Special Constabulary Cape Mounted Police Photograph

[W.D. du PLOOIJ]

I finally have a Photo of the CMR Badge I have inherited from my Great Grampy SCOTT available, along with the article wherein he is mentioned along with some of his brothers.









I Hope this is looking good; as I am new to posting here.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Fantastic badge! I assume for veterans of the unit?

[W.D. du PLOOIJ]

Hi Chris Boonzaier,
Thank you - I am afraid I know way too little about the Badge itself and it's use; but it looks very much like a Blazer badge akin to what Veterans wear.
I spoke with one of SOUTH AFRICA's foremeost Militaria Collectors whom said that in his many years of collecting he has never seen one of these before.

[Gordon Craig]

On 4/5/2009 at 06:48, sabrigade said:

This blue uniform was worn for full dress. The pigskin shoulder straps, which were called " leather epaullettes ", are visible in the photograph. The strength of the Cape Mounted Police was fixed at 78 officers and 1350 other ranks. Some members of the force were awarded a medal from the German Kaiser for operations along the German South West Africa border in 1907.

Gentlemen,

The medals referred to here is the German South West Africa Medal in Bronze.  The medal was issued in two classes; Bronze for actual participation in battle and Steel for those who assisted in the movement of troops and material to German Southwest Africa including the crews of German shipping lines chartered to ferry troops and supplies to the colony.  When some of the leaders of the revolt in German South West Africa escaped into the Cape Colony in 1907 the German Government ask for assistance from the Cape Government in capturing these men.  The Cape government assembled a Mounted Squadron under Maj. F.A.H. Elliott of the Cape Mounted Rifles.  The mounted squadron consisted of 78 members of the Cape Mounted Police and 27 members of the Cape Mounted Riflemen.  Ninety of these men took part in the battle that killed the leader of the revolt.  They received the medal with a gold coloured (brass) clasp that said "KALAHARI 1907" in it.  The other 17 men received the medal without the clasp.  There was another group of rebels who escaped into Bechuanaland and they were tracked down by the British Protectorate Police Force.  I do not know how many men of the British Protectorate Police Force were involved in this action but they were also awarded the same German medal but this time with a gold coloured clasp "KALAHARI 1908".  I have never seen a KALAHARI 1908 clasp.  The men were authorized to wear these medals on their dress uniforms and did so until the start of the First World War in 1914. 

Regards,

Gordon   

Edited June 12, 2016 by Gordon Craig

[Brett Hendey]

Gordon

Thank you for a clear and concise account of this interesting medal.  Having one in a CMP medal group would be a great coup for a medal collector.

Regards

Brett

 

[Gordon Craig]

Brett,

Thanks.  I have pictures of a group such as you mentioned.  I did not post it because I did not have permission to do so.  I'll ask if I may post the picture.  I found it very interesting.  I did a talk on the medal to the Ottawa chapter of the OMRS last week.

Regards,

Gordon

 

[Brett Hendey]

I hope that you can get permission to post the photograph, Gordon.  Over the years, I have seen no more that two  or three photographs of such groups.

Regards

Brett 

[Noor]

I push this old post up - I randomly picked up a British War Medal that was named to "T/CAPT F.E. WATERMEYER" . Turns out that Frederick Edward (Frederick Egidius Benedictus) Watermeyer worked for Cape Mounted Police (1910). He was married with Rosa Beatrica (nee du Preez) and they had at least two children.

During the war Frederick served with the 5th Regiment South Africa Mounted Rifles in SW Africa 23.08.1914 - 09.07.1915. He was entitled at least 15 Star trio. No other awards are known to me at the moment.

Can some of you advise where else I should look for information of him and his service?

 

Thanks,

Timo

[Brett Hendey]

Timo

All the men who served in the GSWA Campaign were awarded the standard WWI trio of medals, with the Victory Medal being the bilingual South African version.  Usually (or always?), the only military record of the men who served only in GSWA is a single card that includes very basic information. This includes two rubber stamps filled in to show when, firstly the 1914/15 Star was despatched, and, secondly, when the British War and Victory Medals were despatched to the man concerned.  There are local researchers who will copy this card for a fee,  The person I have used is a member of this forum - aud.

Regards

Brett

[Noor]

Thanks Brett!

I got one copied page with the medal - confirms his rank, first name, unit, 1915 Star entitlement and also when he served in SW Africa.

Also using internet, I was able to confirm this info:

First served in Matabele Wars (1893-1897) with the B. B. Police, Mafeking (medal roll). His regimental number was 1384 and he was entitled the campaign medal with the Shangani and Singuesi clasps. Then as a Sergeant-Major in Cape Police. He received QSA with the clasps “Defence of Kimberley” and “Orange Free State”. He was commissioned 4th January 1901.

Worked in Cape Mounted Police (1910).

Married with Rosa Beatrice Watermeyer (nee du Preez). Resided Barkly West.

Daughter Wilhelmina Emily was born 04.07.1909 and son James Frederick 1913.

