TOPIC:

Source: Page 83

A large number of Medal Rolls for Town Guards were sent in but not all were approved.

In the case of the Stellenbosch TG which served for four days, decided not entitled to the Medal.

Source: Page 84

Circular Mem Army Headquarters, Pretoria, 20/2/1905
To GOC, Cape Colony District

With reference to the last paragraph of this War Office Circular Memorandum, No CR/6/53/27, dated 22nd Nov 1904, the Army Council having decided that no further change should be made to the conditions ruling the granting of Medals and Clasps; Town Guards, District Mounted Troops and Rifle Associations will not be considered eligible for clasps.

By Order

Sgd H B Jeffreys, Brigadier General, Chief Staff Officer, South Africa.

David and others interested
And yet clasps/bars were issued in some cases - as you will be aware. I have a QSA bar "Talana" to the Dundee D.R.A and once had similar to Dundee TG. I also have a QSA/KSA pair to a Lt. in the Tembuland M.R.C. and I suspect he was entitled to bar CC. The words "no further change should be made to the conditions ruling ..etc" may mean that some leeway was there.
I confess to a bit of a soft spot towards QSA's named to the Rifle Associations - due to my half century and more involvement in the Rifle Club movement here in OZ.
Of course, comments or corrections to my comments would be welcome.
Regards to all
IL.

IL,

You are absolutely right about the clasps issued to some TGs. The exception seems to be where troops were stationed in the same town and there was operaional activity. To have withheld the Talana, DoL, DoM and DoK clasps to these TGs would have been a difficult case to argue?

Is the Dundee RA the only RA to receive a clasps (discounting service in other units)?

Regards
David

David
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I think so re Dundee DRA and the Talana clasp. I sometimes think that a lot of ink was spilled over whom got what - and just being there might not count unless it was "official business". And even then officialdom might just change it's mind later. Like the RN QSA to (I think Sandford) who had his "Wepener" bar disallowed.
It seems a bit hard to have disallowed CC and date bars to chaps in a DMT/TG who actually did man the trenches!
Kind regards
IL.

IL,

I wonder if the enormity of the task of issues clasps to the TGs and DMTs was so great in terms of administration and cost that it was easier to rule them all ineligible? It would certainly have been easier to exclude these men but in so doing the authorities must have denied many deserving cases?

BW
D