TOPIC:

Having checked out all relevant findable Medals Rolls I am still left with 8 Smethwickian 1st South Staffers apparently only having a single date clasp ("SA 1902") to their QSAM’s. They were all the third wave of volunteers who embarked for South Africa on 15th March 1902 and returned home the following July. So, they should have stepped on South African soil before the end of the conflict but may not have had time to get involved in any action. However, having re-read the qualification rules (shown below) for the “Cape Colony” clasp they only need to have been present.

Cape Colony Clasp Qualification Rules:
A clasp inscribed "Cape Colony" will be granted to all troops in Cape Colony at any time between October 11th, 1899, and a date to be hereafter fixed, who received no clasp for an action already specified in the Cape Colony nor Natal clasps.

Two possibilities occur to me:
1. When they got round to “hereafter” fixing an end date it was before the end of the conflict.
2. Perhaps they landed in Natal which does have a coast and ports. The end date for the “Natal” clasp was June 11th 1900.

Do I need to look for another Medal Roll?

Your option 2 - served only in Natal after 11th June 1900

Pete

Smethwick
I am unsure as to the scope of your query; does it apply to 1st South Staffs only or soldiers who served in South Africa late in the campaign?
Pete has kindly suggested your Option 2.
If your query is of a general nature, then yes, men could qualify for a QSA with only a date clasp. Occasional examples are seen on this site named to the Indian Contingents and in my own collection is an example to a late enlistment of a local lad in Thorneycrfoft's MI. My local lad served 20/3/1902 to 30/6/02 and only qualified for an SA1902 clasp on his medal. He must have been under training and like Pete, I would say he was under training and in Natal.
Regards
IL.

Smethwick,

Yes, your option 2 is likely.

There are a couple of threads on QSAs with just 1901 or 1902

SA01: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/singleclaspqs...47-south-africa-1901
SA02: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/singleclaspqs...48-south-africa-1902

Best wishes
David

I have been through my complete database of 207 Smethwickians and found a further 12 single claspers - 9 CC, 2 DoL and 1 SA 1901 - the 9 CC's served in a variety of regiments but one was a 1st South Staffer, the SA 1901 served in the 4th South Staffers. I initially concentrated on the 1st South Staffers because they are the most numerous, at 40, in my database - this is not surprising as at the time of the ABW Smethwick formed the southern most tip of Staffordshire. The 12 additional single claspers have not undergone the same degree of checks for missing MR's as the 1st South Staffers.

I have looked at the Shipping Records to see if I could find where the 8 single clasp South Staffers were delivered to but have drawn a blank. I am pretty certain they left Southampton on The Greek which is reported as embarking 485 Voluntary Drafts on 16th March 1902 (a day late compared to their service records but I suspect that is neither here nor there). They is no report of the Greek arriving in SA but it is reported leaving Durban in September 1902.

So on the balance of things option 2 looks a real possibility. However, at the time, according to the writings of James P Jones, their battalion was based in Harrismith in the OFS and 180 miles inland from Durban and they remained there until peace was declared. Assuming the 8 arrived in SA by mid April they should have had time to connect with their battalion before the end of the conflict unless somebody decided that would be wasted effort and they were put on other duties in Natal.