sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Mackay saw service in the Anglo-Boer War, 1906 Rebellion and with the Second South African Infantry Regiment in France. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal as a member of the 3rd SAMR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-95947600-1298097101.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-01250200-1298097105.jpg Queen's South Africa Medal for service in the Anglo-Boer War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-07649300-1298097338.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-64442900-1298097340.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-88795300-1298097341.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-33115800-1298097343.jpg Naming on the QSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 Natal Rebellion Medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-15376700-1298097733.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-43616000-1298097735.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-77526700-1298097736.jpg Naming on the Natal Rebellion Medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-68638000-1298097855.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-01137100-1298097858.jpg British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal for service in the First World War. Mackay was discharged and awarded the Silver War Badge for his service in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-58976100-1298098094.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-77358900-1298098097.jpg Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-13794400-1298098287.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2011/post-3034-0-47026400-1298098289.jpg Naming on LSGC Medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Hendey Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Hi William An excellent medal group! Thank you for showing it. I have similar combinations in my collection, but all WWI medals are named to the 2nd or 3rd S A Mounted Rifles (i.e. for service in German SWA, not Europe). Francis Charles Mackay enlisted in the Natal Police on 6/10/1894. This was a few months after Natal became a self-governing Colony and the Natal Mounted Police, Water Police, Prisons and some other law-enforcement agencies were amalgamated to become the Natal Police. The NP Enlistment Register in the Pietermaritzburg Repository of the S A National Archives will probably list his next-of-kin and home address. The QSA medal roll lists his clasp entitlement as Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith and South Africa 1901. The clasp Natal is also listed, but this is clearly an error. It is not impossible that he was indeed entitled to the Orange Free State clasp, but I think the South Africa 1902 is unlikely. There is a strange anomaly concerning the award of date clasps to the Natal Police. Those men who had served during the first year of the war (October 1899-October 1900) were awarded either the Natal clasp (no active service) or battle bars (Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith and Belfast for relevant active service). The state clasps Transvaal and Orange Free State, particularly the latter, are less common awards, since Natal Policemen could serve outside of Natal only with special permission. Those men still enlisted in 1901 received a late issue South Africa 1901 clasp (often missing on ribbon). All that is fairly straight forward, but the anomaly arose with men who enlisted after the qualification period for the Natal and battle clasps was over. They were awarded both date clasps, whereas the men with Natal or battle clasps were deemed to be entitled only to the South Africa 1901 clasp. Just to add to the confusion, a few men whose names were omitted from the first roll were added to the roll of the new recruits and they were awarded both date clasps. Mackay was not one of this lucky group. This is a good example of military intelligence at work. (There is similar confusion with the award of the KSA to Natal Policemen, but that is not relevant here.) The Tugela Heights and Relief of Ladysmith clasps indicate that Mackay was part the the Natal Police Field Force in this theatre of the war. He might also have served in General Buller's Bodyguard, but his name is not on the (probably incomplete) list of men who are known to have served on the Bodyguard. Mackay's Boer War service can probably be sorted out by a careful search of the Natal Police Headquarter's Order Books for 1899-1902. This will be a tedious job. The index of the Natal Police magazine, The Nongqai, Volume III (1910-1913), records that there is a picture of Mackay on page 768. Mackay died in 1941 and the Pietermaritzburg Archives has his death notice. His wife's name was Amy and it looks as though she died in 1949. Regards Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrigade Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 Brett, Thank you for the very informative post. His service card states that he was involved in policing duties in Natal when the German South West Africa campaign took place. I find these early police groups fascinating and will request more research. Is there any chance of locating his picture in the magazine? Regards, Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Hendey Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Will I will ask someone in Pietermaritzburg to photograph the page in the PMB Archives copy of The Nongqai. Regards Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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