TOPIC:

Good Morning Saxon......

My number one collectable of course is medal, medallions, tribute etc...... But I also collect all of the badges, equipment, uniforms, book and so called souvenirs of the ABW.....

I suggest if you are interested get a copy of this book it shows up on ebay occasionally......

Boer War Memorabilia, A Collectors Guide, by Pieter Oosthuizen, Published 1987, ISBN 0-946619-19-0

Mike

Just a few more items from the collection...

Hi Saxan,

A really splendid collection indeed, thank you for sharing it. I can see a number of items I would love to have in my collection. Those bandoliers would go lovely with my rifles..!

Well done!

Cheerio,

Roy

My website: www.wilkinsonfscollection.com

Saxon
Thank you for another great post of items in your collection. I am sure that your collection gets a great deal more care, attention and appreciation than it would in some museums.
Regards
Brett

Hello Brett,
Absolutely no "might" about it, they were certainly carried on the battlefield by members of the British Army throughout the first half of the war and many were worn during the second as the helmet started to give way to the slouch hat, the SAMIF wore them throughout from their inception in a great many cases.
Regards Frank

Brett Hendey wrote: I have only ever collected medals and badges, but I would very much like to have added equipment and uniforms to my magpie ways. I remember becoming much more interested in badges after Frank pointed out that badges might have been, or were on the battlefield, whereas the medals only came later. I view uniforms and equipment in the same light.
Regards
Brett

In the case of the regular British Army, the badges worn during the Anglo Boer War are really quite easy to identify, they are also fairly common, there are, sadly, a very large number of copies, but, the materials used and the modern manufacture makes them stand out as what they are.

The original badges worn by the members of the 18th, 21st and 23rd Imperial Yeomanry, the famous "Sharpshooters" actually in South Africa during the war itself should now be considered rare, there are many copies, the badges worn by the subsequent County of London Yeomanry, i.e. by members of the Home Service Imperial Yeomanry Force actually during its relatively short existence are also fairly scarce.

I don't much care for the IY in general, notwithstanding, if I had to choose a body of men, other than Lovat's Scouts. I suppose it would have to be the Sharpshooters, a great many were Londoners, big black moustaches, sturdy fellows who could be relied upon to carry out their duty, whatsoever the odds and get the particular job they had been tasked, well and truly done!

saxon wrote: Yes, badges are interesting but I am no badge expert, and with so many copies on the market I have to get advice, by the way, I have a rosette and badge to the sharp shooters, I know this topic has probably been discussed before, and some say there are many copies around of this particular badge, but in all the military sites and equipment sales I trawl through, I have rarely encountered another. I will post a photo of it when it comes to hand and perhaps someone more learned can advise me? I try to collect more field equipment, than home service, although there is some nice home service equipment around and I can see the attraction. Also I like to collect ephemera especially letters which to me are equally important as it seems to me they are telling you from the grave what is actually happening at the time, I have a letter from a soldier who is writing from the battlefield of Paardeberg, telling of the carnage, and how he had to beg for a dirty piece of paper to write on. Regards Saxon