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David

Another two groups that would be great additions to any collection. Thank you for showing them.

Regards
Brett

David,

Two lovely groups. Thank you for uploading these.

David

Hi

John Gardiner Hamilton was the Honorary Treasurer and Civilian Director of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospitals in South Africa. Over a period of two years he devoted the major portion of his time to the financial and business administration of the IY Hospitals. In addition, he made his "palatial mansion and extensive grounds" available for use as a stationary hospital.
In the original list of recommendations Lord Kitchener "put him down for a CMG". When this had to be motivated, Sir Ian Hamilton only mentioned the "mansion" part and the CMG was turned down. However, Georgiana Elizabeth (née Spencer-Churchill), Countess Howe (who had in September 1901 written to Lord Kitchener to recommend Hamilton for an award)again took up his case on 3 December 1902. As a result he was appointed as a Member (4th Class) of the Royal Victorian Order in the supplement to the London Gazette of 20 February 1903.
Once the wheels started moving they turned fast! In the London Gazette of 8 May 1903 Hamilton was appointed as a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem : his fellow appointees included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Surgeon General Alfred Keogh CB and Lt Col William Babtie CMG VC of the RAMC.
Hamilton also took part in post-Boer War matters military : between 1903 and 1905 he was the Commanding Officer of the Witwatersrand Rifles (rank Lt Col).
In addition, he was three times Vice-president of the Transvaal Chamber of Mines before becoming its President in 1910 and again in 1912.
In 1907 he was elected MLA for Springs (Progressive Party) in which capacity he received the Union Medal in 1910.
Hamilton died in 1912.



Henk

Henk

Thank you for showing another of your spectacular medal groups. Your posts are always something to look forward to.

Regards
Brett

Henk,

That's a lovely group and just goes to demonstrate the lengths it was necessary to go to receive acknowledgements for individual contribution to the war. It recalls the letters Kekewich wrote after the war to various people in an attempt to have their work at Kimberley recognised.

It was evidently a lot more difficult to verify the contribution made by anyone who was not in the forces. Where do you draw the line when you have so many people involved in the conflict?

Chris and I used to have an RRC to someone who never stepped foot in South Africa and I think there were several such awards made to UK-based personnel.

Best wishes
David

Hi All

No one has published any ABO combinations yet so I thought I would post this one.

Burger WJ Van Der Merwe (there are a few on the roll) also served in ww2 as 701836 in the ESPC. Nice picture of him in ww2 uniform and you can see on his medal ribbons the ribbon for the ABO.

Kind regards

Munroe


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