TOPIC:

Hi,
I was rather pleased with my haul from the latest City Coins auction. Among other 'treasures' I acquired a QSA ( no clasp) to Tpr G C Willey, Christiana DMR and his AGS ( Somaliland 1902-04) as a Corporal in the Somaliland Burgher Corps. As there were only about 100 medals issued, they are rather hard to find, so I was happy ( maybe the wrong word - lets say 'prepared') to go some on it and was run pretty much to my limit.
As a collector of medals to the various campaigns involving South Africans, I have now ticked another box.
Regards
Mike

Hello Mike,
The AGS is a very nice medal and it is always good to see it with a QSA, I think you should be very pleased with this particular lot, sadly, medals are getting very expensive things these days.
Regards Frank

mike rowan wrote: Hi,
I was rather pleased with my haul from the latest City Coins auction. Among other 'treasures' I acquired a QSA ( no clasp) to Tpr G C Willey, Christiana DMR and his AGS ( Somaliland 1902-04) as a Corporal in the Somaliland Burgher Corps. As there were only about 100 medals issued, they are rather hard to find, so I was happy ( maybe the wrong word - lets say 'prepared') to go some on it and was run pretty much to my limit.
As a collector of medals to the various campaigns involving South Africans, I have now ticked another box.
Regards
Mike

Mike,

I hadn't realised the Somaliland Burgher Contingent was so small. His AGS is verified on W)100/100p376. The roll was signed Johannesburg, 20 Jan 1905. Medal issued 9 Mar 1905.

I make it about 96 medals issues to the SBC (excluding the Imperial troops who would have had their madals named to the parent unit).

WO100/100p368 list some men and gives their unit as the Somaliland Boer Contingent. Presumably this was an error?

Interestingly, the unit was commanded by the well-known Lieutenant-Colonel W F Bonham, Essex Regiment.

DSO VR, QSA 4) CC OFS RoL Tr (Capt., Essex Rgt.), KSA (2) (Cpt., D.S.O., Essex Rgt.), erasure after rank, AGS 1902 (1) Somaliland 1902-4 (Bt. Major, D.S.O., Essex Regt.). DSO LG 26 June 1902. MID 8 February 1901, 10 September 1901.

Walter Floyd Bonham was born on 3 January 1869, the eldest son of Edward Bonham, and was educated at Charterhouse and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was gazetted into the Essex Regiment in April 1889 and was promoted to Lieutenant in Septemeber 1891 and Captain in January 1900. He served in South Africa during 1899-1902. On attachment to the 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment he had fought at the battle of Colenso, 12 December 1899. Cut-off in a donga close to the abandoned guns of the 66th Battery with his commanding officer, some gunners and other Devons during the heavy fighting, he was taken prisoner-of-war by the Boers. He was imprisoned in the State Model School, Pretoria, along with other captured officers (including Winston Churchill). After his release he was appointed Assistant Provost Marshal, Pretoria, in July 1900, serving under the Military Governor, General Maxwell and Provost Marshal , Major R. M. Poore, D.S.O. Twice mentioned in despatches, he was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in 1902 for his services as the Assistant Provost Marshal at Pretoria, 1900-02, in duties which involved the raising of the National Scouts and Bushveldt Carbineers and also the investigations into Lieutenants ‘Breaker’ Morant and Peter Handcock in 1901 which led to their court-martials and executions.

When the Somaliland Burgher Corps was raised by Lieutenant-Colonel Kenna, V.C., Captain Bonham became the Commanding Officer and in August 1903 was awarded the brevet of Major.

Bonham was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in July 1904 and appointed Military Attache at the British Embassy in Paris. However, his promising diplomatic career was cut short when he died at Argeles in the Pyrenees on 15 May 1905.

Hi Mike

Having cherished Willey's medals for more than 25 years, I am glad to know where it went to. It is the only "SA local unit" QSA paired with an AGS I have ever encountered.

Henk

As with all medals, we are only temporary custodians. The medals are in good condition and clearly came from a "caring "environment. Well done, Henk. I hope that I have them for another 25 years, but this is unlikely.
The SBC were an interesting unit and were recruited initially by Lt Scott Harden from ex Boer Commando members in the Ermelo and Christiana Districts. Although there was widespread unemployment and it was expected that there would be a flood of applicants, this didnt happen. He then recruited elsewhere in places like Durban and got some men to enlist under false, Boer sounding names . Probably the first example of "fronting 'in South Africa !
Regards
Mike

Henk

Here is another QSA to a local unit with an AGS medal.Perhaps not as desirable as a AGS to the SBC, it ticks off many boxes in my medal interest, a Colonial Unit, a Relief clasp, an unusual KSA and another GSM all in a group.

This was one of my first big swops and it cost me about 30 different Nazi badges and medals. I was nervous at the time, however with hindsight it was a great acquisition.

Sadly it remains poorly researched,but I hope to broaden the "man" in the future.

Briefly Muil attested with II Div,BSAP, Bulawayo on 11th October 1899 and was discharged by purchase on 9th February 1901. His clasps are confirmed on the BSAP roll as well as his qualification to a KSA.
He joined the A.S.C. with the rank of Conductor on 21st July 1901 and served till 31st May 1902.

The KSA Roll is quite clear on the issue of the SA1901 which was issued in 1907 to G.O.C. Pretoria. As a Conductor in the A.S.C. he would not be issued the date clasps on his KSA (daft rule, any body know the reason?). However his service in 1901 with the BSAP entitled him to the SA1901 clasp off the KSA roll and this is noted as such.
Checking out other Conductors it would seem this was the normal procedure, prior service with another unit qualified you to the relevant date clasps.

He went on to serve with the 22nd Co. A.S.C. and the AGS Roll lists 11 men with this unit, all Conductors except Muil who is a Head Conductor.

One of my favorite groups.

Jon