.

[Bernd D]

It is about something like this.

[Ulsterman]

I'll bet Chris B. will be happy to see this.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Nah, I took too long and missed my chance.

H?sken of all people had one on his list for ages and ages and ages.... I waited.. and waited...and hummed... and hawed...

Then I saw this book had come out and I thought... go get the clasp you fool....

Of course... it was gone....

Dont mention this award to me ever again.... :-(

[Bernd D]

Nah, I took too long and missed my chance.

H?sken of all people had one on his list for ages and ages and ages.... I waited.. and waited...and hummed... and hawed...

Then I saw this book had come out and I thought... go get the clasp you fool....

Of course... it was gone....

Dont mention this award to me ever again.... :-(

It is still worth reading with a lot of new information.

[Chris Boonzaier]

It is still worth reading with a lot of new information.

Maybe.... I just need to get over the loss first....

[Bernd D]

Now, it is available in Germany at the Namibiana Buchdepot.

Here is the link http://www.namibiana.de/index.cfm?action=V...amp;itemid=2294

They show some pictures and the index.

[Chris Dale]

From "War Medals and Thier History" scanned by Sarge Booker at http://picasaweb.google.com/Booker1942/1915WarMedalsAndTheirHistory#

I love the way they date it 1904-06, when the clasp clearly says 1908 on it

Cheers

Chris