TOPIC:

817 PRIVATE HERMANUS JULIUS GRIEB

Hermanus Julius Grieb served during the Anglo Boer War with the Frontier Light Horse, formerly known as the District Mounted Rifles.
Following his discharge from the FLH he was listed as a Trooper on the strength of "B" Squadron of the Cape Colonial Forces.


Entitlement to the Queen's South Africa medal confirmed on Medal Roll WO100/247 for Frontier Light Horse and WO100/239 for Cape Colonial Forces.


Number and naming.


Regimental naming.

On both Medal Rolls another two recruits bear the surname Grieb. I strongly suspect that they are family members.

Hermanus Julius Grieb was recorded as being the Manager of a Ntsundwana Trading Store on his death certificate and died from a chronic cardiac arrest at this address on the 7th July 1952. He was married and was 69 years of age and had suffered from emphysema of chest for two years.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

SAGS (1) 1879 (279. Tpr. G. Seymour. Frontr. L. Horse.)

G. Seymour was killed in action at Hlobane Mountain on 28 March 1879, a disastrous encounter that resulted in 17 officers and 82 other ranks being killed, besides many more wounded, most of the fatalities being inflicted on Buller’s force during its headlong flight down ‘The Devil’s Pass’. Of these fatalities, two were officers and 28 were N.C.Os or other ranks from the Frontier Light Horse. In fact, such was the carnage caused by the Zulus’ assegais that they renamed Hlobane the ‘Stabbing Mountain’. Five Victoria Crosses were awarded for the action.

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 (544 Pte C. Y. Griffin. Frontier L.H.).

Together with a pair of apparently unrelated joined clasps, Tugela Heights and Relief of Ladysmith.

M&E say C. Y. Griffin of the Frontier Light Horse (late District Mounted Rifles) is confirmed on the medal roll, which states in the remarks ‘Discharged’.

Recently encountered on that favourite on-line site was this QSA medal named to:
"820 Private F.M. Kashula, Frontier L.H." Noted in SAFF under the name of "Pte. F. Kushula" and recorded as slightly wounded at Somerset East on 10/3/1902


Judging by the small number of previous posts on this topic, QSA medals to the FLH are not all that common. This example came into IL's custody as noted above at a quite moderate price and the seller did include some paperwork to accompany the medal - indicating the recipient was also entitled to a KSA medal - and a TROVE entry indicating his casualty status late in the campaign.

According to various sources, the immediate predecessor to the FLH was the District Mounted Rifles; formed in late 1899 and following the Boer invasion of the British South African colonies in October of that year. Renamed the Frontier Light Horse in January 1900, the new regiment was raised at King Williams Town by Col. Hutchinson, was three squadrons strong, classified as a Class Three unit and finally disbanded at KWT at the conclusion of hostilities.
Stirling ("The Colonials in South Africa" and where would some of us be without him?) tells us that during operations at the Cape, the FLH was involved in "numerous little engagements and many pursuits and it frequently suffered casualties". Tylden adds that the corps served with the Colonial Division and had a strength of six hundred - which number seems a little large and Il thinks that it probably encompasses the entirity of the FLH's ABW service and not its ration strength at any given time.
The nominal rolls for the Frontier LH on this site were very useful; telling us that the enlistment period was six months (or less if not required) and the rate of pay was the usual five shillings a dayplus an extra two shillings and sixpence if the attested recruit provided his own horse and saddelry. Area of service for the FLH on some rolls was No.1 Div., Cape Colony and on others as King William Town and unspecified "escort duty by rail"; which is doubtless why manyOFS clasps were awarded to men of this unit in addition to that for Cape Colony.

While the QSA medal roll for our Pte Kashula (WO100/247) confirmed both clasps and did not have any useful marginal note, that for the (missing) King's medal (WO100/360) gave his term of service as from 11/6/1900 through to the conclusion of hostilities. During that time, FLH took part in actions in the Maraisberg district during August and September of 1901, at Wilgekloof in February 1902 and around Somerset East and Jamestown districts of the Cape in Match and April of 1902.
Interestingly, Lord Kitchener's Despatch of 1st June 1902 records that - at Libertas, Cape Colony on Match 11 1902 - a handful of well led members of the FLH attacked a position held by a large number of the enemy; inflicted several casualties (Commondant Odendaal and his 2 i/c were killed and several others wounded) and caused the commando to retire with the loss of twenty one horses.
Readers who have lasted to this point may well have twigged the close proximity in time of -
(1) The date mentioned in TROVE and SAFF for Pte. Kashula's being slightly wounded at Somerset East (10/3/1902)
(2) The date mentioned in Kitchener's 1/6/1902 despatch for the action at Libertas (11/3/1902))
It is quite possible that the two refer to the one incident - or that one led to the other. Interestingly, AI tells us that "Libertas" was/is a farm or property in the Somerset East district of the Cape. What a pity the question is likely never to be resolved.
Nevertleless, Pte Kashula's QSA medal is well worth having and - one never knows - his KSA medal may yet surface and allow IL to celebrate his first reunite.
Regards to all those interested
IL.

Hi IL,

Fantastic medal especially since he came into contact with one of Smut’s commandos in the Cape.

I couldn’t find too much to add from Smuts long ride from that time (March 1902) relating to Somerset East.

I think you are right and the dates are so close that they could refer to the same engagement.

FYI - This is the closest match I could make to him from the Cape records; it could be your man.

Cheers,
Shaun

Shaun
Thank you very much for that info. Looks a pretty good match to me. Some time ago I did a post on the Tasmanian IB (which operated in the Cape near the end of things) and I was surprised at the level of activity in that sphere. Pte Kashula's QSA was a stand-out for me and I was rather surprised I did not have any competition.
Thanks again for your assistance.
Best regards
IL.