TOPIC:

Did Rimington get 8 + 2 clasps?

Justin

OSAKSA wrote: Hi everybody

George Hamilton Attwell didn't make it for 8 Battle Bars : he did not qualify for Wittebergen.

He joined Rimington's Guides on 14 )ct0ber 1899, 2 days after formation of the unit. He was discharged at Pretoria on 18 June 1900 and subsequently joined the Field Intelligence Department, earning the SA'01 bar.

Henk

Hello Justin,
Just superb, I would have not been very keen on the mere thought of selling these!

Rimington's pair are clearly shown on the 6th DG rolls in WO100/165 and WO100/303 for the ten clasps, he is also on the Damants roll in WO100/244, the supplementary roll within this volume also confirm both SA01 and SA02 and shows entitlement to his KSA.

In thirty years, I have yet to handle a "unit erased" QSA to Damants, I'll have to buy one!

Kind regards Frank

JustinLDavies wrote: This is the pair to Lieutenant C.R. De La Porte that I sold at DNW some ten years ago. He had the maximum possible ten clasps. So the follow up question to Meurig's post is 'how many of the Tigers got a total of 10 clasps'?

All best,

Justin

Footnote
Richard De La Porte enlisted in Major Rimington’s Corps of Guides in October 1899, aged 25 years, stating that he had experience in using explosives. Advanced to Corporal in January 1900 and to Sergeant in September of the same year, he was wounded in action on the 25th of the latter month. De La Porte was discharged from Rimington’s Guides at Cape Town in May 1901, having attained the rank of Sergeant-Major, and subsequently gained a commission in the Field Intelligence Department.

In 1902 Lieutenant De La Porte was recommended for the Distinguished Service Order for the following deeds but, instead, received a mention in despatches (London Gazette 29 July 1902):

‘For general brave, good and reliable work in all ranks of Rimington’s Guides, and afterwards as Intelligence Agent and Intelligence Officer, all through the War, and particularly on 20 November 1901, when, by his quickness and initiative, Commandant Buys, who was being taken away wounded in a cape-cart from the fight near Villiersdorp, was taken prisoner; and on the night of 23 February 1901, when he was with Colonel Cox, N.S.W.M.R., in the action on the Hol Spruit, and assisted him in checking the Boers who broke through the picquet-line and prevented them from further rolling up the picquets. He was severely wounded in attempting to capture Boers in October [actually 25 September] 1900’ (War Office records refer).

Rimington’s Guides were an elite unit, some 150 strong, raised at the outbreak of the war by Major M. F. Rimington, Inniskilling Dragoons. It was comprised of experienced colonials who knew the country and shot superbly. Stirling records that, ‘As far as numbers go they were not strong, but for quality, officers and men could not be surpassed’ (The Colonials in South Africa refers). This aura of elitism was reinforced by the name commonly used by the other troops in South Africa, Rimington’s “Tigers”, owing to the band of leopard skin they wore around their slouch hats.

Rimington’s “Tigers” did more fighting in the early weeks of the war than any other unit. After undertaking an expedition to Prieska in November 1899 to quell a potential rebellion, they joined Lord Methuen’s force and scouted the ground and conducted fighting patrols prior to the battle of Belmont on 23 November. ‘The corps was present at that battle on the extreme right; at Enslin or Graspan on the 25th, again on the right; at Modder River on the 28th, on the left, being among the first troops to cross the river; at Magersfontein on 10th and 11th December, again on the left’ (Stirling). In January 1900 De la Porte’s squadron fought at Colesberg and Kleinfontein before they were brought up to the Modder River to play a major mounted role in Lord Roberts’ push towards Pretoria. They accompanied General French in the rush to Kimberley. Rimington’s “Tigers” marched to Bloemfontein, fought at Paardeberg, Poplar Grove and Driefontein. They were involved in the action at Sanna’s Post, the capture of Brandfort, the battles of Doornkop, Diamond Hill and the Brandwater Basin, the occupations of Pretoria and Johannesburg. In the early stages of the guerrilla war they were often attached to columns and scouts and guides.

