TOPIC:

Can anyone please share details of any known ABO (and DTD?) medals to members of the two Irish Commando’s (Ierse Korps) that served with the Boers. One was led by John Blake (a Irish American, 1856-1907) with his second-in-command being John M(a)cBride (1868-1916 being executed by the British for his part in the Dublin Easter Rising of 1916). The other by Arthur Lynch (an Irish Australian, 1861-1934). Numbers who served vary but apparently the first was about 300 strong and the second 120 – in addition there would have been a number of Irish serving in Boer commando’s. None of the three men mentioned appear to been issued the ABO medal, but others may well have applied and been issued.

Hi Jon
I sold the ABO (damaged and re-suspendered) of Burg William Wallace to his great-grandson, William Endley, in 1999.
I still have the ABO/French WWI group to Pte E Mortasagne. He listed 7 units on his Vorm "B", the first being Irish Brigade under Blake/McBride. He later served under De Villebois-Marieul (identified photo of Mortasagne in De V-M's book) and also acted as a scout under Gen Smuts. Will post his group later on forum..
ABO's were issued to Burgers A J Vercueil and T F Byrne (both Blake/McBride) .
You could always run your fingers through Don's Roll and probably find more men of the Irish Brigade!
Henk

Thanks Henk - look forward to seeing the group on the forum. I had hoped Dons roll would have been fully digitised by now allowing a quick search by unit ... running ones finger through rolls is the hard way.
But your example of a Frenchman in the Irish Commando's is not unexpected - in Donal McCrackens book he makes the point that a wide range of nationalities served - including "a solitary Englishman".