Unit ID - Africa Service Medal EVIIR

[oamotme]

Dear Mr. Mackinlay,

A brief note of thanks for your most comprehensive responses to this matter of identifying the unit. "Local Service List" is half the battle! It would be nice from my own point of view to identify the "H" as Hadramaut but as yet unproven. Indeed the Qu'aiti Sultanate provided Arabn irregulars to the Hyderabad court and the current Sultan's mother - in her early 90's and unfortunately ailing - is a granddaughter of a Nizam of Hyderabad. I have had the good fortune to visit the Hadramaut on a number of ocassions and would not use the description lawless as I have been received with great hospitality and indeed it is an imperssive place to visit. For details of the awards of the Qu'aiti Sultanate I would refer you to the article I had published in JOMSA a few years ago. With regard to local units in the Hadramaut there are occasionally available in the souk in Sana'a GSM's (clasp "Arabian Peninsula") to the MRA (Mukalla Regular Army) and the QAC (Qu'aiti Armed Constabulary) and I remain on the look out for one to the HBL (Hadhrami Bedouin Legion). I hope to visit Sana's again at the end of November.

Again thank you for your highly informative posts and I look forward to a firm identification of (H.G Arab)!

Owain

[James Hoard]

Mr Mackinlay,

I would like to thank you for such a fine and fascinating post about (British) Somaliland, a little known area of the world on which one can rarely find very much.

However, I think that in this case you may be blaming the Americans unfairly for 1960. British Somaliland (shared with other places like Nyasaland/Malawi and Transjordon) could not properly finance itself and the government subsited on annual grants from London. That was really the primary reason for pushing it towards unification with Somalia.

It is such a tragedy to learn about the loss of your brothers papers. Did he ever consult the private papers of Major-General A.R. Chater?

Chater served at various times as the OC Somaliland Camel Corps, Military Governor and GOC and finally Hon Colonel Commandant of the Somaliland Scouts and Sudan Camel Corps. His private papers contain a wealth of information on Somaliland, the Somaliland military units, government, the war and his subsequent BMA. They have been deposited in the Liddell Hart Archives at King's College, London. Please see http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats/chater/ch50-01-.htm

Cheers,

James Hoard

[Aberdeen Medals]

The unit designation on the medal described in the first post of this thread is;

- LOCAL SOMALI LEVIES

L.S.L. does not refer to any other designation, or meaning.

The respective medal roll for the Local Somali Levies is extant and accessible at The National Archives (reference WO 100/105) and is the primary source for confirmation of medal & clasps entitlement and issuance to this unit.

Specifically the medal recipient is confirmed as having qualified for, and having received the medal with 2 x clasps. The medal was issued to him on 28 April 1908.

The 'Remarks' column of the same roll provide the answer to what the 'bracketed' information on the medal refers to, specifically it refers to the recipients 'Tribe' with one column listing the abbreviated clain names, H.A., H.Y., H.G. etc, and the second colum showing the sub-clan name to which the recipient belonged.

Allowing for devitaions and variations with the tranliteration and spelling of the names of clans and sub-clans, the clan affiliations of the majority of the Somali recipients can be positively identified basis what is shown in the medal roll.

As information

Edited September 30, 2013 by Aberdeen Medals

[oamotme]

Mark, Well done & many thanks for resolving this issue. A good piece of detective work. Again thank you. Kind regards, Owain

[Aberdeen Medals]

Owain,

You are most welcome.

While I knew the unit abbreviations L.S.L. referred to the Local Somali Levies, I too had wondered for some time what the details in brackets on these medals referred to - now we know.

You will to forgive me however for not stating my thoughts on what the exact clan and sub-clan of your chap is, but I am sure you will crack that yourself if not done so already.

If not already seen have a look at the on-line London Gazette archives, and specifically the issue for 18 September 1902 that contains the despatch of Consul-Geneneral Hayes-Sadler and relates to the Field Operations in Somaliland in 1901, for a good background to the raising and deployment of the 'Somali Levy'. Although this relates to background/operations in 1901 - and your chaps medal reflects to services in 1902 and later, the background - only months aparts - will still be relevant

Interestingly the despatch above referred to makes mention that 'Many' of 'Our' locally recruited Somali Levies were already in possession of medals gained while in the prior service of the Italians!

Quote,

I trust that. Lieutenant-Colonel Swayne's

request that a medal and clasp be given to all

ranks serving with the expedition may meet

with your Lordship's favourable consideration.

Many of our Somalis served with the Italians,

and show with pride the medals they received

for the actions in which they were engaged

Unquote.

I wonder if your man was one of those who had might have earlier served with the Italians - probably impossible to verify but certainly worthy of consideration basis above quote.

Best wishes.

Mark

Edited October 1, 2013 by Aberdeen Medals