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Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (5) CC OFS Joh Belf 01 (8084 Pte. A. Thomson, Gordon Highrs:)

An unrecorded 9-carat gold tribute medal from the Aberdeenshire town of Ellon, obverse standing soldier with crossed rifles behind, ‘South African Campaign 1899-1901’ around, the reverse inscribed ‘Pte. Arthur Thomson from Ellon Friends’, hallmarked Birmingham 1900, 38mm, unmounted but traces of suspension evident.

This group has been lying in my collection for some years. The medals reflect a typical life of a serviceman coming to South Africa to fight and then staying to make a life. Private T Stork came to SA with the Gordon Highlanders and, judging from the clasps on his QSA , saw a fair bit of action . He was wounded at Paardeberg on 18th February 1900. The QSA roll notes that he left the regiment to join the Johannesburg Police. He must have been a policeman for quite a while as in 1913 he won the rather fine Mayoral Shooting Trophy medal. He was a Sergeant at that stage. He was subsequently awarded the SA Police Faithful Service Medal . His rank is shown as Head Constable. I have never known where a Head Constable fits in the police hierarchy . Maybe someone can help ?
many thanks
Mike

Thomas Stork served in South Africa from the 9th of November 1899, having been recalled to the Colours, from the Reserve, exactly a month before.
He retransferred to the Army Reserve in South Africa after Vereeniging, on the 1st of August 1902, serving within it until discharge upon the 31st of March 1904
A really very pleasing group, I found his Furlough Gratuity of thirty eight pounds, three shillings and seven pennies slightly amusing, although, I dare say both the War Office and in particular, the, by now, desperately poor Exchequer would not have done so.

mike rowan wrote: This group has been lying in my collection for some years. The medals reflect a typical life of a serviceman coming to South Africa to fight and then staying to make a life. Private T Stork came to SA with the Gordon Highlanders and, judging from the clasps on his QSA , saw a fair bit of action . He was wounded at Paardeberg on 18th February 1900. The QSA roll notes that he left the regiment to join the Johannesburg Police. He must have been a policeman for quite a while as in 1913 he won the rather fine Mayoral Shooting Trophy medal. He was a Sergeant at that stage. He was subsequently awarded the SA Police Faithful Service Medal . His rank is shown as Head Constable. I have never known where a Head Constable fits in the police hierarchy . Maybe someone can help ?
many thanks
Mike

Thanks, Frank. I guess that 38 pounds was a fair bit of money back then. Even the precisely stated three shillings and seven pennies would have had some significance.
I am still interested to know where the rank of Head Constable fitted into the police hierarchy. There seems to be nothing like it around today.
Regards
Mike

Well, it's certainly a nice group, is there a "national" police museum in South Africa or perhaps a notable Police historian would could help?