TOPIC:

Elsewhere on the Forum you will see my post iro Gunner JN Jordan of the Prince Alfred's own Cape Artillery.

Whilst researching him I was able to determine that he was with Janisch's Right Section which was in the immediate area of Wepener when it was relieved and yet no Wepener clasp was awarded to the this section.

By perusing the P.A.O.C.A. medal roll at some length I was able to determine that there were quite a number of chaps who were initially awarded the clasp but this was later scratched out with an "X" through it.Jordan was one of these.

Does anyone have any answers as to why they were deemed to be ineligible?

Regards

Rory

Rory,

At a guess I would say because they were not involved in the "Defence" of Wepener but only in the relief?

This extract below is from the publication" SA Gunner"

The Corps spent much of its service on “Lines of Communication” duties, guarding vulnerable points on the railway line to the North. Two guns were for some months each allotted to the defence of Koffiefontein and Jacobsdal. One section operated for some while in a roving capacity with Scott’s Railway Guards and the Right Section, which saw more action than others, was seconded to the Colonial Division, which moved from Naauwpoort, through Aliwal North, Wepener, the eastern Free State to Kroonstad and finally Zeerust. The Right Section had been entirely responsible, by its coolness under heavy Boer fire, for saving Sir Edward Brabant’s advance guard which had been advancing to relieve Wepener.


Regards
Adrian

Rory,

That is very interesting. My thoughts would be that they were excluded because they were deemed to have played too small a part in the engagement or fell outside the award criteria.

Much like the Natal Police at Elandslaagte.

Kind regards
David

Rory and David
Surely they would have been denied the "Wepener" clasp due to the wording of Army Order 94 which stated that a clasp inscribed Wepener" would be granted to all troops engaged in the DEFENCE (my emphasis) of that place between 9th April 1900 and 25th April 1900, both dates inclusive. I reckon that service in the location even part of the time on the posted strength of a unit would do it - but not for service in the relief force, surely.
Regards IL.

I rather think that you, like Adrian, are right IL.

Thought must have been given to awarding the clasp to them though - as I mentioned, the members of the Right Section were awarded the clasp on the medal roll and then crossed off - probably after someone read Army Order 94 more closely.

Regards

Rory