TOPIC:

The 580 recipients of this medal have been added.

angloboerwar.com/medals-and-awards/non-b...f-south-africa-medal

Here's some analysis of the military ranks included in the list of recipients including one we have not seen in the names register before, Corvetten Kapitan.

Assistant Paymaster 1
Brig Gen 4
Captain 27
Colonel 13
Commander 5
Commodore 1
Corvetten Kapitan 1
Fleet Surgeon 1
General 11
Lieut 9
Lt Col 51
Maj Gen 2
Major 9
Staff Paymaster 2
Vice Admiral 1

Hello David

What is the source?

I was given a roll by a dedicated Union medal collector which he got from the TNA - I don't have the exact reference.

I have a QSA/Union pair to Archibald James Goodman Cramer (ex Trpr 2090 SAC). Cramer's name is not my list nor the one you have published. An AJ Cramer worked for the Public Prosecutor's office in Johannesburg from 1905 to 1916 (at least). A "Mr Cramer" prosecuted cases against Indians contravening Transvaal immigration laws, one MK Gandhi appeared for the defense. With the medals came a copy of a letter from PM Louis Botha dated 1915 praising Cramer for his work in an unidentified trial - no doubt he was a lawyer, whether there was another "A Cramer" who battled with Gandhi is yet to be established. Cramer died in an aircrash near Kokstad, KZN in 1951.

I haven't done further research for a number of years, maybe it is time to re-visit the Gandhi connection.

Cramer's pair raises the question that the Union roll is incomplete - given the high value of single Union medals - why pair it with a humble QSA to the SAC, the value of the Union medal is not enhanced.

Regards
Meurig

Meurig,

The source of my names is an unidentified typed list that I came across in South Africa.

The reference to TNA documentation is MINT 20/407. This has yet to be digitised.

It would be interesting to see if Cramer was entitled to the medal. I have seen some medals privately named. Is your example named?

Kind regards
David

Thanks David.

The Union medal is not named.

I was interested to see that my great grandfather Henry Fell was awarded the medal. Sadly I have no idea what became of it.

Regards

Rory