Jon, a forum member from the old Transvaal, is visiting the old Colony of Natal to take part in the running tomorrow of the 90th Comrades Marathon between Durban and Maritzburg. This race is named after the men and women who served during WWI, and has nothing to do with the South African Communist Party, which is part of the present SA Government.. Between 10,000 and 15,000 runners take part, perhaps more this year, and the race is watched live by tens of thousands of sadistic spectators, who take pleasure in watching the suffering of the runners. The latter never learn, so, like Jon, they come back year after year to do it all again.
Jon's visit was the excuse to have a meeting of local medal collectors, and, for a change, it took place in the buildings of the old Kloof Railway Station, which is now the home of The Stoker's Arms. This institution caters for people who prefer to take their exercise in a pub, rather than running on an open road. When the news of Jon's visit spread, the planned intimate group of three ABW Forum members soon grew to seven. I think a fine time was had by all, and proceedings were helped by each participant bringing one or medals to show off.
Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, the medals largely reflected the military history of Natal. They included:
A recently discovered Zulu War medal to a Natal Carbineers' Trooper, who was killed in action during the Battle of Isandlwana. (A British auction house had made an insulting offer to purchase this, and other medals from a family. Not surprisingly, they all went to a local dealer instead.)
A QSA to the Utrecht-Vryheid Mounted Police. (This was the first time I had actually seen and handled a UMP QSA, which I had begun to believe were mythical.)
A Natal Rebellion medal to one of Ghandi's stretcher-bearers. (This is another 'must have' for my collection, and I was recently seriously tempted to buy one on offer by a British dealer. Poverty prevailed.)
A group of medals to a Natal Carbineers' officer, which is made up of a QSA, Natal Rebellion, WWI trio, Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officer's Decoration, and a CAF Long Service Medal.
A group of WWII medals with an ultra-long service medal to a RSM of the Umvoti Mounted Rifles.
Combined, these medals represent a nearly complete period of uniformed service in Natal between the late 1870's to post-1945.
After the excitement of the medals, we still remembered to wish Jon well in tomorrow's race - and his wife, since she is also running, probably having been infected by him.
Brett
