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QSA medals to Australian units are seldom featured on this site; so herewith is submitted a five-clasper named to one of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles - later to be known as the "Fateful Fifth".
As an aside, it should be noted that it is not always possible to discern the contingent by the impressed details on an OZ QSA. In the illustrated instance, the unit is simply shown as "Victorian Mounted Rifles" and in any doubt, Murray's Official Records has to be consulted.
Frederick William Edwards, married, born 5th June 1876 and by occupation a baker, enlisted in 5VMR on 29011901 and stated "no previous service". After a short time in camp, the 1008 all ranks (and horses) of 5VMR embarked for SA during the middle of 2/1901 - taking up no less than three transports. Once in SA, 5VMR was mobilised at Pretoria in early 4/1901 and moved into the Eastern Transvaal to join Gen. Beatson's column.
5VMR were rapidly in touch with the enemy and suffered casualties - but also achieved some important captures; including a large convoy at Leewfontein. Shortly afterwards, to sweep a wider area, 5VMR were split into left and right wings of equal force. Sweeps continued apace and provided a large bag of prisoners, surrenderers, rifles/ammunition and livestock.
On 12061901, the left wing of 5VMR (sqns E,F,G,H) encamped at Wilmansrust farm; a location noted then or later as being dominated by three nearby kopjies and not easy to defend. Boers were seen hearding cattle in the distance and the security of the encampment was entrusted to four widely spaced outposts - "following Indian Cavalry practice"; the camp CO had been seconded from the Indian Army. No standing patrols were ordered between outposts and there was no inner picket line. Trouble was not expected.
Trouble hit H Sqn. at 7.45PM at very close quarters - in the form of about 150 khaki clad Boers. Inexcusably, the men did not have their rifles at hand, confusion reigned supreme and panic quickly spread. The whole camp was over-run in minutes. The price was reportedly 22 KiA (including a hensopper summarily executed), 42 WiA and the remainder either briefly captured or escaped the scene. The 5VMR captives were abandoned as the Burghers made off with the very considerable spoils.
As Pte. F.W.Edwards was not listed as a casualty of the Wilmansrust disaster, it is of course impossible to say if he was a brief captive, or escaped - or was even a member of left wing, 5VMR. Nevertheless, the odium of Wilmansrust clung to the whole of 5VMR; the "Fateful Fifth".
Harsh words were subsequently uttered to 5VMR by Gen. Beatson, rebellious conduct was noted by several rank-and-file. Courts Martial sentenced four men to be shot, later reduced to 10 yrs HL and finally quashed by KofK. The inevitable Court of Enquiry found the camp commander, Maj. Morris, responsible and Gen. Beatson was later transferred back to India after only serving six months of his secondment.
The Wilmansrust affair caused a great furore in the Aust. press; with much partisan comment. However, whilst Gen. Beatson left the field, 5VMR did not and redeemed their tarnished start by soldiering on and , in the words of Stirling, "did carry out very fine work". Indeed, operating in the SE Transvaal in late 1901 under Col. Pulteney, that officer was moved to comment that 5VMR was "the finest irregular unit in the field" - which shows what can be achieved when experienced men are led by good officers.
5VMR returned to Melbourne on 27/28 March 1902 and that was enough soldiering for Frederick William Edwards. A search of archives revealed the simple statement: "No Further Service".
Regards to all who have read this far
IL.

Hello Ian,
Two superb pieces you have there, as well as a fasinating story, as you would expect, Edwards QSA is clearly verfied on the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles roll for all the clasps in WO100/291.
I've often thought about the use of khaki by the enemy, some had little choice but to use it, but, for many others, it was merely part of the game and very much, a well used ruse de guerre, it still rather annoys me though.
The empire should have put it's foot down on these instances a good deal harder than it actually did do so often, but, the post war situation was already being drawn up by that stage in the war and K was under a lot of pressure to end the game, simply because it was far too expensive to continue to play.
I like your medal and badge, both are really quite scarce, I see a few Australian QSA's every year, but, they are always very expensive, I think people often attach a special significance to Australian recipients, I must say that I have never understood the reason for this, as New Zealand recipients are rather scarcer still, yet, they do not command the same sort of money.
Kind regards Frank

Ian

I have wondered why we see so little about Australian QSA's on this forum. Relatively speaking, they must be the most highly priced in the current market, so it would be good to know more about these medals and the men behind them.

Thank you for getting the ball rolling with a very interesting account and I hope there will be many more to come.

Regards
Brett

Frank and Brett
Thanks for the replies. I, too, have always been a bit puzzled by the high price tags on Aust QSAs - even the Commonwealth Horse medals (i.e., very late in the field) are far more expensive than, say a KFS with similar clasps. OZ sent a total of about 16,500 men to the ABW (there was a fair bit of doubling up - serving in initial and later contingents); however, even when I fumblingly commenced medal collecting back in the early '70s, the asking for any Aust QSA was always several times that of Brit units - even when the latter had battle bars.
Anyway, they are not very common and Murray/Stirling often have a good outline of service.
Regards to all
IL.

Hello Ian,
Australian medals are very expensive and always have been, for the Great War too, but, I think it is because they are clearly Australian's, yet those to members of the SAMIF who happen to be Australian, don't command the same price and those to New Zealander's, actually serving in their own countries force, though, rarer by far, also fail to command the same very high price.
With medals to the Commonweath Horse, the price is high, exactly because they took to the field so late in the day, but, the same is not true of those medals to New Zealand recipients that did the same.
It is indeed a strange thing and one which I have never understood.
Regards again Frank

LinneyI wrote: Frank and Brett
Thanks for the replies. I, too, have always been a bit puzzled by the high price tags on Aust QSAs - even the Commonwealth Horse medals (i.e., very late in the field) are far more expensive than, say a KFS with similar clasps. OZ sent a total of about 16,500 men to the ABW (there was a fair bit of doubling up - serving in initial and later contingents); however, even when I fumblingly commenced medal collecting back in the early '70s, the asking for any Aust QSA was always several times that of Brit units - even when the latter had battle bars.
Anyway, they are not very common and Murray/Stirling often have a good outline of service.
Regards to all
IL.

Australians clearly take great pride in their military history, which is shown, for example, by the events that take place on ANZAC Day, and the great support for these events by a wide section of the community. This being the case, perhaps it is less likely that families will sell off the medals of their forbears. This could make Australian QSA's (and other medals) a less common commodity than similar items in other countries. The commercial price of medals may therefore be determined in part by their relative rarity, as well as an added sentimental value that goes beyond immediate family members.

Just some thoughts .........

Brett