Wendy – as Volunteer (Peter) has pointed out to me I had a very senior moment in placing Baden-Powell alongside your father during the siege of Ladysmith. Baden-Powell was besieged in Mafeking.
However, your grandfather would have rubbed shoulders with Baden-Powell for the second time when during 1901 & 1902 he served in the Headquarters Division of the South African Constabulary (SAC) as Baden-Powell was the commanding officer of the SAC.
Volunteer also identified he was awarded the Coronation Medal which means he was one of 20 members of the SAC selected to take part in the Parade at the Coronation of Edward VII which took place on 9th August 1902.
The link is to a Pathe News Clip of the Coronation Parade which shows some of the “Colonial Troops” who took part, unfortunately I don’t think the SAC contingent figure in the clip.
www.britishpathe.com/asset/92450/
Three days later all the Colonial Troops attended Buckingham Palace to be presented with their Coronation Medals. Whilst they marched past the King & Queen Alexandria the presentations were made by the Prince of Wales, who 9 years later would become King George V. As you might imagine it was a drawn out affair and once the various contingents had received their medals they were allowed to relax and lie on the lawns and even smoke. So, your great-grandfather may well have enjoyed a smoke in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
They seem to have spent over a month in the British Isles which included a parade through Edinburgh.
Previously I postulated – “So what do we conclude? Thomas Henry Charles was invalided home on 6th August 1900 and then made his own way back to SA to enlist in the SAC on 10th February 1901?” As Volunteer has rightly pointed out to me a large proportion of the 7,000 plus men who served in the SAC were recruited in the British Isles, so your great-grandfather did not have to make his own way back. One of the recruiting grounds was amongst men who had been discharged to the Army Reserve, like your great-grandfather. Putting all the available information together he served in the SAC to the very end of the war. After the end of the war the SAC became the police force it was originally meant to be. I presume as he was chosen to go to the Coronation he was still in the SAC by August 1902 and his service could have continued long after that.
I hope to email the promised documentation tomorrow (Monday) evening.
Best regards, David.
