TOPIC:

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?

There once was a National Police museum in Pretoria and very good it was. Sadly it has gone the way of most government run institutions and subsided into a state of decrepitude and closure. Coincidentally an old Police collector came in this morning and remembered that when he first joined the SAP he worked with a native Head Constable. He said that the rank was equivalent to a low level Warrant Officer.

Good Evening Everyone.....

I have obtained a QSA to the Gordon's, 2nd Battalion with two clasps..... What I am looking for is anything about his two clasps.....
They are Belfast and Laing's Nek..... I have several medals to the Gordons but this is the only one with this combination of bars.....
I have checked the casualty lists and he is not listed there..... His number is quite low compared to other members of the 2nd Battalion so is it possible that he was a old soldier and sent home for discharge????? Or was he just filling time till he retired ?????? I checked the list under units here in the forum and he is not mentioned by name or number.....


685, PRIVATE R. CALDER, 2nd BATTALION, GORDON HIGHLANDERS

Mike

Nothing unusual here for the 2nd Battalion although, WO100/203 shows his number as 658.

QSAMIKE wrote: Good Evening Everyone.....

I have obtained a QSA to the Gordon's, 2nd Battalion with two clasps..... What I am looking for is anything about his two clasps.....
They are Belfast and Laing's Nek..... I have several medals to the Gordons but this is the only one with this combination of bars.....
I have checked the casualty lists and he is not listed there..... His number is quite low compared to other members of the 2nd Battalion so is it possible that he was a old soldier and sent home for discharge????? Or was he just filling time till he retired ?????? I checked the list under units here in the forum and he is not mentioned by name or number.....


685, PRIVATE R. CALDER, 2nd BATTALION, GORDON HIGHLANDERS

Mike

From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

Wolwekraal

Early on the morning of 11 February Lt Col de Lisle attacked a party of some 300 Boers (mainly Fauresmith Commando) under Commandants Hertzog and Jacobsz, who were in a position on hills on the farms Windpomp and Wolwekraal, 20km north-west of Luckhoff.

They succeeded in beating off De Lisle advances repeatedly, even after Col Hannay sent strong reinforcements with 2 machine-guns and by nightfall the British retired.

British losses in this skirmish were 4 killed and 25 wounded. The Boers had no losses.

QSA (1) CC (2091 Cpl. W. Ferguson, Gordon Highrs)

Corporal Ferguson was killed in the Wolwekraal skirmish.