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Notes on some Queen's South African medals and associated items

 

by Don W Pedler

T Gilchrist

Queen's South Africa Medal bars Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal to 6108 Pte Gilchrist, Seaforth Highlanders Mounted Infantry. It is contained in a fitted case with coins of the Boer Republics ie 1 penny, 3 pence, 6 pence, 1 shilling, 2 shillings, 2'/2 shillings, '/z pound, 1 pound (2, showing obverse and reverse) and 1 crown or 5 shillings with the case but not set in.

J Hamilton

Distinguished Conduct Medal 6272 Pte J Hamilton 2nd Seaforth Highlanders,' Queen's South Africa Medal bars Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Dreifontein, Transvaal and Wittebergen 6272 Pte Seaforth Highlanders, King's South Africa Medal bars South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 6272 Pte Seaforth Highlanders.

On 13 October 1900, Captain Stewart with A, D and E Companies, 2nd Seaforth, arrived at Jagers-fontein. Early in the morning of the 16th of October, a party of Boers crept past the piquets and attacked at daybreak. The enemy were finally driven off, but not before they had released prisoners from the town goal and taken prisoners of their own, so shielding themselves as they retired. In this affair, Lance Sergeant Hamilton behaved with great courage, seizing a kopje with a few men and holding it throughout the action. He was subsequently awarded the DCM.2

George Henry Goodall

Edward VII Coronation medal in bronze, unnamed. Queen's South Africa Medal bars Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast and South Africa 1901 to 26 Farrier Sgt G H Goodali SAMR (2nd South Australian Contingent), Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal, No 517 Wt Officer G H Goodall 16/ALH Regt. (Regimental Sgt Major at the time of issue)

An account of GH Goodall's service can be found in Sabretache vol XXXIV Jan/Mar 1993, pp 27-32. A further note of interest concerns the presentation of the Boer War King's Banners. On 14 November 1904, 20 were presented: 18 to ALH regiments and one each to the RAA and AAMC. Three men from each unit were selected to receive the banners. From the 16th ALM Regt (SAMR), Major A E Cooks, QM Sgt G Goodall and Sgt S N Kidman were chosen.3

Charles Wesley Whitborn

Queen's South Africa Medal bars Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, 1429 Pte C Whitbum Riy Pnr Regt (Railway Pioneer Regiment).

The Cape Copper Company's Bronze Medal for the Defence of o'okiep, C W WHITBURN (O'okiep volunteers attached to the Namaqualand Town Guard Battalion WO 100/284 Pte Whitbum C W White. Engaged with enemy at O'okiep. Medal and four clasps issued off roll 2/RlyPRNo 1429.

The Queen's South Africa Medal roll shows his residence to be Moonta, South Australia.

C W Whitbum came to South Australia in 1874 with his mother and four siblings, the father having preceded them to Moonta.

Charles married Alice Maud London. Five children were born between 3 May 1893 and 14 December 1900. Upon this last date, Whitbum enlisted in the Railway Pioneer Regiment.

He apparently remained in South Africa until his death in 1908. His wife and children had, in the meantime, returned to Cornwall. The story becomes complicated, as a sixth child was bom to the couple in 1906. Alice Maud returned to Australia with her children, residing at Broken Hill until her death in 1924.

The medals are in EF condition. How they returned to South Australia is a mystery.

Albert Victor Temby

Queen's South Africa Medal, bars Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, 39752 Tpr A V Temby, Scottish Horse.

1914-15 Star, 355 Pte A V Temby, 3/LH RGT AIF British War Medal, 355 Pte A V Temby, 3/LH RGT AIF Victory Medal, 355 Pte A V Temby, 3/LH RGT AIF

Framed certificate issued by the South Australian Branch of the South African War Veterans Association to perpetuate the memory of AV Temby.

Identity discs: 355 TEMBY AV 3ALH CE; A TEMBY D 16 AIF 355A CE

Trench art butter knife engraved 'From Vie TEMBY 16 BN (LATE) 3 ALH'. Side 2, 'SOUVENIR LE GUERRE'.

He was bom at Magill, South Australia. At the age of 21, he was a single, Protestant, farmer at Lower Light.

Trooper Temby sailed from Sydney on board SS Britannic on 20 August 1901, disembarking at Durban on 20 September. He served in E Squadron, 2nd Scottish Horse until time expired in Johannesburg on 20 March 1902. He re-engaged and his service was terminated on 6 July 1902.

