Victory Medal (South Africa)

[MnrBloemie]

Hello,

There has been a medal laying in my mothers drawer for years, and today I remembered the medal and went to look. After some research I have found out for what it was etc. but I would like some help.

The medal shows "BURG. P.G. CILLIERS. CALVINIA KDO."

It's a bilingual medal. So I know his rank, which was a Burger. I am not sure yet as to what it meant back then. If someone could explain to me, I would appreciate it. So next I searched for the Calvinia Commando. I came across a website which gave me quite a few Calvinia Commando's.. some of them include Louws Calvinia Commando, Pretorius Calvinia Commando etc. so if someone could help me to establish in which commando he was and where he was stationed I would appreciate it very much.

This medal was for my great grandfather for participating in World War I. I would guess that he was stationed in German South West Africa, but I could be wrong.

Here are some photo's I took of the medal:

In the drawer I've also found this pin thing. I don't know to who it belonged to, I didn't do some research on it yet I will look it up tomorrow, but I am posting it here so long so that maybe someone on the forums know what it is.

On it stands "SAAC Eendrag Maak Mag SAPK"

Here is a picture

thank you for the help

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello MnrBloemie and welcome to the GMIC.

There are several members from South Africa on the forum and they are probably better qualified to comment however, I believe "burger" mans "citizen" and in the case of the naming on your medal that would be equal to a "provate" in the British Army.

I hope this helps and I'll await comment from the South African contingent as to my accuracy.

Regards

Brian

Edited March 24, 2010 by Brian Wolfe

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

here is quite a bit about your mans unit... a very interesting area of the rebellion...

http://www.kaiserscross.com/40117/155801.html

[MnrBloemie]

I have found out that the pin that reads "SAAC" is of the South African Aircraft Commission. So he worked with planes? A guard maybe..

Is there a database where I can somehow get a certificate or maybe a photo? I've read a few topics and the others who looked for the history of the medal get some kind of paperwork of where the guy was stationed etc.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I have found out that the pin that reads "SAAC" is of the South African Aircraft Commission. So he worked with planes? A guard maybe..

Sorry, missed that one... its South African Armoured Corps.... for a tanker, goes on a black beret with a balkie under it... (I think Orange, White and Black),,,

[Arthur R]

Welcome to the forum, Mnr Bloemie.

As Brian Wolfe says, 'burger' was indeed the commando term for a private.

The Victory Medal ought not to be alone, though -- there should be a 1914-15 Star and a British War Medal to go with it.

As Chris Boonzaaier says, the badge is the SA Armoured Corps badge -- it would date from after World War II through, so might not have been worn by Burger Cilliers. The badge was originally designed for the Special Service Battalion (with the initials SSB and SDB on the scroll) in 1933. The SSB was converted to armour during WW II, and after the war its badge was adopted, with the appropriate change of initials, as the armoured corps badge.

[MnrBloemie]

Thank you so much for the information. It really helps a lot. As for the medals, my father says he remembers 3 medals that they inherited. I have called other family members to go and look through their things for the medals so that I can have the complete collection. Atleast I have his weapons.

According to my father my great grandfather was later in the South African Police. And he doesn't remember of him being in WW2, but maybe he was. If someone else has more information please help us, we're trying to figure out the history haha.

Can someone give me a link to that database thing?