TOPIC:

Here is the one to Mr. J.L. Ford: A simple, single clasp QSA, but one that is named to a civilian employed within the 1st Telegraph Division Royal Engineers .

Mr. John Leonard Ford - Civilian Telegraph Clerk - Army Telegraphs South Africa

QSA (clasp for Orange Free State) - [Mr. J.L. Ford.]

The simple impression of Ford’s name alone intrigued me, obviously a civilian and someone who may have been part of an interesting unit. I’m very fond of civilian QSA’s and this one was a nice little research project.

There doesn’t appear to be anything concrete in terms of personal history records for John Leonard Ford, but it is known that he was one of two Telegraphists employed at the Military Telegraph Office in Bloemfontein, in the ‘Orange River Colony’ and was receiving military pay.

The Army Telegraphs came under the 1st Telegraph Division RE, with troops setting and repairing the lines in the field, at risk of discovery by the enemy, in order to allow telegraphers like Ford to exchange messages between various offices across the Free State. Communications by telegraph and signal in the Free State were opened with the establishment of the Military Telegraph Office at Bloemfontein on the 21st March 1900.

British Army telegraphers normally used stamps with "Military Telegraphs" or "Army Telegraphs" on the "unappropriated die" revenue stamps. There were no ½d value in that series to cover the needs in South Africa as well as for training exercises in the UK, and so the ½d "jubilee" stamps were overprinted.

In October 1899, the 1st Telegraph Division Royal Engineers was despatched to South Africa to establish telegraph stations from November 1899, allowing the usage of the Army Telegraph stamps between November 1899 and the end of May 1900. However occasional usage of British stamps in South Africa is recorded until May 1902. Army Telegraph cancellers were used with alphabetic codes to identify each station.

THE TIMES Pg.10 17th APRIL 1901

The duties performed by the Army, Telegraphs under Lieut.-Colonel R. Hippisley, R.E., throughout the war have my entire approbation. No portion of the army has had more work or greater responsibility than this branch. With a personnel of 25 officers and 1,221 operators, lines-men, &c. of whom 4 officers and 153 N.C.O.'s and men have died or been invalided), nearly 2} millions of messages have been dealt with during the past thirteen months, some of them containing as many as 4,000 words. The telegraph systems taken over, repaired, and maintained exceed 3,300 miles in length, with over 9,000 miles of wire. In addition, 859 miles of air line have been erected and 1,145 miles of cable laid. Great credit is also due for the quick way repairs to the lines, so frequently interrupted by the Boers, have been carried out. This is a most dangerous service, as there is always a chance that the enemy may be lying in wait near the break, but there has been throughout the most unhesitating promptitude in its performance. The young officers in charge of cable carts have also often had perilous work to perform when winding back their wire, slope or with a very small escort.

[END QUOTE]

The map displayed shows the telegraph lines and offices within the OVS in 1899, with all communications centered around Bloemfontein.

Men employed within Army Telegraphs, despite being civilians who drew military pay, were awarded the QSA in silver, however had to be recommended for a clasp. In Ford’s case, as well as that of his colleague Stuart C Allen, they were awarded the OFS clasp only in recognition of their service within the Bloemfontein Office. Both these medals and clasps would be issued on the 27th April 1904. The single page roll these were issued off, comprised of only the two men, is under ‘Military Telegraphs in South Africa’ [68/ENGRS/2093]

References:
GB Overprints Society
National Archives/Ancestry
Newspapers ancestry
Telegraph System Development of the Orange
Free State [ROBERT W. HISEY - R. TIMOTHY BARTSHE].

Unfortunately this site doesn’t seem to let me post full images of my medals anymore











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