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Re: QSAs with the clasp Wepener 11 years 3 months ago #7126

  • Frank Kelley
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Good morning David,
In the case of Wells, do you happen to know at what date the order of wear changed regarding the coronation medals?
Regards Frank

djb wrote: The purpose of this thread is for QSAs with the clasp Wepener.

From my research so far, there are some 2,050 Wepener clasps issued Due to the subdsequent movement of troops between units, there are a wide range of primarily South African units to which the clasp was ultimately issues.

This table shows the approximate number of clasps issue by unit.

Cape Mounted Rifles - 513
2nd Brabant's Horse - 473
Kaffrarian Rifles - 422
1st Brabant's Horse - 392
Royal Scots - 83
Driscoll's Scouts - 78
South African Constabulary - 25
Royal Engineers - 11
Prince of Wales Light Horse - 9
KFS, 2nd - 8
Scottish Horse, 1st Battalion - 7
Prince Alfred’s Own Volunteer Guard - 5
Johannesburg Mounted Rifles - 3
Royal Garrison Artillery - 3
Imperial Light Horse, 2nd Battalion - 2
Scottish Horse, 2nd Battalion - 2
Imperial Light Horse, 1st Battalion 1
Cape Medical Staff Corps - 1
Lancashire Fusiliers 1
7th Hussars 1

A good example is the group to C L Wells, of the JMR. Biography from DNW.



Charles Lionell Wells was present at Wepener as a Trooper in the Cape Mounted Rifles and was subsequently appointed to a commission in the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles. He was dangerously wounded near Driefontein on 1 May 1901 and mentioned in despatches London Gazette 3 December 1901, ‘For dash and judgement in attack on position at Waterval on 10th September, 1901’.

Wells received a commission in the Regular Army as Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, on 28 August 1902, becoming Lieutenant on 6 April 1903. He was attached to the North Nigeria Regiment and took part in the Kano-Sokoto campaign, January-July 1903, and was mentioned in despatches for his part in the action at Kotorokoshi which resulted in the award of the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant Wallace Wright, The Queen’s Regiment. The London Gazette of 31 July 1903 reported: ‘Lieut. W. D. Wright, with Lieut. C. L. Wells and 45 men of the Mounted Infantry left on the 24th, reaching Korokoshi on the 25th. He there came into contact with and was charged by the advance party of the enemy coming down the road from Kaura but routed them with the loss of 40 killed and numerous prisoners. Continuing his advance towards Rawia he was riding up to a Chief who apparently wished to surrender, when he was suddenly charged from an ambuscade by about 30 horsemen, who broke through his men but were repulsed with a loss of 5 killed. Lieut. Wright was informed by his scouts at 8 a.m. that the enemy were advancing in force. He immediately formed square round his horsesheld by his carriers and prisoners. The enemy in great numbers charged the square repeatedly for two hours. At 10 a.m. the enemy drew off leaving 65 horsemen dead within 30 yards of the square, 11 of them being recognised as principal chiefs of Kano... Lieut. Wright makes special mention of the assistance he received from Lieut. C. L. Wells, 3rd Hampshire Regiment, who between enemy charges, was employed in cutting down thorn bushes to form a zariba outside the square.’

Another member of the JMR to receive the clasp was Capt N Johnston. He had served as a Lieutenant in the Kaffrarian Rifles and Brabant’s Horse.



One of the collecting themes of old was single clasp QSAs. My brother and I used to own a single clasp QSA with Wepener but this was because the other clasps were missing rather than it being a single issue.

Wilfred David Finlayson joined Brabant’s Horse in November 1899 having seen previous service with the Shanghai Volunteers. He was present with his regiment at Wepener, his discharge papers, dated 5 November 1901 noting that all his equipment and clothing was lost Wepener. At the time of his discharge he held the rank of Sergeant Major but shortly afterwards joined the Kimberley Light Horse at Lieutenant. With that regiment it would appear he was entitled to three additional clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal and Wittebergen. He is also entitled to the KSA medal.

Regards
David

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Re: QSAs with the clasp Wepener 11 years 3 months ago #7129

  • djb
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Frank,

An interesting question. I have found an article in The Times (page 9, 11 Jul 1918) confirming that Coronation medals precede campaign medals:



This from Army Council Instruction 754 of 1918.

