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Served: Staf General C Botha. Awarded the DTD (Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst).

DNW Feb 2016


Picture courtesy of DNW

DTD (Kapt. & Adj. P. L. de Jager)
DSO GV
ABO (Kapt. & Adj. P. L. de Jager)
1914-15 Star (Lt. Kol. P. J. de Jager, Piet Retief Kdo.)
BWM & Bilingual VM MID (Lt. Col. P. L. de Jager)
Russia, Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd Class breast badge, with swords, by Eduard of St. Petersburg, gold and enamel, manufacturer’s marks on reverse, with ‘56’ gold mark and kokoshnik mark for St. Petersburg 1908-17 on eyelet, minor enamel damage and wear to the last

£5000-6000

Just 18 recipients of the D.T.D. went on to win a D.S.O. for the Great War.

DSO LG 22 August 1918. The original recommendation states: ‘For exceptional loyalty, thorough understanding of duty and applying the strictest discipline in his Commando. An officer of outstanding merit and capacity especially deserving of reward.’

Petrus Lafras de Jager, who was born in Harrismith District in Orange Free State in May 1870, served as a Captain & Adjutant on Botha’s staff in Natal and the Transvaal in the period September 1899 to June 1902; the award of his D.T.D. was approved in July 1921.

He subsequently served as a Major - afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel - in the Pier Retief Commando in German South-West Africa in the period October 1914 to August 1915, services that were recognised by the award of his D.S.O. and a brace of “mentions” (London Gazettes 30 June 1916 and 8 February 1917, refer), in addition to the 3rd Class of the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus (London Gazette 15 February 1917, refers).

De Jager was discharged as unfit for further duty in December 1916; sold with copied research.

This group sold for a hammer price of £9,000 yesterday.

Being a "de Jager" and serious Boer war collector.
I've taken it upon myself to try and buy every De Jager medal i can get my hands on.
Sometimes buying it even 20% above market value (keeping aside the thought of value is what YOU are willing to pay)
But the past week, I've had to face the crual reality of not winning all of them.
The group below i had a budget, of which online i saw it fade away in the dark... Ai
I can say the same for the Burger single ABO for MP de Jager on BoB sold R5000... Ai Ai Ai

This group is back at next month's DNW auction. The estimate now £8k-£12k.