 

Temby enlisted in the AIF on 24 August 1914 and was allocated No 355, B Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment. He transferred to the 16th Battalion AIF, and Casualty List No 314 reported him as wounded and a prisoner of war, previously reported wounded. He was reported as interned at Soltau, Germany, later exchanged to Murren, Switzerland.

He returned to Australia on 6 June 1918. Temby died at Cheltenham, South Australia, on 6 December 1958, aged 78 years.

Certificate issued by the South Australian Branch of the South African War Veterans Association

 

Walter Mansel Balfour-OgiIvy

Gallantry Award, South African Constabulary, unnamed.

Queen's South Africa Medal, bars, Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Transvaal, 465 SERGT MJR W M B OGILVY 3 VICTORIAN BSHMN

King's South Africa Medal, bars South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, 43 T S MAJ W M B OGILVY SAC

British War Medal, name erased, original probably named Capt W M B OGILVY

Walter Mansel Balfour-OgiIvy was bom in Castleton, County Cork, Ireland on 29 January 1875. The family resided in the Renmark district of South Australia and he worked there until leaving to manage a station at Wycheproof, Victoria.

Ogilvy joined the 3rd Victorian Contingent (Bushmen) with the rank of Company Sergeant Major.4 He served with the unit until 19 December 1900 when he joined the South African Constabulary as 43, Troop Sergeant Major.

He was mentioned in despatches for special good service in Captain Wood's attack on a laager south of Bronkhorstspruit on 16 August 1901.

The Gallantry Award was presented to Ogiivy by General Baden Powell.5

At the close of the war he joined the Police Service and served as instructor at the Heidelberg, Pretoria and Potschefstroom depots. Promoted to Warrant Officer, he served in the Barbel-ton and Swaziland districts and during 1906 he patrolled the Portuguese East African frontier.

In 1909, he returned to Australia and in January 1912, he married the lady to whom he had been engaged since before leaving for South Africa.

During the period prior to the First World War, he was a reporter for the Renmark Pioneer newspaper. He applied to join the Military Forces and, on 7 November 1914, he was allocated to D Company, 3rd Battalion, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force as a Second Lieutenant. He embarked for Rabaul from Sydney on HMAT Eastern on 28 November 1914.

He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 January 1915 and appointed District Officer and Commanding Officer Madang Garrison on 22 February 1915. The rank of Captain was attained on 22 October 1915. He returned to Australia on furlough on 31 January 1916 and resumed duty in Rabaul on 20 April 1916. He was discharged on 30 June 1917 to the Reserve of Officers, 4th Military District.

Noted as a hard worker, journalist, supporter or the Scouts and Military Forces, Walter Balfour-OgiIvy died on 3 May 1944, aged 69 years.

 

Awards to Walter Mansel Balfour-OgiIvy

 

 

Sources not mentioned in the text or footnotes

Various South Australian and Victorian newspapers. Southern Cross Scots, John Price.

Records of Australian Contingents to the War in South Africa, 1899-1902, Lt Co) P L Murray, editor.

South Australians and the South African War, G A Newbury.

Acknowledgments

The South Australian Genealogy and Heraldry Society.

Members of the Military Historical Society of Australia.

Mr Gordon Bickley of the South African Military Medals Society.

Lastly, those many people who replied to my requests for information on the Gallantry Award:

your interest was tremendous.

 

4 W M Balfour-Ogilvy's brother. Harry Lort Spencer Balfour Ogiivy served in the 2nd South Australian Contingent and was awarded the DCM. In World War f, he was a Major with the ANMEF. Details of the brother's World War 1 service can be found in the Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 Vol X, The Australians at Rabaul, S S Mackenzie.

^ Although notes and letters exist for Ogilvy's service throughout this period, I have been unable to connect the award with any particular action. The Award (medal or badge) is mentioned briefly in Baden-Powell's Letters from the Varsity of Life and Tim Jeal's The Boy Man. Unknown to any Society, Museum, Auction House, Dealer, Collector or Researcher I have contacted, it is hoped that papers on the award might come to light. It is rumoured that they might be found in some 40 boxes of non-indexed material in Pretoria.

- From Melbourne newspapers and Australian Army Guidons and Colours, A N Festberg. Corrections to page 24 of this book. The 16 ALH Regimental Banner is laid up in St Augustine's Church, Victor Harbor, South Australia, and the 17 ALH Regimental Banner is held in Jamestown, South Australia.

' MID London Gazette, 10 September 1901, p 5949. DCM London Gazette, 27 September 1901, p 6319. 2 Details of the action from The Seaforth Highlanders in South Africa, 1899-1902.

 

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