TOPIC:

Allow me to introduce you to the medals to the above chap.

Whilst not unique it is a seldom seen combination. Trooper Campbell was one of only 24 NMP members to take part in the Basuto campaign of 1880/81 for which he was awarded the Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal. He was also part of Empress Eugenie's escort when she came out to see the site of her son's demise.

He then went on to become an Inspector and Quartermaster for the Natal Police before passing away in November 1902.

The photo below is the only one featuring Campbell known to be in existence. Interestingly of the six chaps in the photo the medals to four can be accounted for. Quite a percentage! - Campbell and Dimmick - Rory; Sewell - Brett and Fairlie - Meurig (SWB). The numbers relate to the following men:

1 - Insp W D Campbell, Quartermaster.
2 - Insp F H Sewell, Paymaster.
3 - Insp W F Fairlie
4 - Sub-Insp O Dimmick, Adjutant.
5 - Sub-Insp W E Ives.
6 - Sub-Insp W E Lyttle.

I will feature these medals all together in a separate post at some stage - for now here are Campbell's.













Regards

Rory[/size]

Rory

I am looking forward to reading Campbell's full story.

Before you depart to the Eastern Cape (the "poor man's Natal"), please check to see if the cannon in the photograph is still in the grounds of the Alexandra Road Police Station. It might have been too much trouble to move to the SAP HQ in Pretoria in 1913, which is where that NP photo, and a few others, now reside.

Regards
Brett

Lovely pair of medals, Rory and excellent photographs too. Like Brett, I am now eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

Thanks Brett and David

Campbell will take a while to research with early indications of a birth on the wrong side of the blanket but, as they say, time will tell.

Regards

Rory

Brett asked:

please check to see if the cannon in the photograph is still in the grounds of the Alexandra Road Police Station. It might have been too much trouble to move to the SAP HQ in Pretoria in 1913, which is where that NP photo, and a few others, now reside.

Herewith a photo or 3 of the cannon (both still there) and the Natal Mounted Police HQ in Alexander Road, Pietermaritzburg. Seeing these cannon and looking at the men in the photo posing with the aforementioned certainly gives one a sense of history.







Regards

Rory