Pistolpat Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 This is a picture of my Great Uncle James Henry Galt/Gatt (born in Scotland 1883) in his police uniform. This photo was taken in Canada 1913 so unsure which uniform it is although believe it is his South African one. Also attached is a picture of his medal. I know he joined the South African Police Constabulary in 1906 from his Ayrshire Police record. Plus on his Canadian Expeditionary service record he states he served 6 years 7 months with the South African Constabulary. I cannot find any service records for him either before 1902 or after 1906. Any help greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QSAMIKE Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 Hello PistolPat......... First welcome to the forum....... 1. Can you please provide what is written on the edge of the medal, Number - Rank - Name - Unit, It will help in tracking...... 2. I have checked the roll of The Canadians in the South African Constabulary and there is no listing...... 3. I have checked Fink my Past and also there is no listing but that does not mean anything...... 4. The South African Constabulary was disbanded on June 2nd 1908 so therefore he would or should not be wearing uniform in 1913..... He may have enlisted in England for service in South Africa..... Some of these records are available at Kew and some in South Africa..... Researcher in (Audrey Portman) SA I suggest is: rhinoresearch@icon.co.za Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistolpat Posted September 7, 2017 Author Share Posted September 7, 2017 694 TPR JAS.H.GALT. S.A.COSTBY is what is indented on the rim. He wasn't Canadian, he was Scottish. He emigrated to Canada in 1913. He enlisted in 1906 from Scotland. I have just recently found his Ayrshire Police service record which shows that he resigned from them to join the S A Constabularyin 1906. I'm assuming that as he had a 1902 bar on his medal ribbon he had served twice with the S A Constabulary, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QSAMIKE Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 (edited) If his medal is named 694. TPR JAS. H. Galt S. A. COSTBY, then I am afraid that this medal was not officially awarded to him..... They never used first names (JAS.) and the unit name was always S.A.C. not S.A. COSTBY..... I have a number of medals issued to men from the founding of the unit right up until the end of the Boer War and they are all named S.A.C., including one where the man did not get his medal till 1910 ..... If he had resigned from the Ayrshire Police to join the SAC in 1906 the war had been over for 4 years and the SAC folded in 1908..... A clue to look at is since you have the Ayrshire Police records, when did he join them????? The medal on its edge should have all of the information Impressed and not engraved, is there a chance to see a photo of the edge..... Can you get hold of Census information that may also give you a clue..... Oh yes using that number I also again checked FMP nothing there, maybe if you have Ancestry there may be something there...... Sorry he may have served at the end of the SAC period but from the information that you have provided it seems that he may have given himself the medal...... Mike Edited September 7, 2017 by QSAMIKE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistolpat Posted September 7, 2017 Author Share Posted September 7, 2017 Thanks for this info. I don't have the medal but his great,great grandson in Canada has it. I will ask him if he can send a photo of the edge. I did suspect that this medal may not be genuine as James seemed to have a habit of being 'economical with the truth'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1314 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Please see Ancestry - Passenger Lists. A number of references to men of this name Gatt/Galt,departing to Canada ( one in March 1900 ) from Glasgow, and returning therefrom ( Nov 1914 - to enlist ?). Cannot positively identify him but may be worth further checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistolpat Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 Thank you but I have all the info of his emigration to Canada. Plus what happened to him after. It's just his South African service I'm having problems with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistolpat Posted September 10, 2017 Author Share Posted September 10, 2017 This is a picture of the rim of the medal showing the indented information. Is this genuine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QSAMIKE Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 I am sorry to tell you but this is a re-named medal....... You can see the marks under the naming where the original naming has been removed...... Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 (edited) On 9/7/2017 at 20:06, QSAMIKE said: I have a number of medals issued to men from the founding of the unit right up until the end of the Boer War and they are all named S.A.C., including one where the man did not get his medal till 1910 . Mike Something that I've always found curious about the South African Constabulary is why the used the rank Trooper and not Constable? I think I'm right in thinking that they were formed as a police force to take over from the army once the war was won (and it was assumed the war would be over quickly). When this wasn't the case, their role changed to a para-military outfit. Which I assume is where the rank Trooper comes from. When the unit was first founded did they use the rank Constable? Are any medal groups know to exist, whereby a British bobby left to join the SAC and then returned to his previous role afterwards? Perhaps 1897 Jubilee Medal, Boer War Medal(s) and a 1911 medal perhaps? Edited September 26, 2017 by bigjarofwasps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Hendey Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 The SAC was raised during the Boer War, and, in spite of their name, they functioned as mounted infantry, hence the use of 'Trooper' for the lowest rank. Even in peacetime in South Africa, there was a need for mounted police, and many of the SAC men deployed in the Orange Free State and Transvaal were mounted. The same applied to the police in the Cape Colony and Natal, and the tradition of using 'Trooper' continued. In the case of Natal, 'Constable' referred to policemen employed in court duties, and their rank was equivalent to that of Sergeant in other branches of the force. Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 1 hour ago, Brett Hendey said: The SAC was raised during the Boer War, and, in spite of their name, they functioned as mounted infantry, hence the use of 'Trooper' for the lowest rank. Even in peacetime in South Africa, there was a need for mounted police, and many of the SAC men deployed in the Orange Free State and Transvaal were mounted. The same applied to the police in the Cape Colony and Natal, and the tradition of using 'Trooper' continued. In the case of Natal, 'Constable' referred to policemen employed in court duties, and their rank was equivalent to that of Sergeant in other branches of the force. Brett Very interesting!!! One wonders why they chose to incorporate the word Constabulary at all? All very misleading. That Baden Powell had a lot to answer for . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QSAMIKE Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 The 2 I/C of the unit was Sam Steele of the Strathcona's and North West Mounted Police fame and initially the SAC was supposed to be a replay of the NWMP but it did not turn out that way..... Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Saw this on another forum, thought it might be of interest. It appears that the East Africa Police, during WW1 used the rank of Constable. http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/topic/253940-constable-david-marsh-east-african-police/ I don't know anything about the EAP, but I assume they were along the same lines as the NWMP & SAC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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