TOPIC:

Charles E. Hopley served with the Kimberley Town Guard during the siege of the town.
His post during the defence was No II Section, B Company, No 4 Redoubt, where he was in charge of natives at the sanitary pits.
While this particular job title and it's daily tasks may not seem to cover Hopley with glory, we must remember that sanitation to be dealt with in as hygienic a process as possible was vital in order to prevent disease amongst the defenders and civilians of the besieged garrison.
The Medal Roll is annotated "Enrolled. Released for sanitary duty "


No 4 Redoubt. Captain H. Pim in command (taken from page 479 of David Biggins' account of the Kimberley Siege)


Medal Roll for Kimberley Town Guard


Queen's South Africa medal awarded to Private C. E. Hopley bearing the clasp DEFENCE OF KIMBERLEY.


Naming to the rim.


Regimental naming to the rim.

Referring to page 506 of David Biggins' "Kimberley Siege Account and Medal Roll", I quote:
"Medals to the Town Guard are usually inscribed 'Kimberley Town Guard:' or 'Kimberley T. G.' It is notable that some medals, for example the ones issued to the doctors, are named to 'Kimb. Town Guard '. However, the two doctors medals that are known are both renamed and it is likely that they were presented to the recipients at a later date and using QSAs that had been returned as unclaimed."

As shown in the above image of the regimental naming to the rim of Hopley's medal, the naming is thus inscribed KIMB: TOWN GD:
Could it be possible that this medal could be an example that was renamed and issued much later than the majority to his fellow defenders?

Following the war, I found his name on the death notice of one of his in-laws. He appears to have been a resident of Beaconsfield.