TOPIC:

QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL
CLASPS :none
CONDITION :NEF. dark toning, tight swivel, single slight edge knock, on original ribbon.
PROVENANCE :purchased this week from a seller in South Africa (23/10/2020).

Another W. BARBOUR (please see previous posting for W. BARBOUR : CAPE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS) or the same man who was a Carpenter with CGR? The potential for a double issue here is pretty exciting!

But before I get too carried away, I needed to do some research footwork.
The medal roll for IMR lists two gentlemen by the name of W. Barbour.
One is an Enginedriver who was entitled to the clasp CAPE COLONY, the script of this is still viable on the medal roll document as it has not been crossed through. There are no clasps to my medal as previously detailed.
I also think that if the QSA were to this man the impressed naming would have DRIVER as a rank prefix. Please let me know if this would not be the case.

The other W. Barbour is to be found on the IMR medal roll as a Boilermaker and therefore a civilian employee hence the title of MR. as prefix to his name?
This medal roll was signed off in Pretoria by someone who may be a major in the Royal Engineers. I can't quite decipher the surname.
Clasps: CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE and TRANSVAAL have been crossed through, so no entitlement for this Barbour.
For this man in the Regimental Number column we find the number 148 written sideways and inside a drawn diamond shape. I have no idea what this could mean!

This leaves me with a few questions
1--could these two men be related? Ie: father and son

2--is it the same man? Would it have been possible in those days to have been both a competent Carpenter aswell as a Boilermaker with both trades requiring a lengthy apprenticeship?

3--it would have been possible timewise to have served with the CGR on the Relief of Mafeking and then gone to Pretoria for IMR.

I would very much welcome any comment and advice from the forum on the above please.

Thank you,
Steve

Steve,

That is very intriguing. Can I ask whether you purchased these from the same source and at the same time?

A possible next step is a local SA researcher who can look into this for you. The National Archives of Sourh African are well worth searching although you may need to perform multiple searches. www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dl

Hi David,
It certainly is intriguing!
CGR was purchased from the US and IMR from South Africa 8 months apart.
CGR is mounted on a card with felt backing but not brooched or pinned for wear.
IMR is on original ribbon. So I would not think originating from the same collection. If they are for the same recipient they parted company long, long ago. The patina is also very different, but both have been very well cared for.
Barbour is not a common name, so there are plenty of possible scenarios. But a reunite would be a special thing.
The SA National Archives will be my next port of call.
Many thanks as always for your advice.
Steve