TOPIC:

I am not a big medal collector and my knowledge of QSAs and their bars is somewhat limited. I have this one to a bloke by the name of 6396 Pte T. Hay of the 2nd Scottish Rifles but believe that the Natal bar is a replacement / copy. Any opinions would be gladly received.

Dear Madziro
It looks OK to me. The suspender bar being cocked a bit could throw the eye off and the clasp itself appears slightly bent; however, the letters are level and I certainly would not wory about it. Did you find out why the man only qualified for NATAL? Was he sick? Late arrival? Did he get a KSA?
Regards
IL.

Hullo IL

Many thanks for the response. It is much appreciated. My main interest in the ABW is the Natal campaign and the Scottish Rifles and this medal was acquired by a friend for me. It is quite curious that he did not get any other bars so assumed that he never left Natal for some reason. I do not have a KSA to him and am not sure if he was awarded one.

The ribbon was lying a bit skew when I scanned the medal hence the lop sided appearance!

Regards

Dudley

Dudley,

My first impression when looking at the Natal clasp was that it is fine. It looks a little deformed from treatment it has received over the last 110 years but this is not unusual especually on single clasp meadls.

Kind regards
David

Dudley
Looking at the troop strength figures, numbers (relatively speaking) had to be sent back to the UniK due to illness/health breakdown or maybe even for other reasons. I have a similar NATAL single clasp to the 19H and he went back due to health issues. I also like the Scottish Rifles and when I get a chance I will post a S.R. pair to a chap who was WiA in the S.R's counter attack on Spion Kop.
Kind regards IL.

Dudley
As promised, a pic of a pair to "6232 Pte. J.Jeffrey Scottish Rifles" with QSA bars RL/TV/LN. Recipient was wounded at Spion Kop, 240100. Pages 171-2 of Stirling's "Our Regiments in South Africa" (on this site, I understand), outlines in some detail the activities of the Cameronians on that day. Burleigh wrote that "Nothing could have been grander than the scaling of Spion Kop by the Scottish Rifles and the 60th of glorious reputation".
Kind regards
Ian Linney.