QUEEN and KING SOUTH AFRICA MEDALS

[Guest Darrell]

Background information on Calderwood being wounded in March 1901:

[Mervyn Mitton]

Congratulations, Darrell - I had a feeling this was on it's way ! You now have the ' creme de la creme' of Boer War clasps - I just hope you haven't had to sell family members into slavery ???

The Protectorate Regiment was Baden Powell's own command at that time and had the greatest numbers. You now need a good gallantry group from the Siege to complete your collection - although, does one ever really complete a collection ? Some years ago we were offered the V.C. for Ramsden. He went out of the lines at Mafeking to rescue his brother - who received the DSO. We recommended auction and it sold for £50,000.

Best wishes on a great addition.

[Guest Darrell]

Congratulations, Darrell - I had a feeling this was on it's way ! You now have the ' creme de la creme' of Boer War clasps - I just hope you haven't had to sell family members into slavery ???

The Protectorate Regiment was Baden Powell's own command at that time and had the greatest numbers. You now need a good gallantry group from the Siege to complete your collection - although, does one ever really complete a collection ? Some years ago we were offered the V.C. for Ramsden. He went out of the lines at Mafeking to rescue his brother - who received the DSO. We recommended auction and it sold for £50,000.

Best wishes on a great addition.

Mervyn, well all family members still accounted for (so far ). Yeah it hurt the bank account alright, but worth it.

As far as gallantry groups, I'll be holding off for a few years on those

However, no QSA related collection is complete with out ..... one WITHOUT any bars and of course the Queen's Mediterranean Medal ....

[Guest Darrell]

So ... what's left if you have all the clasps? Well, one without any clasps

The following QSA awarded to Private H. Saxton of the Rand Rifles Mines Divison.

A little background of the Rand Rifles from http://www.angloboerwar.com/

Rand Rifles

This corps was raised towards the end of 1900, and was generally employed on the defences of Johannesburg and of posts in the surrounding district. They saw some skirmishing and some sharp attacks on posts, but they were not in any big engagement, and had few opportunities of gaining distinction. The corps remained on service till the end of the war.

The Rand Rifles Mine Guards helped to protect the goldmines against destruction.

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 1:

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 2:

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 3:

[Guest Darrell]

PDF showing QSA entitlement (w/ no clasps) to Mr. Saxton:

[Mervyn Mitton]

Darrell - another nice clean medal , with good patination. Your contact has found you some good medals - and you have increased his pension fund ... When the War broke out all mines had to be closed and about 3000 men were drafted into service - this unit being one. They also formed and ran the Military railway in the Transvaal, with three armoured trains.

[Guest Darrell]

Anyway ... not a QSA per say, but about as close a relative as you will get.

The QUEEN's MEDITERRANEAN MEDAL. Fairly rare and (expensive) considering.

Some background from this website:

http://www.angloboerwar.com/

This medal is identical to the Queen's South Africa (QSA) Medal except the inscription 'SOUTH AFRICA' on the reverse is replaced by the word 'MEDITERRANEAN'. No clasps were authorised for this medal. The ribbon is the same as for the QSA.

The Mediterranean Medal was authorised by King Edward VII and awarded to volunteer and militia troops who had replaced the regular troops in garrisons across the Mediterranean and who guarded Boer prisoners.

Approximately 5000 medals were awarded. The units present and the approximate number of medals issued are:

Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (574)

Royal Fusiliers

West Yorkshire Regiment

Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (202)

Royal West Kent Regiment

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (775)

Seaforth Highlanders (784)

Royal Munster Fusiliers (498)

The following example is for a Sergeant Kettle. He served with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

And again .... research proof he was entitled to this QMM.

Full naming as:

2946 SERJT. J. T. KETTLE, NORTH'D FUS.

Obverse:

Obverse:

Edited September 17, 2009 by Darrell

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 1:

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 2:

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 3:

[Guest Darrell]

Research showing entitlement to the QMM:

[Mervyn Mitton]

Darrell - you're a sly one ! Lovely medal to such a good unit and finishes the ones you wanted - now, you really have to face-up to reality. Do you start to collect to a specific action or, regiment ? Perhaps different combinations of the bars ? You've built-up a very valuable collection. Mervyn

[Guest Darrell]

Mervyn, actually a few more to go (maybe) with this line.

There are the bronze Indian awarded QSA's (and rarer still silver issues). Then of course the very first awards which were to Canadian Units with the 1899-1900 date in relief. No sure the bank account could handle those for a while even if I could find one for sale.

[Guest Darrell]

As a followup on AE Calderwood (QSA w/ Defense of Makeking Clasp) posted above. I received some research paperwork on this fellow and a few interesting things came to light.

First up I'll post a few of the pages, zeroing in on the juicy stuff

1. Record of Service for his time with the Protectorate Regiment.

He enlisted with the PR on August 23, 1899.

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of the Wounded and Gallantry entries. The officer "witnessing" the two events were none other than (at the time) Lt. Col. Hore. Serving directly under General Paden Powell.

NOTE* The Gallantry Action was Dec. 26, 1899. This was the date of the infamous attack on Game Tree Hill (Fort) that cost the Protectorate Regiment dearly interms of deaths and wounded.

[Guest Darrell]

The following page was copied out of Packenham's great work "The Boer War" on the chapter about the Defense of Mafeking (p. 405).

It describes the terrible cost of the illfated assault on this objective.