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Hi Mike and others

I have had the above original telegram for many years and it is a treasured part of my small "Jameson Raid "collection.
It is not easy to decipher ComdtGen Joubert's handwriting: what follows is my Dutch rendition and an attempt at translation.

VAN AAN
Commandant- Commandant en
Generaal Landdrost
Zeerust
Waar zijn de troepen nu; Wat is hun beweging; Zij moeten gestopt worden waar ze nu zijn maar ?nach achterwaarts?. Indien zij gewillig de wapenen afleggen, die door u in bezit kunnen genomen worden, kunnen zij terug keeren tot ???? ???? over de grenzen.
31/12/’95 P J Joubert
CommdntGenl

FROM TO
Commandant- Commandant and
General Magistrate
Zeerust
Where are the troops now; What are their movements; They must be stopped where they are now but ?turned around? If they are willing to lay down arms, that you can take charge of, they can return ??? ??? over the border.
31/12/’95

The interesting part is that it would seem as if the ZAR Government on 31 Dec 1895 was willing to forget the incident if the Raiders surrendered their arms and retreated over the border.

Henk

Hi,
If someone is keen to get a Jameson Raider's medal group, there's one for sale.

frasermedals.netfirms.com/store/index.ph...ct=viewCat&Submit=Go

CONFIRMED JAMESON RAIDER GROUP
A Jameson Raider’s group of seven awarded to Captain S. V. Bowden, Royal Artillery, late Cape Police

Cape of Good Hope General Service 1880-97, 1 clasp, Bechuanaland (308 Pte. S. V. Bowden, C. Pol.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Defence of Kimberley, Orange Free State (Lieut. S. V. Bowden, Cape Police); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut. S. V. Bowden, C.P. Dist. 1); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. S.V. Bowden); Defence Medal 1939-45, Mayors Kimberly Star, generally good very fine

Sydney Vincent Bowden, who was born in Dumfries in January 1871 and was educated at Fettes, enlisted in the Cape Mounted Rifles as a Private in September 1889. Discharged in September 1894, he next enlisted in the Bechuanaland Border Police and, in mid-December 1895, as a Trooper in ‘K’ Troop of the British South Africa Company Police, in which capacity he was present in the Jameson Raid, taking part in the action at Vlakplaats Farm on 1 January 1896, prior to being taken prisoner by the Boers on the following day.

In common with many of his fellow raiders, Bowden was repatriated to England in the Harlech Castle, but he returned to South Africa in the following year, where he enlisted in the Cape Police at Kimberley and went on to serve in the Bechuanaland rebellion. So, too, in the Boer War, including the defence of Kimberley, in which period he was appointed a Lieutenant in District No. 1. Qualifying as an Inspector in 1904, and as a Chief Constable in 1908, he was dismissed from the service in July 1911 on being found guilty of disrespect to the Magistrate of Kenhardt.

Having then returned to England, Bowden applied for a commission in the B.E.F., and was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in 2/4th Howitzer Battery, 1st West Riding Brigade, R.F.A. (Territorials) in March 1915. Appointed an Acting Captain at the end of the same year, he joined a Trench Mortar Battery in 62nd Division in early 1916 and, with the exception of a period of attachment to 3 Corps in 1917, appears to have served in that capacity until the War’s end, gaining a mention in despatches (London Gazette 23 December 1918 refers). Bowden was placed on the Reserve of Officers in December 1919.

Hi
Nice to hear about Bowden again!! I sold it on the 1999 Spink Boer War Sale.
Henk