TOPIC:

Ian - "Cattle Ranger" is a unique rank on a QSA so far as I have been able to ascertain.

According to Smith the CCR was formed from April 1901.

I don't think Sheppy was in the CCR. Jon can confirm but I suspect in Kimberley he looked after the cattle and maybe his rank was given when the rolls were prepared (after the siege) and the CCR was in existence. Again in Smith he says the CCR were under the guidance of the ASC.

Regards
Meurig

Hi Ian,

Nice medals, and has been previously stated the CCR QSA's are not seen often. I have seen a KSA in an auction to an Australian who served in one of the Queensland contingents and then went on to serve with the CCR.

Cheers,

Jim

Jim
Just now I had a look through the CofCR roll in Smith booklet - and the KSA you mentioned named to CofCR could have been to any of a handful of Queenslanders. Do you recall the name on the KSA?
Regards
IL.

Hi Ian,

Unfortunately I don't recall the name. The medals were in a Noble auction with many other Aust QSA's a couple of years ago if that is any help. I may have kept the pages from the catalogue, I'll have a look.

Jim

Jim
Just now I had a look on the Noble Auctions archive - but no luck. More likely that that archive operates on a name rather than a unit title. It would add a bit more to our knowledge of this obscure but really interesting Corps if you could give us a name.
Regards
IL

Meurig

According to his memoirs, he was given the chance when he left school, by his father who was a consul at the Bank of England, to enter service with the bank or go to California. He chose to go to California where he worked as a cowboy, and on his return to England he was engaged by Mr Gardiner Williams, GM of De Beers to go to Kimberley and break horses for De Beers, which were needed to pull the coco pans as well as the cape carts . He would appear to have travelled to South Africa in 1896. So he was well established in Kimberley at least 2 years prior to the Boer War and during the siege he basically carried on with his job looking after the horses and cattle herds of De Beers, as well as the needs of the army where he was responsible for rounding up cattle.

Jon