TOPIC:

Those Rough Riders are a tuff (sic) bunch and they tossed the mould after the NZMR finished the task. A Rhodesia clasp on an honest Kiwi QSA is not an easy find these days.

Herewith are pictures of the IY groups in my collection. McClelland's group is unusual because the WWI War Medal is correct as a single issue and medals to the Water Police are rare.

I have a number of IY medals both in groups and on their own. Apart from the fact that the papers are now on FMP I have always found them to very researchable. They didn't only get State bars I have one to the Lanarckshire Yeomanry with the Wittebergen clasp for example.

They are also starting to command handsome prices in South Africa where, by the look of it, a lot of these chaps stayed on after the war. I bought one at a local auction just yesterday, in this instance it's a 3 clasp to the 106th Company 4th Battalion (Staffordshire) to a Lance Cpl. G Green. It cam with his solitary WWI British War Medal to the 2nd S.A.I. (his sole entitlement)I've seen quite a number of IIY medals on offer lately.

My very first QSA was to 51st Coy (Paget's Horse) and a very researchable one it has turned out to be.

My other QSA passion is, of course, to the SAC, again because their papers are right on our doorstep.

Regards

Rory

Stephen,
I have to agree, if I were looking for such a clasp today, I would deffo buy a kiwi!
Regards Frank

Stephen Bayley wrote: Those Rough Riders are a tuff (sic) bunch and they tossed the mould after the NZMR finished the task. A Rhodesia clasp on an honest Kiwi QSA is not an easy find these days.

Brett,
That is a super pair to Richards, love that 1906!
Regards Frank

Brett Hendey wrote: Herewith are pictures of the IY groups in my collection. McClelland's group is unusual because the WWI War Medal is correct as a single issue and medals to the Water Police are rare.

Don't write off IY medals as Rory's examples illustrate. They are worth researching, especially the casulties. But don't let the state clasps put you off either, the IY saw a lot of action.

My favourite (at the moment) is Pte FH Bough 32 Coy IY - Wounded 17-12-1900 at Hame(e)lfontein:

"Used by the British as a supply depot as it was centrally positioned amongst the drifts across the Orange River. In December 1900 it was defended by a small force of 18 IY and 10 men from the 3rd Grenadier Guards commanded by Lt WAL Fletcher, IY. 400 men from Hertzog's invading commando surrounded the farm and demanded the surrender three times, Fletcher refused. A relief force under Major HGD Shute (Coldstream Guards) caused the Boers to withdraw sending their wounded men into the farm. The tiny garrison had two killed and seven wounded."

Lt Fletcher was awarded a DSO for his command.

Also senior NCOs are worth a look as they could have had previous campaign service (ok, this represents a broken group if you just have the single QSA):

Sgt H Perryman 108th Coy IY - served Zululand 1879 and Egypt 1882 - thgese two medals known on the market.

Another I looked at earned an AGS in previous service.

And just to finish I have a medal to a 3rd contingent man, Frank Cornick, who embarked 28-05-1902 for South Africa with the 173rd Coy 39th Bn Imperial Yeomanry. He didn't earn a QSA - but served his 12 months and took his discharge in SA. In WWI he enlisted in the 4th SAI and was killed at 3rd Ypres.

3rd contingent men like Cornick worked on resettling Boers and rounding up the really "bitter einders". History yet to be written.

Regards
Meurig