TOPIC:

Hi Rory......

Just got back from spending what's left of my pension...... Boxing Day Sales LOL.......

Just go to the subject list here in the forum and look at the titles, maybe something will pop out......

Mike

Thanks for the tip Mike - I daresay you could say we hit the jackpot. Below is a quote from the Important Decisions Book.

Category: Important Decisions Book

Source: A 3 page typed document in the Important Decisions Book
22300 12-7/02 Pk.337 E&S
Marked as Confidential.

Report of the Committee appointed to consider claims to the South African War Medal, &c.

(1.) The Committee appointed to consider the claims to the South African Medal and other Medal questions held their first Meeting on the 27th February 1902.

(2.) They first proceeded to consider the awards already made before entertaining the miscellaneous applications referred to them. Where possible they also laid down rules which they suggest should be adopted for the future.

(3.) With reference to cases decided upon by His Majesty the King, the Committee suggest in future that—

(a.) Civilian Officials who are employed in territory within the theatre of War, whose action, materially assists in the success of operations, shall be considered as eligible for the grant of a Medal without clasps.
(b.) Civilian Officials appointed to assist the Commander-in-Chief, or other subordinate Commanders, at the front, in matters connected with the conduct of the War, or in the administration of territory shall be also considered in like manner eligible.

This would appear to settle the matter.

Regards

Rory

Hi Rory......

Glad you found what you needed..... I thought I had seen something but sometimes it is better if you can find it yourself..... LOL

I have a group to a Conductor A.S.C. who went on to be a Paymaster Commander in WW1 and service in WW2 in the Canadian Merchant Marine.....

Mike

Rory,

A superb example.

The roll says 62 names are listed and no clasps were issues. Like Frank, I think that these conductors were hired as civilians and, as such, received no clasp medals. The roll was entitled 'Civilian employees, Natal Hired transport'. At some point, the word 'Employees' was crossed through and 'Conductors' added.

Later pages in the roll similarly deny all clasps to civilians. This is similar to the clasps to Indian soldiers where you can determine where they served even though they eventually received no clasps to their medal.

Best wishes
David

Rory, as I said to you in my original post in this thread, it all depended on how a particular fellow was actually attested for wartime service, who actually attested you and whether he took any notice, or even knew, of the limitations placed upon him, civilians including the relevant class of SAMIF did not, generally speaking, receive clasps, but, then just look at Max Vallentin's lads, they were very clearly civilians, they were very clearly attested as a Class E, District Mounted Troop, moreover, they did received their clasps, so well earned, the hard way too
Life was and remains just so bloody unfair, for so many people!
Quite frankly, clasps or not, it still remains a very good and scarce medal, I would be very happy with it if I were you.

Rory, I think I should add, Houston and his fellow members of the Natal Transport, are particularly nice, because you can actually see from their entitlement, what they had actually been doing in respect of their service in the Colony.
Regards again Frank