Anglo-Boere Oorlog Medal 1899-1902

[Mervyn Mitton]

I should have added that these are the Commandos and the names are the areas thay fought-in. Halls Handbook is an invaluable ref. book on the logistics of the Boer War - for both sides.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Mervyn Mitton

[Hugh]

I should have added that these are the Commandos and the names are the areas thay fought-in. Halls Handbook is an invaluable ref. book on the logistics of the Boer War - for both sides.

Thanks so much for this, Mervyn. It really rounds out the picture. Now I'll have to go back to a good history of the war (Pakenham or Holt?) and read up on the campaigns.

[Elvis]

Hello Darrell,

thanks for starting this very interesting topic.

You did a good job and searched well.

@all others

Thanks also for your comments.

Elvis

Edited August 12, 2010 by Elvis

[Boer Seun]

Anyone know where I can get an ABO issued to "Rossouw"?

[Mervyn Mitton]

Welcome to GMIC. There are not that many in existance - and are mostly in collections. You could try City Coins in Capetown - they do regular medal auctions.

[milhistry]

Beyers went on to become Commandant-General of the Active Citizen Force in 1913 (before resigning his commission and attempting to join the rebellion - he drowned en route). Most sources list him as the first & only person to be Commandant-General of the ACF but I have seen a (presumable hastily typed!) Minute in the SA Archives dated 1914 appointing one Major-General J C Smuts as Commandant-General of the Citizen Force and Commandoes with immediate effect. Something that is usually neglected a mention in Smuts' biographies. One positive note about Beyers, he did forsee the importance of air power fairly early on and some credit due to him for the creation of the SA Aviation Corps in 1913.

The double sized medal is a clever economic measure. Interesting too that although an official South African Award it did not carry the South African coat-of-arms but that of both defunct republics.

The Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst (= decoration for faithful service) is also an interesting creature - worthy of it's own posting. It was issued for similar reasons as a British DSO. In the Union's order of precedence it also outranked a DSO. A small number of Boer Officers went on to get the DSO in WW1 and were subsequently awarded the DTD for service in the Boer War.

Edited November 24, 2011 by milhistry

[gavinmedals]

Hi, I noticed this topic and even though it has been a while, I recall there being a good article written by Henk Loots regarding the ABO. It was published in the OMRS Journal, the now defunct South African Military Medal Society and later in one of City Coins Auction Catalogues, Auction no 57. It showed there are essentially three types of ABO medal classifiying them as type A,B and C. Each with unique characteristcs relating to the suspenders and the naming, which could aid in narrowing down the identity of the receipient when compared to the dates of application through the "Vorm B". This is especially handy if there are more than one person with the same name in the Medal Roll that was compiled by Don Forsyth. If there still is interest in further info I can have a look for the article and be more specific after I return from three weeks of travels.