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Hi Everybody

Thanks for the nice remarks : : I am sure Munroe enjoys sharing interesting Boer War material with fellow enthusiasts as much as I do.

Here is another Boer recipient's awards.

W.J.GEERLING
Wouter Johannes Geerling was born in Den Haag, Holland in 1866. He emigrated to
Pretoria in 1888 to take up an appointment as Assistent Chief of the Telegraph Department of the
ZAR
At the outbreak of the Boer War in Oct 1899, he was called up for active service in the
ZAR Military Telegraph Department. He was involved with equipping the field sections of the
various Commando's and also supervised the cordon of telephone and telegraph lines surrounding
Ladysmith at the beginning of the Siege. Subsequently he was stationed in the Headquarters of Commandant-General Piet Joubert, being present during the Battle of Wagon Hill (6 Jan 1900).
When the ZAR Government left Pretoria on 26 May 1900, he was in charge of the
Telegraph Office in the railway carriage of President Kruger, traveling via Machadodorp and
Waterval Onder to Nelspruit. In October 1900 he was sent on a mission to Lourenco Marques
by Genl Louis Botha, and, on trying to return, he found the border closed and was detained by the
Portuguese Authorities. He eventually landed up in Portugal, interned with a few hundred Boers
and Boer families, the greater majority of whom had crossed the border into Mocambique on the
instigation of Genl F J Pienaar in September 1900. Here he did valuable work, serving as Secretary of the Committee that represented the Boers.
After the war he founded the firm of Taylor & Geerling, Registered Public Accountants.
In 1938 he also became a member of the "Burgerunie van de Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek" (Union of Old Burghers) and received their small gold badge, numbered 174. (General Smuts' badge was numbered 218). He was also appointed as Honorary Consul for the Netherlands, in which capacity he was created a Knight of the Order of Orange Nassau (August 1939) and promoted to Officer Grade in January 1944.
Wouter Geerling died in Pretoria in 1949.
* ABO Medal impressed ASST. HOOF VAN TELEGRAAF W.J.GEERLING
* Badge of the Order of Orange Nassau, Officer Class with rosette on ribbon.
* Badge of the Burgerunie van de ZAR, numbered 174.
* Miniatures for the ABO medal and Orange Nassau Order.

Hi All

Here is another interesting combination ABO and Police Long service medal - Burger RJ Crowther and then 1st Class Constable

Dear All

Here is my favorite ABO grouping. I first thought it was father and son but turned out to be all the same man.
starting as a Burger in the Vryheid Commando to service in East/North Africa in WW2

Hi Munroe

Highly unusual : I have never been able to pair an ABO with a 1906! Thee WWI and WWII overseas service add to the uniqueness!

Henk

Munroe

I suspect that your group is unique. Like Henk,I have watched in vain for an ABO/Natal Rebellion grouping. Afrikaners did join the Natal Police in increasing numbers after the Boer War but most were young men, such as Dan Pienaar, and they were too young to have served in the Boer War. There were a fair number of Afrikaners who served in the Natal Rebellion and who may then have gone on to serve in WWI and perhaps even WWII. Dan Pienaar joined in 1911, so he did not get the Rebellion medal.

Regards
Brett

Quite outstanding and it's a bonus that the SA records/archives are so complete; Natal Police, WW1 and WW2.

Justin