Served as a Captain in the 5th South Africa Mounted Rifles, Cape Mounted Police (CMP) based in Kimberley.

He saw active service in South West Africa from 23rd August 1914 until 9th July 1915.

 

[Brett Hendey]

Timo

I have forwarded the link to your last post to an expert on all matters relating to the Cape Police.  He may be able to give you more information.

Regards

Brett

[Brett Hendey]

Timo

The Cape Police researcher has responded, and, unfortunately, he doesn't have the attestation and other papers for your man.  However, he wrote that, since the man became an officer, his papers may have been transferred to Pretoria.  If such a search has not already been done in the Military Archives in Pretoria, then it may be worth getting someone to do it.

Regards

Brett

[Noor]

3 hours ago, Brett Hendey said:

Timo

The Cape Police researcher has responded, and, unfortunately, he doesn't have the attestation and other papers for your man.  However, he wrote that, since the man became an officer, his papers may have been transferred to Pretoria.  If such a search has not already been done in the Military Archives in Pretoria, then it may be worth getting someone to do it.

Regards

Brett

Hi Brett,

Thank you so much for your help! As I said, I picked this medal up only because to challenge and learn research possibilities regarding SA officer and after that I most likely let it go then. Therefore I do not start seeking a researcher who can dig more out for me from the archive. But because his interesting name, I was able already get some info of him from the main online research sites.

Once again, thank you for your help and inputs - it has been a good guide for me.

Talk you soon,

Timo

[1314]

Noor

 

Reference your post 35 - you mention " clasps for Shangani and Singuesi " - can you enlarge, I was not aware that claps had been authorized or issued for these very local engagements.

 

 

[R_Ferguson]

Hi all,

I too am searching and researching an ancestor who was a 'Constable' at 'Fort Cunningham/Cunynghame' in the 1890's(based on baptism records between 1892-1897). This is the only reference to him in the Police but it may well have spanned the whole decade and possibly into Boer War(although he was working on Railways by 1903).

His name was Andrew John Douglas Ferguson. I would love to know more.

Any help is appreciated,

Ross

[George Shaw]

I have a distant relative, Capt. Bernard Vidal Shaw, 1857-1932, who came out from England ca 1882 to join the Cape Mounted Police. By 1886 he had been appointed Commissioner of Police in Cape Town and received a Letter of Appreciation from the government of the Cape Colony for the manner in which he handled and resolved the Malay riots in January of that year. He also authored a number of reports on police matters and was sent to Tasmania to examine and report on policing methods there. Shortly thereafter he went to British Guyana where he eventually became Superintendent of Prisons before retiring in 1915. Can anyone please advise me how and from what source I can discover more about this person's service in Cape Town.    

[Lesch]

On 31/10/2009 at 21:46, unit8 said:

In 1904 the Cape Police (founded in 1882) which were divided into three Districts became one Police Force the Cape Mounted Police.

 

Cape Police Districts Pre 1904

District 1 HQ King Williams Town (Eastern Cape)

District 2 HQ Kimberley (Griqualand West)

District 1 HQ Cape Town (Western Cape)

 

Cape Mounted Police HQ was Cape Town.

 

The Cape Mounted Rifles were a seperate Force and had started off as the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police in 1855 and were renamed Cape Mounted Rifles (Colonial) in 1878. They are not to be mistaken with an earlier Imperial Military Unit also called the Cape Mounted Rifles.

 

The Natal Mounted Police (NMP) were founded in 1874 and were based on the (FAMP/CMR) by their founder Col Dartnell who spent some time with the FAMP/CMR to get ideas. The NMP were renamed the Natal Police in 1894 when all Police Forces and Jails in Natal Colony were amalgamated into one Force the Natal Police under Dartnells command.

 

In 1913 1 April the South African Mounted Rifles were founded under the Union Defence Act. They were a military unit who in peace time would police the rural areas (inhabited by blacks mainly), also on 1 April 1913 the South African Police were founded under the Union Police Act, they were to be a police force and in war time to be conscripred into the military.

 

Generally speaking the SAMR were mostly the old Mounted Police units from the pre 1913 units Natal Police, CMP, CMR and Transvaal Police. The SAP were mainly the foot units as their main task was the urban areas. By 1927 the SAMR were disbanded and the SAP had absorbed most of their members and duties.

What a fascinating site,  This helps to identify badges etc.

My Grandather William Roodt Lesch born in Dordrecht 1875, and his brother were with The Cape Mounted Police and later when disbanded , William became a Cape Mounted Rifleman.  William received a long service award in 1932 ( died in 1935) and both him and his brother Edward Charles Lesch received good conduct medals from the Cape Mounted a police.

Tracing back from various documents   - it appears they also spent a considerable time at Maclear and Barkley East in the Eastern Cape.

William retired to a Venterstadt, Cape.

 

[Brett Hendey]

Do you have any of their medals and badges that you could show here?

Regards

Brett