TOPIC:

What a pleasure it is to have such good friends on this forum!

Adrian
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I should have asked an expert first, rather than spending ages getting very aggravated.

Meurig
That would be much appreciated.

Frank
Below is the story of Bella Craw's short, but eventful life. It is taken from 'A Diary of the Siege of Ladysmith' by Bella Craw, which was published by the Ladysmith Historical Society




Regards
Brett

The "ornamental silver belt" referred to in Bella Craw's biography in the previous post is one of the great treasures to have emerged from the Boer War. While nurses were shabbily treated by the military authorities in England, who rewarded them as an afterthought with no clasp recycled QSA's, those in Natal who had been attached to the local volunteer regiments during the Siege of Ladysmith were more generously rewarded by the men they had nursed. Shown below is an example of the belt awarded to the nurses by the Natal Carbineers.



Also shown is a red enamelled gold brooch set with a diamond that was presented to the Ladysmith nurses by officers of the Imperial Light Horse and Mounted Brigade.

The photo was taken from the City Coins catalogue for Auction 54, and I hope that Natalie will forgive the liberty.

Brett

Hello Brett,
Well, you only need ask, thanks for sharing Craw's story, if I was looking for a medal to one of these Nursing Sisters, it would certainly have to be that particular one!
Regards Frank

Brett Hendey wrote: What a pleasure it is to have such good friends on this forum!

Adrian
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I should have asked an expert first, rather than spending ages getting very aggravated.

Meurig
That would be much appreciated.

Frank
Below is the story of Bella Craw's short, but eventful life. It is taken from 'A Diary of the Siege of Ladysmith' by Bella Craw, which was published by the Ladysmith Historical Society

Regards
Brett

I wonder how many of the QSA's to the Ladysmith nurses are extant? I have seen and handled only one, and I suspect that it is still safely tucked away in the place where I saw it.

Brett

Morning Brett,
I think any such medal should actually be rather better if it were "safely tucked away" in your own collection!
Regards Frank

I agree, Frank! Sadly that will not be happening.
Regards
Brett