Very Rare WW1 Trio to a Non-White South African

[sabrigade]

A great point of contention and debate was and is the issue of campaign medals to non-white South Africans for their service and contribution in World War One.

Approximately 25000 members of the South African Native Labour Corps (SANLC) saw service in France but were not awarded any medals. Approximately 2500 Bronze War Medals were only awarded to the citizens of the neighbouring territories (now Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland) who were members of the SANLC.

The non-white members of the South African Mounted Rifles (SAMR) and South African Artillery were granted and awarded the standard British campaign medals.

This trio was awarded to Native Constable Van Wyk. I believe that these campaign medals awarded to South African non-whites to be very rare and have only seen this group that forms part of my collection. Van Wyk served in the German South West African campaign.

Members of the SANLC deemed this policy, and I agree totally, to have been grossly unfair. They were very disappointed and resented the fact that despite their sacrifices they were not awarded any medals or even medal ribbons.

[sabrigade]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2009/post-3034-1245598515.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2009/post-3034-1245598401.jpg

BRITISH WAR MEDAL 1914 -20 AND VICTORY MEDAL

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1914-15 STAR

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MEDALS MOUNTED FOR DISPLAY

[Tom Y]

Pardon my ignorance, but why do you say the recipient is non-white? van Wyk sounds like a Boer name.

[sabrigade]

Hi Tom,

A very pertinent question.

The prefix before his rank 'N" stands for Native which referred to black people in those days.

Constable Van Wyk was probably a man of mixed race as the 5th SAMR was formed from the Cape Mounted Police from the then Cape Province.

I also have a WW1 trio named to a gentleman with the prefix "C" which refererred to Coloured or people of mixed race. They tended to adopt Boer surnames and their home language was Afrikaans or Dutch.

This practice of using prefixes to denote various racial groupings was continued in WW2 where various prefixes can be found on South African issued campaign medals.

There are many questions regarding the issue of these WW1 medals and I hope to gain more insight into the matter, that is one reason why I decided to post this possibly controversial but interesting and unfortunate topic.

Regards,

Will

[Chris Boonzaier]

a fantastic group, I hope to find something similar.

There was (up until the 70s?) often cases where "coloureds" petitioned to be reclassified as "white" and if memory serves me correctly, cases where whites requested reclassification as coloureds so they could marry coloureds.

The lines between white and coloured in the cape province were sometimes rather blured.

In the 80s there was a book that caused some furour about mixed blood in old afrikaaner names, in fact, there is a branch of my family tree that is classified as coloured.

[sabrigade]

Hi Chris,

I will post my other group today which has the prefix "C" and also a South African Police Long Service Medal with the trio.

I have a "coloured" great uncle who fought in World War One and whose medals I have in my possession.

Regards,

Will

[Thomas Symmonds]

Hello Will, & gentlemen.

I have a WWII set that I hope you dont mind me posting. The set is attributed to one Mr Henry Parking, and as in your post the surname is probably adoptive. I have found out that Henry is of the Morolong Tribe, and that his Headman at the time of enlisting was Moroke. What I found intriguing was that our man only applied for his medals 34 years after being discharged, and only because of the insistence of the Secretary of the South African Legion in Parys (town in the Orange Free State at the time). The Certificate of Service is dated March 1980!

A very interesting thread. Lets keep it going.

regards

Thomas

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MEDAL GROUP TO COLOURED CONSTABLE C. HANNS, 1 SAMR AND LATER SAP

Hi Thomas,

Thanks for posting, these are not very well-known topics outside of South Africa and can be a source of both very interesting research and discussion.

Regards,

Will

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1914-15 STAR

The First South African Mounted Rifles were formed from the Cape Mounted Rifles.

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BRITISH WAR MEDAL 1914-20 AND VICTORY MEDAL

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SOUTH AFRICA POLICE GOOD SERVICE MEDAL 2ND TYPE AWARDED TO SGT HANNS

[Hauptmann]

A fascinating topic! I only learned of these last night when reading through one of my old general militaria reference books. Why I'd never spotted it before I've no idea but just goes to show that by re-reading references endlessly over the years you always tend to find something new.

Great pieces everyone! Hope to see and learn more.

Thanks!

Dan :cheers:

[sabrigade]

Hi Dan,

This is one of the many strong points about this Forum.

There are so many aspects that are unclear and after many years of collecting and researching medals and militaria, I realise every day that I am still scratching on the surface!

Regards,

Will

[Hauptmann]

Hi Dan,

This is one of the many strong points about this Forum.

There are so many aspects that are unclear and after many years of collecting and researching medals and militaria, I realise every day that I am still scratching on the surface!

Regards,

Will

Hi Will,

Amen to that! We learn something knew all the time... especially be being members here. I've often said this is probably the equivalent of a University education in militaria and military history all rolled into one. I only wish there had been such a thing as GMIC back when I started out... long before home computers or the internet. But I'm sure glad it's here now.

Dan :beer:

[erichjr]

Very nice medals...

Erich

[Brett Hendey]

Hi Will & Thomas

Very interesting medals and I am very envious. As a sideline, I have collected a few medals to non-whites awarded for service in pre-WWI conflicts in South Africa. They are:

SA Medal with 1877-78 clasp - Sgt Minto, Kamas Native Levies (a very battered medal).

Cape of Good Hope GSM with Bechuanaland clasp - 321 Native Pte Msabenzie, Cape Police.

Bronze Queen's South Africa Medal with no clasp - 248 Syce Pannaswamy, Supply & Transport Corps.

(South African blacks were not awarded the QSA. Men such as the Zululand Police saw active service and one was even MiD, but received no medal.)

Natal Rebellion Medal with no clasp - Pack Leader Verasammy, Natal Mounted Rifles.

- Pte Ndhlendhla, Zululand Police.

Natal Rebellion Medal with 1906 clasp - Cpl John Silamlela, Natal Native Horse.

- Pte Bangindowa, Zululand Police.

Regards

Brett

[Thomas Symmonds]

Hello Brett, and all others reading this thread -

Brett, it is actually Will's thread, but I am sure he won't mind you greeting me too

Please post some of those medals, as well as the naming if possible. I would love to see them.

I have recently parted with my set, and regretting it already (the curse of a collector strikes again), but it does free me up to scout for some more interesting sets...

regards

Thomas

[Brett Hendey]

Thomas

I am posting the only pic I have of the 'non-white' medals in my collection but, rather than further deviate from Will's thread, I will post others under a new subject after I have taken the photographs.

Meanwhile, apologies to Will for intruding.

Regards

Brett

[sabrigade]

Hi Brett,

I have been in the field and away from this device for a few weeks now. Please feel free to continue. I have some bronze Sudan 1910 medals and a bronze Queen's Sudan pair that I can add to your thread.

Regards,

Will

[Brett Hendey]

Thanks Will. I hope that you will have your Sudan pics up before I have photos of the other medals listed above, so I will then feel happier about adding to this thread.

Regards

Brett

[PKeating]

Three of the various medals included in a collection of old wristwatches acquired from a chap returning from South Africa. The War Medal is impressed to C286769 A. Bantum. I kept them because there was something rather poignant about them.

PK