TOPIC:

SWB wrote:
There is no such disclaimer on this particular roll. It would be interesting to see that this roll escaped the attention of the War Office in regards to medals for non-white personnel.

Checking this roll for my own benefit I notice that there are enough "non-white" names Willie, Tete, Sam, Swaartlan, Obediah, Frank, Fred, Jacobs and Charles Mgoba none with a disclaimer

Referring to Meurig's comment posted earlier - I based my supposition on a number of factors:

- An article on the NVTS which I discovered in the Natal Archives mentions that all Drivers were coloured
- Smith married a lady who, going by her maiden name and being familiar with the peculiar nuances of South African culture I know to be of coloured origin.

I have also a QSA to the Natal Transport, a similar but unrelated unit - angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-awar...3-or-4-of-them#23758

Regards

Rory

Hello Rory

Many thanks - always good to know sources. Can the article be copied and circulated?

It would appear then that these non-whites slipped through the "no medals" net.

Regards
Meurig

Meurig

Of course you can copy and circulate my article - I have benefited more times than I care to remember from the collective wisdom of yourself and others.

It's not hard to see how some non - white folk "slipped the net" - to this day there are many who cannot (and shouldn't) distinguish between Europeans and Coloureds. There are often obvious differences but still a plenitude of exceptions.

Regards

Rory

Rory wrote: Meurig

Of course you can copy and circulate my article - I have benefited more times than I care to remember from the collective wisdom of yourself and others.

It's not hard to see how some non - white folk "slipped the net" - to this day there are many who cannot (and shouldn't) distinguish between Europeans and Coloureds. There are often obvious differences but still a plenitude of exceptions.

Regards

Rory

Thanks Rory - very kind.

Could you also supply the reference to the article you found in the Natal Archives.

Hello Meurig

Herewith the archival reference you seek.

DEPOT NAB TYPE Accession REFERENCE A1592 DESCRIPTION 15 Maintenance Unit. STARTING 0000 ENDING 0000 REMARKS Donor: Unknown, 1982; 5ff. SUMMARY 15 Maintenance Unit is part of the South African Defence Force and traces its origin to the formation of the Natal Volunteer Transport Corps in 1899. + Typescript notes on the history of the unit.
Regards

Rory