I am still looking for the date on which the change in precedence was made.

Regards
David
Dr David Biggins
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Re: QSAs with the clasp Wepener 11 years 3 months ago #7130

  • QSAMIKE
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Good Morning Everyone.....

I was seriously looking at this Wepener but thought better of it.....

www.frontiermedals.com/index.php?main_pa...=2_7&products_id=392

Mike
Life Member
Past-President Calgary
Military Historical Society
O.M.R.S. 1591

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Re: QSAs with the clasp Wepener 11 years 3 months ago #7132

  • djb
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Frank,

I think the order of wearing was changed in 1921 with the result that War Medals went before Coronation Medals.

This information comes from the London Gazette, 22 Apr 1921, page 3184

CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD.


St. James's Palace, 22nd April, 1921.

The following list shows the order in which Orders, Decorations and Medals should be worn, but it in no way affects the precedence conferred by the Statutes of certain Orders upon the Members thereof:-

To be substituted for list dated 6th August, 1918.

VICTORIA CROSS.

(1) BRITISH ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD, ETC.

Order of the Garter.

Order of the Thistle.

Order of St. Patrick.

Order of the Bath.

Order of Merit (immediately after Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath).

Order of the Star of India.

Order of St. Michael and St. George.

Order of the Indian Empire.

Order of the Crown of India.

Royal Victorian Order (Classes I, II and III).

Order of the British Empire (Classes I, II and III).

Orders of the Companions of Honour (immediately after Knights and Dames Grand Crosses of the Order of the British Empire).

Distinguished Service Order.

Royal Victorian Order (Class IV).

Order of the British Empire (Class IV).

Imperial Service Order.

Royal Victorian Order (Class V).

Order of the British Empire (Class V).

(2) DECORATIONS.

Royal Red Cross (Class I).

Distinguished Service Cross.

Military Cross.

Distinguished Flying Cross.

Air Force Cross.

Royal Red Cross (Class II).


(3) ORDERS GIVEN ONLY IN INDIA.


Order of British India.

Indian Order of Merit (Military).

Kaisar-i-hind Medal.

Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England.

Albert Medal.

(4) MEDALS FOR DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT, i.e., FOR GALLANTRY.


Medal for Distinguished Conduct in the Field.

Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.

Distinguished Service Medal.

Military Medal.

Distinguished Flying Medal.

Air Force Medal.

Indian Distinguished Service Medal.

(5) WAR MEDALS (IN ORDER OF DATE).

(6) POLAR MEDALS.

Arctic Medal, 1815-1855.

Arctic Medal, 1876.

Antarctic Medal, 1901-1903.

(7) MEDALS FOR SAVING LIFE.


Constabulary Medal Ireland).

Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea.

Indian Order of Merit (Civil).

Edward Medal.

King's Police Medal.

(8 ) JUBILEE, CORONATION AND DURBAR MEDALS.


Queen Victoria's Jubilee Medal, 1887 (Gold, Silver and Bronze).

Queen Victoria's Police Jubilee Medal, 1887.

Queen Victoria's Jubilee Medal, 1897 (Gold, Silver and Bronze).

Queen Victoria's Police Jubilee Medal, 1897.

Queen Victoria's Commemoration Medal, 1900 (Ireland).

King Edward's Coronation Medal.

King Edward's Police Coronation Medal.

King Edward's Durbar Medal (Gold, Silver and Bronze).

King Edward's Police Medal, 1903 (Scotland).

King's Visit Commemoration Medal, 1903 (Ireland).

King George's Coronation Medal.

King George's Police Coronation Medal.

King's Visit Police Commemoration Medal, 1911 (Ireland).

King George's Durbar Medal (Gold, Silver and Bronze).
Dr David Biggins

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Re: QSAs with the clasp Wepener 11 years 3 months ago #7133

  • Frank Kelley
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Greetings David,
This is all very interesting to me, for example you see a group with say a 1911 Coronation medal and a QSA, the QSA is the first medal in the group and yet has contact wear its right obverse or on the left as you look at it!
Why?
You see where I am coming from here :) anyway, very many thanks David
Very best regards Frank.

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Re: QSAs with the clasp Wepener 11 years 3 months ago #7134

  • djb
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Mike,

That's a lovely group but possibly not at that price?

Regards
David
Dr David Biggins

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