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This medal has an interesting history - a while ago I posted the medal to Louis Barber of the Colonial Scouts on a website and, within a short space of time, Jon Tombs made known to me the fact that he had the medal to Barber's brother Robert. He kindly offered it to me at a very reasonable price and here, after the elapse of a few months is Robert Barber and his story.

Robert Frederick Barber

Private, Durban Light Infantry – Anglo Boer War
Private, South African Medical Corps – WWI (Died in Service)

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Transvaal and Natal to 848 Pte. R.F. Barber, Durban L.I.

Robert Barber was born in Durban on 13 April 1874 the son of Frederick George Franklin Barber, a Carpenter and Builder by trade, and his wife Elizabeth, born Logan. As was typical of the times the family they set about making was a large one – when Robert came along he was third in line after siblings Charlotte Alice, Ernest James. After him came Louis Edgar, Lizzie Emeline, Lillian Frances and Mary Catherine.

At the time Robert was born the Barber family were living in St. George’s Street, Durban before moving to Bellair – then a village among the farmlands on the outskirts of Durban. By 1894 they had moved closer to town and were resident in Stamford Hill. Robert followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued the trade of Bricklayer.

Durban was a bustling and growing port and very much a part of the Colony of Natal which fell firmly under the auspices of the Crown. Further to the North and east of Natal were the Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, respectively. These last had co-existed peacefully with Natal and her colonial neighbour the Cape for many years but all that changed in October 1899 when Boer Republics declared war on Great Britain and, a few days later, invested Ladysmith after fighting their way through Dundee and Elandslaagte.
Perilously short of Imperial troops to combat the invading forces the call went out to the local regiments to assist. The D.L.I., in preparation for this event, had already mustered at the end of September and were ready for action.

Entraining at Durban in coal trucks they were as black as the cargo the trucks normally conveyed when they arrived at Colenso (their final destination) in the rain, washing themselves in the Tugela River to get most of the dirt off their person. Initially the duty required of the regiment was the safeguarding of the very important road and railway bridges over the Tugela. Barber was with the soon-to-be-famous “C” Company under Captain Wylie – they crossed over the Tugela and established “Fort Wylie”on a small rocky “koppie” overlooking the railway bridge. “C” Company was known to have a “Scots” nature by virtue of the number of Highland men among their ranks.

Things started to hot up in early November when the Boers were spotted in the neighbourhood of Colenso and it wasn’t long before sporadic attacks on the D.L.I. and their outposts were being made. What followed next was the famous (infamous) Armoured Train incident. It is not the purpose of this work to explore the incident in detail but, suffice it to say several companies of the D.L.I. were required to draw lots on the fateful day when the Armoured Train was sent out towards Frere on a reconnaissance mission knowing full well that parties of marauding Boers were in the area. “C” Company were the “lucky” winners and, ere long a party of them were aboard the train and underway. The rest, as they say is history, and the train was ambushed and came under sustained fire from the Boers.

Casualties were many and the incident was immortalised for the fact that a young War Correspondent, Winston Churchill, was taken prisoner during the attack. It is not known whether Simpson, a Corporal with “C” Company, was wounded in the incident.

The D.L.I. took part in other Relief of Ladysmith operations before being moved down to Mooi River where they encamped and were stationed to fend off any Boer incursions further southward (it was Botha’s stated intention to try and reach the sea through Pietermaritzburg)

After Ladysmith had been relieved and the fight had moved on to the Transvaal (Vryheid was still regarded as part of the Transvaal then) the Colonial outfits were disbanded their services being no longer required. Although called out sporadically from time to time until the end of the war on 31 May 1902, the men were able to return to their peacetime occupations.

Barber would have missed out on the Armoured Train incident along with a number of the skirmishes leading up to the Relief of Ladysmith. Assigned no. 848 and the rank of Private, he attested on 1 December 1899 and took his discharge on 31 December 1901.

Whilst the hostilities were underway time was found to return to Durban for a brief interlude – the occasion of his nuptials, at “Sunnylawn” on 22 October 1900 he wed 25 year old Emma Scott Balland of Pietermaritzburg. He was described as a 26 year old Bricklayer at the time.

For his efforts Barber was awarded the Queens Medal with Natal and Transvaal clasps.

Fourteen years later he was back in uniform – the Kaiser had challenged the might of the British Empire leading to the outbreak of the “Great War” on 4 August 1914. South Africa was asked to invade the neighbouring territory of German South West Africa and General Botha, the Prime Minister agreed. A force of several thousand men comprising many units was assembled and, after an initial internal rebellion by those opposed to the invasion was quelled, the men entered German South West.

Barber, now 40 years of age had enlisted with the South African Medical Corps for service with no. 24 and the rank of Private. Sadly he was not destined to return home to his family. He died in service (one can assume through illness) at the hospital in Gibeon, the sight of a seminal battle the month before, on 22 May 1915.

At the time of his death his address was recorded as being in Johannesburg. As can be surmised with the death of one so young, he was survived by his wife and four minor children – Muriel Amy Barber born on 7 August 1901; Louis Frederick Basil Barber born on 19 August 1903, Thelma Una Barber born on 29 August 1905 and Olive Sybil Barber born on 2 October 1912.

A very nice medal to the DLI, Rory. It is interesting to ponder why he did not venture north of Escourt after 15th December.