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David Vinden ( 1859 – 1919)

David Vinden was born in Mauritius in 1859 to Samuel and Elizabeth Vinden. He came to Natal at his own expense in 1882 and was a school teacher in Pietermaritzburg before joining the Natal Civil Service in 1885. In February 1888 be was appointed to the position of Court Interpreter at Ladysmith. Concurrent with this position, he was also the Indian Postmaster and Clerk for Ladysmith.

David Vinden was an interesting, if controversial character. I can do no better than direct you to the Honours thesis by Prinisha Basassy titled, “Turbans and Top Hats - Indian Interpreters in the Colony of Natal - 1880 – 1901 “ ( google the title ) In this thesis , David Vinden has a whole chapter given over to him. He would have been delighted.

It seems that Vinden saw himself as being superior to the Indentured Indians by virtue of his education as well as the fact that he had come to Natal at his own expense . Vinden also felt that as was as good as any European because of his Civil Service position and should not be made to travel on the train with people of lower social standing . Certain guards and policemen on the trains didn’t agree and he found himself in confrontational situations more than once. In this respect he was similar to Gandhi in being thrown off a Natal Government Railways train but, whereas a newly arrived Gandhi wasn’t fully cognizant of the local ground rules, Vinden was fully aware and seemed to enjoy upsetting the white train guards and policemen. He clearly enjoyed a measure of protection from the Magistrates, who relied heavily on the Interpreters,

On 10th March 1891 Vinden was suspended from his position as Postmaster and Interpreter of the Ladysmith district for the collection of money under false pretences.
The Indentured labourers relied on the Interpreters to put their case for acquiring permits and , although in the normal course of events most carried no cost, it was common practise for these court officials to charge a fee. Vinden was enthusiastic in his practise of this custom. As a result he was heartily disliked by the general indentured Indian population. Vinden’s suspension was short- lived as the judicial process required Vinden’s skill . This need seemed to have trumped common justice.

Vinden joined the Natal Volunteer Ambulance Corps during the Boer War and seems to have been the only Indian Leader to have been awarded the bars , Tugela Heights and Relief of Ladysmith ( the medal was awarded to 19 recipients on the 1903 roll – all without bars ) . A further 13 medals were awarded on a 1904 roll, with Vinden’s bars coming separately off this roll. Vinden was a great believer in getting what he thought was his due and no doubt pushed hard to get the bars. He must have had some powerful support to have achieved this given the rigid attitude to race that prevailed at the time.

David Vinden died on 30th September 1919 of Double Pneumonia in Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg. He was 61 years old.

Vinden’s QSA , like the man, is a little unconventional. Two small loops have been brazed to the top of the suspension bar. It must have been worn differently to how it was intended. The loose bars have been added later.

Hi Mike, have you had a look in the "Indian Who's Who". There are a few NVIC. There is only one year digitalised that I could find & he is not there. But I am sure there are others.

Hi David
I see that the SA Indian Who's who starts on the 1930s, by which time Vinden was long departed. Seemingly he wasn't much liked in the local Indian community, so I doubt if anyone would have celebrated his legacy. If he had been alive, it would have been a different story !
One of the joys of researching medal recipients is getting to understand the character of the man. I rather delight in flawed characters like Vinden. They are so much more interesting ( and human) than the "Boys Own " heroes.

I had not realized it started that late. It was on my list of publications to check up on. Yes I quite agree

David Vinden's clasp entitlement.

www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collectio...BJs=true&pId=1339815

I'm seeking some clarification about the NVIAC.
First, how were they attired? The group photo of Gandhi and his men which is labelled (everywhere) as being from the South African War shows them in khaki uniforms with red cross arm bands and slouch hats.
However:
Photos from the field show them in very different kit.
My suspicion is that the group photo is actually of the Indian Volunteer Stretcher Bearer Corps, in 1906, as it closely resembles a group photo from 1906.
Next, are any NVIAC members on the casualty lists? There's a strong impulse in recent years to revise the history of the volunteer stretcher bearers in Natal and put Gandhi and his men on the summit of Spioenkop or Tabanyama. Did that ever happen? Several eyewitness reports and photos I can find indicate the Natal Volunteer Ambulance Corps (white volunteers - the "body snatchers") doing this brave work. However the Indian bearers are not described in the heat of battle - but being used to transport wounded men well away from the front line.
Now, I'm not wishing to diminish anyone's reputation - but I am very interested in historical accuracy, and would greatly appreciate your insights.
Rob
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