The obverse of the King's South Africa Medal (KSA) bears the head of King Edward VII and the inscription 'EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR'. The reverse is the same as the Queen's South Africa Medal third type. The suspender is straight with a claw mount. The ribbon is 1.25" wide with three equal stripes of green, white and orange.
Two clasps were awarded and the medal is usually seen with 'SOUTH AFRICA 1901' and 'SOUTH AFRICA 1902' although either can appear singularly and medals issued to nurses have no clasps. The KSA could not be awarded without the QSA.
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The award of the medal was controlled under Army Order 232 of October 1902. The following text, which appeared in the Army Order, also appeared in The Times on 30th September 1902.
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1. His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve that a second medal, bearing his effigy, shall be granted in recognition of the services rendered by the troops in the later phases of the campaign in South Africa, and to reward those soldiers who, by their long service in the field, have brought the war to a successful termination. This medal will be known as the "King's South Africa Medal."
2. The ribbon will be orange, white, and green in three stripes of equal width, and so worn that the green stripe of the ribbon shall be on the right.
3. Provided the claims are approved by the Commander-in-Chief, the medal, in silver, will be issued to all officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the British, Indian, and Colonial forces; to civilian medical practitioners and others employed with military hospitals in South Africa; and to all nursing sisters, as defined in Army Order 195 of 1901; provided that (a) they were actually serving in South Africa on or after January 1st, 1902 and (b) that on that date they had completed 18 months' war service; or subsequently completed such service before June 1st, 1902.
4. Interpreting this rule, the actual period of absence from duty either at home or in South Africa on account of wounds or sickness directly attributable to service in the field will be allowed to count to make up the period of 18 months.
5. The medal will also be granted to officers, warrant officers, noncommissioned officers, and men who have been invalided by reason of wounds received in action prior to January 1st, 1902, thereby being unable to complete an aggregate service of 18 months in South Africa, provided they returned there for any period between January 1st, 1902, and May 31st, 1902, both dates inclusive.
6. Two clasps will also be granted - (a) a clasp, "South Africa 1901" to all who served in. South Africa between January 1st 1901, and December 31st, 1901, both dates inclusive; (b) a clasp "South Africa 1902" to all who served in South Africa between January 1st, 1902 and May 31st, 1902, both days inclusive.
7. The above clasps will be worn with the medal granted by Army Order 94 of 1901 by those qualified to receive them, if they are not entitled to receive the medal granted by this Order. If they are entitled to receive the medal granted by this Order, the above clasps will be worn with it.
KSA's to the Navy are scarce because the Naval Brigades had returned to their ships in 1901 and the medal was not awarded if men did not serve ashore. Of the 31 KSAs to the Navy, 20 were awarded to Royal Navy Personnel and 11 to the Royal Marines.
See the forum page for more information: http://angloboerwar.com/forum/11-research/25085-ksas-to-the-navy#43336
The information on which South African and irregular units were eligible for the KSA comes from the Decisions Book held by the National Archives. Reference 68/SA/9168.
These are the units for which "from which rolls will be submitted".
The units are:
Ashburner's Light Horse
Bethune's Mounted Infantry
Border Scouts *
Bushmanland Borderers *
Border Scouts (8th Squadron)
Cape Colony Cycle Corps
Canadian Scouts
Cullinan's Horse
Dennison's Scouts
Driscoll's Scouts
Damant's Horse
Geoghegan's Scouts
Hershel Native Police *
Imperial Irregular Corps Depot
1st Imperial Light Horse
2nd Imperial Light Horse
Imperial Hospital Corps
Imperial Bearer Corps
1st Johannesburg Mounted Rifles
2nd Johannesburg Mounted Rifles
1st Kitchener's Fighting Scouts
2nd Kitchener's Fighting Scouts
Kimberley Horse
1st Namaqualand Border Scouts *
2nd Namaqualand Border Scouts *
Orange River Scouts
Pietersburg Light Horse
1st Railway Pioneer Regiment
2nd Railway Pioneer Regiment
3rd Railway Pioneer Regiment
4th Railway Pioneer Regiment
Settle's Scouts *
South African Mounted Irregular Forces
Steinaecker's Horse
Steinaecker's Horse (Special Squadron)
South African Light Horse
1st Scottish Horse
2nd Scottish Horse
Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry
Western Light Horse
Cape Medical Staff Corps (part)
* The medal roll to show only officers and white NCOs and men.
"The Commander-in-Chief has also decided that, members of the British South Africa Police, Natal Police, Cape Colony Police, Special Cape Police, or any Colonial Corps whatsoever is entitled to the grant of the King's South Africa Medal provided that:-
a) They completed a minimum of 18 month's service in South Africa before the 1st June 1902, and that some portion of that service was performed between 1st January 1902, and 31st May 1902, both dates inclusive.
b) That the whole of the 18 months' service alluded to in (a) must have been performed under similar conditions to those necessary to qualify him for the War Gratuity viz:-
1) Served in Forces Commanded by an Imperial Officer
2) Served in such Force beyond his own district.
Service in the Rand Rifles and Imperial Military Railways does not qualify for the King's South Africa Medal."