In early 1901, the “Tigers” were paid off after Major Rimington was promoted to command a column. One of the squadron commanders, Major Damant was requested by Lord Kitchener to form a successor unit. It was named Damant’s Horse. By one of those odd quirks of fate that sometimes occur, the medal rolls of Rimington’s Guides and Damant’s Horse were combined under the title Damant’s Horse. When the Medals were issued the original “Tigers” found that all the medals were named to Damant’s Horse and not, where applicable, Rimington’s Guides. Given the history and corps d’esprit of “Mike” Rimington’s “Tigers” it is no small surprise that many of them, De la Porte included, had ‘Damant’s Horse’ erased from their Medal and ‘Rimington’s Guides’ engraved in its stead.

All of them hand picked, the cream of the SAMIF!

djb wrote: I wouldn't disagree with that Frank.

Interested members
Some years ago (perhaps five plus) there was offered on a UK dealer's list a DCM/QSA pair; the DCM impressed to Rimington's Guides and the QSA unit naming had been erased and "Damant's Horse" replaced by the engraved title "Rimington's Guides". The dealer's writeup with the pair said that the naming "Rimington's Guides" only appeared on DCMs to the unit.
No, I did not bite as funds were short and the asking was VERY high. Hopefully, some forum member was able to stump up the asking.
Regards to all
IL.

Forum mmbers
To continue this Topic ........ some time ago I was fortunate to become the current custodian of a QSA (clasps BELMONT/MODDER RIVER/RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY/PAARDEBURG/DREFONTEIN) engraved in the usual style to : "Lt H:G: SUPPLE, DAMANT'S HORSE".


Readers of previous posts to this Topic will realise that DAMANT'S HORSE (in reality, of course, then "RIMINGTON'S GUIDES") were raised early and saw considerable hard service and can be said to have really earned their clasps.
That aspect does not need revisiting here.
The Asplin roll shows HENRY and GUY as Lt. SUPPLE'S forenames - and notes that he later served with the Military Staff, B'fontein, 30/6/01. The roll for RIMINGTON'S GUIDES confirms the awarding of the clasps illustrated. The KSA roll, however, has Lt. H.G.SUPPLE'S entry deleted; with the marginal comment "SERVICES AT DISPOSAL OF MIL GOV ORC1.4/00 INSTEAD OF AFTER HOSTILITIES SERVICE WRONGLY COMPUTED. DELETE". Please note, the original lacks punctuation!! Happily, Lt. H.G.SUPPLE was deemed to be entitled to the King's Clasp "1901" on a supplementary roll. This was obviously issued loose and - if ever Stephen Bayley ceases buying up every dated clasp in sight! -one day soon it will bear it's full entitlement.
(Only joking, Stephen!)
Regards to all
IL.

Hello Ian,
A fantastic medal, just super, he has the three pages in WO100 as mentioned and the note in WO127, sadly there are no papers for SAMIF officers here, he appears, almost certainly, to have been born in 1870 at Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, he would become the Deputy Governor of Portland Prison and married after the war, but, a really superb example and always nice to see an engraved SAMIF officers medal too, he was appointed to the Staff on the 30th of June 1901 at AHQ Bloemfontein.
Some very nice items being shown in this thread,
Regards Frank

LinneyI wrote: Forum mmbers
To continue this Topic ........ some time ago I was fortunate to become the current custodian of a QSA (clasps BELMONT/MODDER RIVER/RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY/PAARDEBURG/DREFONTEIN) engraved in the usual style to : "Lt H:G: SUPPLE, DAMANT'S HORSE".

Readers of previous posts to this Topic will realise that DAMANT'S HORSE (in reality, of course, then "RIMINGTON'S GUIDES") were raised early and saw considerable hard service and can be said to have really earned their clasps.
That aspect does not need revisiting here.
The Asplin roll shows HENRY and GUY as Lt. SUPPLE'S forenames - and notes that he later served with the Military Staff, B'fontein, 30/6/01. The roll for RIMINGTON'S GUIDES confirms the awarding of the clasps illustrated. The KSA roll, however, has Lt. H.G.SUPPLE'S entry deleted; with the marginal comment "SERVICES AT DISPOSAL OF MIL GOV ORC1.4/00 INSTEAD OF AFTER HOSTILITIES SERVICE WRONGLY COMPUTED. DELETE". Please note, the original lacks punctuation!! Happily, Lt. H.G.SUPPLE was deemed to be entitled to the King's Clasp "1901" on a supplementary roll. This was obviously issued loose and - if ever Stephen Bayley ceases buying up every dated clasp in sight! -one day soon it will bear it's full entitlement.
(Only joking, Stephen!)
Regards to all
IL.