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Rory
Thanks for your kind comment. Perhaps it might be enough to advise Roly's widow that Col. PANZERA's medal group is in safe and appreciative hands and that doing the bio over several weeks was a privilege.
Best regards
IL.

I will do so with pleasure.

Regards

Rory

IL

Many thanks for sharing the Panzera group and his story with us. Together they are amongst the best to come out of the Boer War.

Like Rory, I remember when the Panzera collection came on the market in Durban and the debate about separating the medals from the paperwork. As I recall it, they did go different ways.

At about the same time, a similar situation arose with the medals and papers of RSM John Gage DCM (Royal Dublin Fusiliers & Natal Mounted Rifles). The medals have stayed in Durban, and they were later joined by Gage's shooting medallions that were returned from Australia. Gage's diary, and perhaps other papers, were sold separately and they are still at large.

The short-term gain to dealers means a long term loss to historical research, which is most regrettable.

Regards
Brett

Brett
I have pm'd you.
IL.

Dear IL

I am Roly's nephew (my dad and Roly were brothers) and I did an extensive search for all the Major's medals, notes and other collectibles. I currently have the small version of the medals, pictures and letters written to and from the Major etc.

Thank your for the detailed account of the defense of Mafeking. Some information was new to me.

Regards

Kevin Panzera

Kevin
Thanks for your post regarding Major PANZERA. His medals as illustrated earlier are secure and in most appreciative hands; doing what I could in the way of a bio took a lot of digging and note-arranging! However, I saw the exercise as a fitting tribute to a remarkable soldier.
Members of the site may well appreciate seeing a pic of Major PANZERA's medal minatures and any supporting pics, etc, you might see fit to post. Of course, I would be very interested in obtaining copies of any docs expanding on what we already know of his military career.
Every now and again, I check to see if one of the contemporary models of "the Wolf" howitzer has come back on the market. I really don't know what I would do with it if it did!
Best regards
IL.