TOPIC:

Don't get confused! I am not referring to a medal to the Cape Police but rather one to a hitherto (in my world) unknown unit - the Cape Colonial Police.

I has to be said that I welcome a challenge and when this QSA came up for sale I jumped at the opportunity. Segt J.E. Redding (see part medal roll thanks to Ancestry below) of the C.C. Police was none other than John Edward Redding, the Chief Constable of Richmond in the Cape Colony in 1903 and, when he wed in 1897 he was a Trooper with the District police in Sutherland, C.C.

He has his own QSA roll which leads me to wonder if there are any other medals out there named to this outfit.



Regards

Rory

That is fascinating, Rory. How is the medal named?

Bought in South Africa David and I don't have it to hand yet. The vendor didn't provide a photo of the naming but the description reads:

"Serjt. J. E. Redding C.C. Police"

I imagine he had used lower case so as not to appear "loud"

Regards

Rory

Herewith some photos of the rim naming on this medal. I, for one, have never seen another named to this outfit.

Hi Rory,

Well done in capturing this one.

You were lucky that the past couple of weeks has been an overly busy time for many of us and the eagle eyed bird so to speak caught the worm!

As you note Redding was not a member of the Cape Police during the ABW, but was a member of the Attorney General’s Staff, being based as the “Chief Constable” reporting to the Magistrate at Richmond. As Chief Constable he would have acted as Court Messenger etc. The various Cape of Good Hope Civil Service lists of that period will record the dates of his employment and allowances etc.

Chief Constables, as they were called, were not members of the Cape Police (although some members of the CP may have been seconded in an acting capacity) and they did not belong to a specific unit as such. Their employment rank did not automatically qualify them for the award of the QSA medal. Redding’s application for a QSA medal is clearly an individual application, the ‘Unit’ heading simply providing a general description of the role he played during the War. It would be interesting to undertake a detailed search of all the individuals who were employed as ‘Chief Constables’ during the war years in affected areas of the Cape. For instance, I note another single application headed “Cathcart Special Mounted Police” to which the subscript “Attorney General’s Ministerial Division’ has been added. This application which was approved, the medal prepared and issued but then returned unclaimed included a lengthy motivation under the ‘Remarks’ column.

Recently I acquired the group of three medals awarded to Charles Hugh Halkett, who having served as a Sergeant in the Maxim Troop with the Belingwe column and being severely wounded during the historic action at Inugu on 20 July 1896, subsequently joined the Cape Civil Service being appointed as Acting Chief Constable at Mafeking. The date of his subsequent transfer to Herschel is recorded as 19 September 1898 and then to Carnarvon as Head Constable on 1 February 1902. He also received a QSA medal, his name heading the medal roll of the Carnarvon D.M.T. as Lieut. C.H. Halkett. Dated 3 December 1901, he signed the roll himself as ‘O.C. D.M. Troops Carnarvon’.

As you know Richmond was an important garrison town during the ABW. Commandant Wynand Malan attempted to occupy Richmond on 25 February 1901, and I expect that your man Reeding would have played a role in repulsing this attack. Certainly, a worthwhile avenue to research in depth.

A simple but very nice medal indeed.

RobM

Thanks Rob - I do like your presumption that I was the only one with time on my hands to snaffle what has to be a bargain!

I am very happy with Mr Redding and have already tracked him down to Ventersdorp, Sutherland and Richmond where he was, in the main, the Chief Constable of Sergeant-at-Arms in each of those settlements.

He's still in his native land at the moment but, once received, will get the "treatment".

Regards

Rory