TOPIC:

Can anyone help me with a Wepener query please?

It is for a QSA (3) CC Wepener Joh (7723 Pte W. Truagust, Lanc. Fus.)

This man was involved in the relief not the siege so should not be entitled to the clasp. I can see the roll page for his SA01 clasp but not the QSA page which DNW says confirms the clasp. I have been through the online roll and the NA PDF for the Lancashire Fusiliers (WO100/179) but failed to find him.

If it is true that the force entered Wepener on 24th April, they would all techniclly by entitled the clasp whose requirement is 'A clasp inscribed “Wepener" will be granted to all troops engaged in the defence of that place between April 9th, 1900 and April 25th, 1900, both days inclusive.'

If that was the case, many men from the Malta MI would have been entitled to the clasp and they do not appear in the rolls.

Does anyone know where I might find the QSA page please?

____
From DNW in 2002:

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Wepener, Johannesburg (7723 Pte W. Truagust, Lanc. Fus.), edge bruise to reverse, good very fine, rare clasp to unit £400-500

Private Walter Truagust, 3rd Lancashire Fusiliers, was one of a company of mounted infantry composed of 144 officers and men who sailed from Malta to South Africa on 21.2.1900 aboard S.S. Pavonia. The company, under the command of the unfortunately named Captain Pine-Coffin, was formed of one section each of the 3rd Royal Warwickshie Regiment, 3rd Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and 2nd Derbyshire Regiment. Arriving in South Africa in March 1900, the ‘Malta Mounted Infantry’ as they were known, were soon involved in operations to relieve Wepener, having their baptism of fire at Bushman’s Kop on 21.4.1900. Wepener was entered on 24.4.1900. In June 1900 the Malta Company was posted to the 9th Battalion Mounted Infantry and was part of that unit when the war ended. In the Great War, 7723 Lance-Sergeant Walter Treagust (note different spelling), 2nd battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, entered the France / Flanders theatre of war on 1.11.1914 and was killed in action on 23.4.1918. Having no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France.

Sold with copied research details, confirming the above clasps and that for ‘South Africa 1901’.

David,

I dont seem to be able to upload the pic. Have a look at WO100/179 page 8

Note the very feint "Yes" .

Regards
Adrian

I see that now. Thank you Adrian. I missed both the clasp and the name when I looked through the roll this afternoon

Page 8 includes ticks for the Wepener and Johannesburg columns.

Later in the Lancashire Fusiliers’ roll, it is these two columns that are used to record 01 and 02 clasps so my hypothesis is that the person who ticked the two columns for Truagust expected them to be used for the date rather than the ‘battle’ clasps



Truagust's entry:



Only 3 men on the Wepener roll earned Johannesburg. The other two switched units to earn Joh and DH a much more common pairing than Wepener and Johannesburg.

Just advertised on Bidorbuy.

QSA (4) CC Wep Witt Belf (Cpl R K Duffy, Brabants Horse);
BWM and VM (Sgt R K O Duffy, 7th SA Horse)

During WWI, while initially serving with the 5th SA Horse, Duffy was slightly wounded in action on 11 August 1916, in the aftermath of the actions when the German resistance was broken at Matamondo (east of Nguru Mountains, East Africa)

Pictures courtesy of BidorBuy

There is a QSA (3) CC Tr Witt to the Border Horse advertised on BidorBuy . The seller suggests the recipient is additionally entitled to the Wepener clasp but this is mis-reading of the roll. While there are a handful of Wepeners to Border Horse men, the majority, including this one to J Trollop/Trollip, are crossed through. A note at the top of the roll says the unit did not receive the clasp.

The note on WO100/236p272:



An example of the crossed through Wepener clasp column