TOPIC:

One hundred thousand medals, thats a lot of medals, I wonder just how many were actually issued?

JustinLDavies wrote: Here is a further extract from Hansard which gives some more background:

South African War Medals—Reasons for awarding to Kaffirs.

HC Deb 18 February 1903 vol 118 cc138-9 138
§MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.) To ask the Secretary of State for War how many medals have been placed at the disposal of the Commander of the Forces in South Africa for presentation to Kaffirs for active service in the late war; and whether, having regard to the assurances of the War Office authorities that natives took no part in the war, what were the nature of the services rendered by the Kaffirs to whom war medals have been awarded.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) Non-enlisted men who drew pay from 139 military funds were, under the terms of Army Order 94 of 1901, allowed to receive bronze medals, and a supply of 100,000 medals was despatched at Lord Kitchener's request to South Africa. A large number of Kaffirs were employed with the administrative services. Instructions have been given to avoid a wholesale issue of such medals.

Good Morning Brett & Justin....

This is from the Graphic, February 3, 1900.....

I have bound copies of the Graphic (An Illustrated Weekly Magazine) for the period from January 6th, 1900 to June 29th, 1901..... Three very heavy volumes.....

I was looking up some information for a continuation article on the first design of the medal that was going to be issued for the Boer War.....

Mike

Brett Hendey wrote: David

Mike
Thank you for a very interesting picture. It is the first I have seen of the Native Scouts preparing for war. Is it in your collection?

Regards
Brett

Mike,

Thanks - is there a date on this sketch? From one of the illustrated magazines?

Best,

Justin

www.anglo-boer.co.za/publications/

I see that there is a chapter on Black Scouts in "An Illustrated History of Black South Africans in the Anglo - Boer War"

David

Thank you for that link. For the past year, I have been disposing of books, not buying them, so I am in a quandary about this one .........

Regards
Brett

Hi Guys

I found the following on the Wikipedia page for the Anglo-Boer War, and thought it might be relevant if it has not already been debated here? Is the following quote/information therefore correct or speculation?

"After the war the British government went to great lengths to attempt to conciliate Boer opinion to the extent of refusing to officially recognise the military contribution made by blacks by issuing campaign medals. It was felt that the Boers would already feel insecure and angry at the arming of blacks, and granting medals would have prejudiced the stability of the region. Boer insecurity and the British government’s favouring of Boer over African interests caused much bitterness, and did much to shape the racial politics of the region."

See link here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Boer_War#The_end_of_the_war

Regards
Brian

Thanks for that link, Brian. It confirms various indications in the records that this was indeed the case. This attitude contributed to the political and social unrest amongst black South Africans at that time. One of the results was the formation of the African National Congress in 1912, the leading members having included men who had served in the Natal Native Scouts during the Boer War.

Regards
Brett