A new group arrived yesterday. An interesting story, dating back from my early boyhood years was the motivating factor behind the purchase.
They feature William Banister - Jones who started out military life as a Trooper with the 21st Company, 2nd Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry before
transferring, along with several dozen of his comrades, to the Cape Mounted Police (Cape Police D2) in August 1900.
Post-amalgamation of the various police forces in 1912, he joined the 3rd South African Mounted Rifles, seeing service with them as a commissioned officer in both the 1914 Rebellion as well as in German South West Africa.
Why did I buy them? Many years ago I used to assist my brother in the annual Sardine Run down the South Coast of Natal. He was trying his hand as a commercial fisherman at the time (oh the impetuosity of youth) and would row his banana boat out into the choppy swells, encircle the massive shoals of sardines as they swam perilously (for them) close to the shoreline, all the while dropping his seine net. Once he had reached shore again - dozens of "willing hands" on the beach would pull the net ashore.
My brother was in fierce competition with - you guessed it - a (Ray) Banister-Jones of Hibberdene who had the distinct advantage of having his own spotter plane - much to the chagrin of my brother and others he would take off, fly along the coastline and radio to his ground crew where the vast shoals of the slippery, little silver fish were. For the rest of us it was "catch him if you can" - often ending up drawing the short straw as he swooped down and netted the main shoal with us hot on his heels.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, the name Banister-Jones is an uncommon one and, after doing a bit of digging, I was able to establish that my brother's nemesis Ray, was in fact one of William Banister-Jones' sons - to conclude the story, Ray B-J as he was called... and his trusty Cesna disappeared without trace one day. To my knowledge he was never heard from again. There's a mystery novel there somewhere! I just felt I had to have a piece of him - hence the purchase of the medals.
Now for the question - refer to the highlighted bit above and the newspaper clip attached hereto - was there a mass revolt that occasioned the move of so many men from one IY company to the CP? Was there a crisis of confidence in the O.C. or other structures? Does anyone know of similar scenarios in the Boer War? I ask because I find it odd that so many "jumped ship" at the same time from the same company.
Regards
Rory