TOPIC:

In reading Adrians's post on the Elandslaagte/Talana QSA, the dealer had written that 'medal and clasp entitlement for the battle and state clasps to the Queen's South Africa Medal do not survive'.

This set me thinking. I had always presumed the Boer War medal rolls were 100% complete (excepting subsequent damage, wear and tear etc).

The dealer is probably excusing the fact that the clasps cannot be verified by using this reason but is there any truth in it?

Regards
David

David,

When I got home last noght I did some digging through the SAC rolls and I to found his entry. It is not with the "C" Division and was therefore overlooked. However, saying this one would expect the "researcher" to dig a little deeper??

David as to your second question. When I was very active in the Cape Archives I came across a few QSA rolls
and one of these was to the Bredarsdorp TG which has 32 names on it. I have not seen this roll page anywhere except for the copy I made. I this a missing roll or were these men entered onto another roll??

Regards
Adrian

Adrian,

That is interesting. I had not heard of that town guard before, There was certainly a degree of amalgamation in the colonial units.

Do you have a couple of names so that we can check?

Best wishes
David

David,

The roll was signed off in Bredarsdorp on the 24th November 1902 by Lt W.J De Smidt. There are 29 names on it not 32 as I said earlier. The numbers next to each name is as per the roll page.

The following appear on the roll

1 Lt W.J De Smidt
2 Sgt J.A Cleghorn
3 Cpl J.R Orchard
4 PTE S.R Hawurthc (MD)
5 " j. Lazuras
6 " A.N Swart
7 " A.G Orchard
8 " J. CHisnall
9 L/Cpl H.Taylor
10 PTE G.Remington
11 " G.P Heffer
12 " J.C Nefdt
13 " J.H Eksteen
14 " T.M Chisnall
15 " D.G Barry
18 " W.G.A Taljaard
20 " C.W Newmark
21 " W.H Nowers
22 " J. Groenewald
23 " F.G.P DuToit
24 " Fred Eksteen
25 " F.Hutham
26 " J.Swart
27 " W.Wessels
28 " J.Van Brakel
29 " P. Odendaal
30 " T.Dyers
42 " A.Wessels
43 " Cornelius Swart

Please excuse any spelling errors!!

Regards

Adrian

Hello Adrian

Good post.

Presumably this roll is one of the standard QSA rolls - do you have a picture of it?

Given where Bredasdorp is ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bredasdorp ) - 160km south-east of CT maybe they were deemed so far from any action that they weren't due medals and hence the roll isn't amongst the ones we know and love at the National Archives.

Regards
Meurig

I can certainly get a pic up.

It is the standard QSA roll page and there was a note pinned to it signed by Lt De Swart it reads:

I herewith certify that the men mentioned on attached rolls were actually called out for " active military duty" against the enemy. Dated 14th September 1901. As enemy did not attack they were not under fire. Service was gratuitous.

Signed W,J Desmidt Lt