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Description

This medal was instituted by Queen Victoria on the 4 December 1900 at the request of the Cape of Good Hope authorities to mark several uprisings by tribes in the Transkei, Basutoland and Bechuanaland that had spanned the years 1880-1897. 

The medal bears on the obverse the veiled and crowned Jubilee head of Queen Victoria by Sir Joseph Boehm with the legend ‘Victoria Regina et Imperatrix.  The reverse has the arms of the Cape with the legend ‘Cape of Good Hope’.  The ribbon is dark blue with a broad central buff-yellow stripe.  It was intended the medal would be awarded with one or more of the three clasps marking the geographical areas of the conflict, however a small number were issued without a bar.

Obverse
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A three clasp medal
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Campaign medals to Tpr J Lane. Bonhams Sep 11 £4,560
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Union of South Africa MSM group to Jameson raider SSM F. K. “Paddy” Ryan. DNW Feb 2016
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History

Transkei.  Awarded to all troops, mainly local units, employed in the field from the 13 September 1880 to the 15 May 1881 for operations in Griqualand East and Tembuland.  The dispute stemmed from the natives taking up arms against settlers in the districts of Maclear, Matateile, Qumbu and Tsolo.

Basutoland.  The clasp was awarded for operations from the 13 September 1880 to 27 April 1881 and stemmed from the order to hand in firearms.  Some tribes complied and were then immediately attacked by their opponents.  In September 1880 white officials were attacked and troops were mobilised to quell the fighting.  Colonel Carrington and Brigadier-General Clarke undertook operations in the Mafeteng area and this concluded with an armistice in February 1881.  Skirmishing continued for off and on for a number of years between 1882-1884 and eventually Basutoland was declared a Crown Colony in March 1884.

Bechuanaland.  This clasp was awarded to the troops for operations which spanned the 24 December 1896 to the 30 July 1897.  This uprising stemmed from an edict to slaughter native livestock to prevent the spread of virulent cattle disease in April 1896.  The revolt rapidly gathered alarming momentum and the local troops under Lt Colonel Dalgety were hard pressed to contain the uprising.  A large force was required to subdue the fighting and troops and volunteers were mobilized for the Bechuanaland Field Force.  Actions were fought at Gamasep Kloof, Riet Kloof and finally at Langberg on the 30 Jul - 1 Aug 1897 before peace was restored.

Medals issued

In total 5,154 medals were awarded to a variety of locally raised, mainly Cape units and in many cases the awards to individual units is extremely small.  No Imperial troops were involved in strength, although 22 awards were made to British units, 12 to the 3rd Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, one to the 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers and two to the 7th Hussars.

In the table below, it is possible to link from each recipient to information about their unit.  Note that most of these links will not be successful as there is only information for those units that operated during the Boer War.

Surname: 
Forename: 
No: 
Rank: 
Notes: 
Unit: 
Search Options:
Records per Page:
(5154 Records)

 Surname   Forename   No   Rank   Notes   Unit 
AbbotW D AGunnerCGHGSM (1) Transkei
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Prince Alfred's Own Cape Artillery
AbbottCSergeantCGHGSM (1) Basutoland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Hopetown Burghers
AbbottC ESergeantCGHGSM (1) Basutoland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Cape Mounted Riflemen
AbbottF TPrivateCGHGSM (1) Basutoland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Kimberley Horse
AblettR J GPrivateCGHGSM (1) Basutoland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Prince Alfred's Volunteer Guard
AbrahamF MCorporalCGHGSM (1) Basutoland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Natal Mounted Police
AbrahamW JPrivateCGHGSM (1) Basutoland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Transvaal Horse
AbrahamsH NCorporalCGHGSM (1) Transkei
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
DEOVR
AbrahamsJTrooperCGHGSM (1) Basutoland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Landrys Light Horse
AbrahmsSPrivateCGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Cape Police
AbramCGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland. CPD1. Native detective
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Cape Police
AbramsSPrivateCGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland. CPD2
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Cape Police
AbsalonJ LTrooperCGHGSM (1) Transkei
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Bedford Burghers
AckerbergWPrivateCGHGSM (2) Basutoland Bechuanaland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Dymes Rifles
AckermanJ295PrivateCGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland. CPD1
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Cape Police
AckermanJ J35PrivateCGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland. CPD1
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Cape Police
AdairWL/CorporalCGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Cape Town Highlanders
AdamJTrooperCGHGSM (1) Transkei
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Kokstad Mounted Volunteers
AdamsFPrivateCGHGSM (1) Basutoland
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
First City Volunteers
AdamsJPrivateCGHGSM (2) Basutoland Transkei
Source: Roll of the CGHGSM
Cape Field Artillery
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 A breakdown of medals and clasps awarded as follows: 

                                     

With bar ‘Transkei’ 

556

With bar ‘Basutoland’

1,571

With bar ‘Bechuanaland’ 

2,420

With bars ‘Transkei’ & ‘Basutoland’ 

484

With bars ‘Transkei’ & ‘Bechuanaland'

18

With bars ‘Basutoland’ & ‘Bechuanaland’

72

With all three bars 

23

With no bar  

10

 

The following 10 were authorised to receive the medal without clasp and this is believed to have been an administrative error and some may have received a bar with their award:

(1) Pte S R Daniel, Cape Mounted Rifles

(2) Cpl S K C Daly, Papkuil Rifles

(3) C/Sgt V Ewers, Stutterheim Light Infantry Volunteers

(4) Sgt W Haig, Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Volunteer Rifles (DEOVR)

(5) Pte H H Norton, CMR - Confirmed no bar award

(6) Nurse G A Rodgers - Confirmed no bar award

(7) Sp Pol A A Smith, Cape Police D1

(8) Pte E G Smith, DEOVR

(9) Sgt J Wilson, Cape Mounted Rifles – Confirmed no bar award

(10)  Pte P A Williams, Cape Mounted Rifles – Confirmed no bar award

 

The following 23 received the medal with all three clasps:

(1) Dvr J Bobbins, Prince Alfred’s Own Cape Volunteer Artillery

(2) Capt A L Chiapini, Cape Mounted Yeomanry

(3) Gnr E C A Coombs, Cape Field Artillery

(4) Pte J Curran, Nesbitt’s Light Horse

(5) Sgt E H Dye, CP D1

(6) Lt F W H Gillwald, CP D1

(7) Surg-Maj E B Hartley VC Cape Mounted Rifles

(8) Capt A N M Hutcheons, Wodehouse Border Rovers

(9) Pte J Lust, Nesbitt’s Light Horse

(10) Sapper R McArthur, Cape Town Volunteer Engineers

(11) Sgt H McDonald, Nesbitt’s Light Horse

(12) Tpe E McGuire, Cape Mounted Yeomanry

(13) Capt R McLean, Buffalo Volunteers

(14) Sgt-Maj C S March, Landrey’s Horse

(15) Pte C Nielson, Nesbitt’s Light Horse

(16) Sgt T C Peakman, Cape Field Artillery

(17) Lt R Pillans, DEOVR

(18) Pte R Quinne, Cape Town Rifles

(19) L/Cpl T Rodwell, DEOVR

(20) Pte S Strutt, Nesbitt’s Light Horse

(21) Pte A Turner, Usher's Contingent

(22) Sgt A J White, Cape Mounted Rifles

(23) Pte W D Willemite, Cape Town Rangers


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