TOPIC:

Good morning Brett,
I have always found the rolls, for these men, very interesting, their clasp entitlement was not the norm for this corps, so mistakes are easy to make.
Your fellow for example, appears to have actually had his medal issued to him with a Defence of Ladysmith clasp, on the very next page, the error was corrected.
Regards Frank
The error!



The next page, the error is corrected!

Brett Hendey wrote: Frank

Your comments about Anderson and Mason knowing each other are very likely to be correct. The Border Mounted Rifles, Natal Mounted Rifles and Natal Carbineers had regional squadrons and troops but, unlike the Cape Colony, Natal was relatively small in both size and settler population. Regular camps and a variety of competitions would have brought the men together in peacetime and, of course, active service is probably the greatest bonding exercise ever invented. The 10 BMR men in the Composite Regiment must have been a close-knit group in order to maintain their regimental identity, a source of pride to all the volunteer soldiers of Natal - at least, I hope so.

Regards
Brett

Now then Brett,
In the case of my man, he has a similar entitlement shown in the remarks column, with the Defence of Ladysmith crossed out, quite clear I feel and the medal was issued from here, so you can well imagine my surprise when ,back in the 1990's a well known historian here, verified this medal as a "Five Clasp" example!
So it would seem that the passage of time means nothing as far as errors go, it happened then and it still happens, something else that these two BMR Troopers have in common!
I thought this might amuse you,
Kind regards Frank









And the error.

Brett Hendey wrote: Frank

Your comments about Anderson and Mason knowing each other are very likely to be correct. The Border Mounted Rifles, Natal Mounted Rifles and Natal Carbineers had regional squadrons and troops but, unlike the Cape Colony, Natal was relatively small in both size and settler population. Regular camps and a variety of competitions would have brought the men together in peacetime and, of course, active service is probably the greatest bonding exercise ever invented. The 10 BMR men in the Composite Regiment must have been a close-knit group in order to maintain their regimental identity, a source of pride to all the volunteer soldiers of Natal - at least, I hope so.

Regards
Brett

Frank

It would be great to have a QSA with both 'Defence' and 'Relief' clasps. Men who might have qualified in a fairer world would have been the Native Scouts who carried messages in and out of Ladysmith.

Regards
Brett

Good morning Brett,
Well quite, those scouts would have been very lucky just to get a medal, let alone a medal and clasps.
Another thing that our Messrs Mason and Anderson have in common is there dates of wartime service and of course the lack of a KSA, there is, in WO127, a nominal roll of men in the Border Mounted Rifles, an interesting title, "Nominal Roll Kings SA Medal" January 1903, but no medals for these men, without additional service!
A most impressive muster too, with Messrs Rethman, Sangmeister, Vause and Royston at the top, when I was a little boy, I first saw this and wondered why Captain Royston had so many forenames!
Regards Frank

Brett Hendey wrote: Frank

It would be great to have a QSA with both 'Defence' and 'Relief' clasps. Men who might have qualified in a fairer world would have been the Native Scouts who carried messages in and out of Ladysmith.

Regards
Brett

FRank,

I think the space bar must have been a little sticky on the typewriter when he came to add Royston's name!

Best wishes
David

John Mather was my great uncle died 1939 in New Zealand