TOPIC:

I just joined today after having been lurking on the site for a fair while.

I have a keen interest in history and I am also a medal collector. I am one of the original members of the British Medal Forum, on which I am still quite active, but I also belong to the GMIC and The Great War Forum. I try to keep to a collecting theme, but, as with any addiction, moderation is difficult to maintain. I have a small collection of medals to submariners and also to my surname, but my main interest is medals to detectives from the Victorian era onwards - and hence my username of El CID. This led me to also collect SAP medals to detectives, especially the original long service medals, but I also collect to uniformed personnel with Boer War service in one of the earlier police forces.

Cheers
Richard

Welcome, Richard
You have focussed interests. Concerning the Boer War, it might be a little difficult to establish previous Police service for a soldier without access to enlistment papers/personal papers. And there is the possibility of running into members of Baden Powell's South African Constabulary who had previous Police service in UK before enlistment. Natal had a Police service - although like the SAC, they were mostly used in a military role.
Good luck with your quests
Regards
IL.

Welcome to the forum Richard.......

Here is one of mine you may be interested in:

BRANDON, G.E.T. (Gustave Erasmus Trigaardt)

REG. NO.: 155
RANK: TROOPER
REGT: HARRISMITH VOLUNTEER LIGHT HORSE
BARS: CAPE COLONY, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902

REMARKS / HISTORY:

1. BAMBATHA UPRISING NATAL 1906 c/w BAR 1906 - Trooper Natal Police
2. SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE L.S.G.C. Medal - Detective, Head Constable

Attested in the police 15 July 1902, Trooper, Natal Police, Zulu Rebellion 1906.
Joined SAP in 1913 on its formation.
Immigration officer at Pitiermaritzburg. Retired on pension 29 July 1930.
Died 1937.

The Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse was established in January 1901 and was placed under the command of Captain H. Hawkins. It comprised some 100 members, most of whom were English-speaking inhabitants of the town of Harrismith. The unit performed duties in the town and also supplied guides and scouts for Imperial troops in the area. It was noted that while the unit was away from home most of the shops in the town remained closed owing to the fact that many of the shop assistants belonged it.

The only incident worthy of note in which the Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse (H.V.L.H.) was involved occurred on 28 July 1901. A report was received that some 80 Boers, under Commandant F Jacobsz, had occupied hilly country on the farm Saaihoek in the district of Witzieshoek. Some 600 Yeomanry and the H.V.L.H., sent out from Harrismith, came across 40 Boers all of whom, while evading possible capture, occupied some of the surrounding hills. Jacobsz and the remaining Boers then arrived on the scene. While the H.V.L.H. began to retire, a group of Yeomanry was ambushed on a ridge. In this action 3 were killed and 5 wounded while 32 were captured. On the Boer side there was only one casualty, Jacobsz, who was severely wounded. The Boers allowed the British to take their dead and wounded back to Harrismith. The remainder were held captive until escorted to Basutoland. From there they trudged back to Harrismith, arriving a week later.

Apart from this incident nothing of significance took place in the vicinity of Harrismith. Only once did the Boers come to the town when they drove off 32 head of cattle. During the course of the war, no members of the unit were killed, wounded or captured.

For some photos: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...h-natal-police#16022

ALSO

britishmedalforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=148098

Mike

Welcome to the forum, Richard!

Thank you all for the welcome.

Linneyl - thanks for the welcome. The Boer War medals I collect are to the paramilitary police units such as the SAC, CP etc. that either come with an SAP long service medal or something else of note. I recently purchased a medal with the recipient's SAC notebook for the year 1903 (which has yet to arrive in the post). Wrt police medals, I also collect 20th century detectives' medals to senior ranks in the British police and also Victorian-Edwardian era detectives of all ranks.

Mike - that is exactly the sort of medal group I like. Ticks a of boxes - if only he'd also been a submariner too! I do like that D/Supt Worth group, very nice. I recall seeing that on the BMF previously. There is a lot about him on the British Newspaper Archive.

Cheers
Richard