TOPIC:

The three Boer War DCMs sold well at DNW this morning. Hammer prices of:

Horswell (Devons) £ 3,000
Smith (KOSB) £ 2,400
Mortiboy (Bethune's MI) £ 2,400

The unusual MID emblem on the DCM pair in Nobles Auction is from the late Bill Woolmores collection. I knew Bill in Melbourne in the 80's and I recall he had these privately made out of frustration that medals of this period had no visible recognition of a MID.

You can buy them from medal mounters here in Australia still.

George, Rory and interested forum members
I was certainly reasonably active on the OZ QSA scene between mid 70's until early 90's - and that included buying on occasion from the Regal Coins list (Victoria) and the then-regulars in Sydney - and I certainly never heard of such an "M.I.D." emblem. Moreover, I never heard of them until viewing Noble's 121 auction. Such an emblem is not mentioned in "Australians Awarded" 13th edition by Johnson. It may well be that these emblems were available only in a certain catchment?
It is a pity that no contemporary M.I.D. emblem was awarded to deserving members of the SAFF, 1899-1902. However, there was not. They had to be content with a "mention' in the LG.
What follows is only a personal opinion. Spread across my collection are medals to a number of officers and men who were granted recognition by an LG mention. I would not place those "M.I.D." emblems on them.
Regards
IL.

Nel Militaria have this RE DCM for sale:

DCM VR (22907 Sapper J Parsons Rl: Engnrs:)
QSA (5) Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Diamond Hill, Belfast (22907 Sapr J Parsons R.E) engraved

According to the QSA/KSA roll for the Royal Engineers, Parsons' DCM was awarded for Paardeberg. Indications are that he was part of the men, all from 1st Field Troop, under Maj Hunter-Weston who destroyed a railway culvert near Karee Siding on the night of 13 March 1900 (1 officer and 5 men, including Parsons, mentioned in London Gazette 8 February 1901, page 846). This exploit later led to the capture by the British at Bloemfontein of 25 locomotives and 108 coach trucks.

Parsons was taken prisoner at Sannas Post on 3 March 1900, sent to Waterval Camp near Pretoria and released on 6 June 1900.

He was mentioned in the despatch of Lord Roberts of 31 March 1900 (London Gazette dated 8 February 1901) and again in Earl Roberts' despatch of 29 November 1900 (London Gazette dated 10 July 1901).

Good Morning David...…

Do you have a site addy for Nel Militaria, I did a search and cannot find them...…

Thanks, Mike