ww1 medals & insignia

[Tony B]

Hello all,
Pardon my ignorance in these matters.
Any help would be most appreciated in trying to establish which medals were awarded to ww1 South Africans. I assume the Victory Medal, and what else if any?

The recipient would have been Private Erenst Ebenezer Waspe, 14367 4th Regiment SA Infantry. Born 1888, Bathhurst, Eastern Cape.

He left South Africa 20 April 1917 on H.M.S. Euripedies. Sadly six months later almost to the day he was killed in action on 21 October 1917. He is one of 5 South Africans buried at St. Julien Dressing Cemetery, Belgium.

Also any other information about the battle he may have been involved in. The insignia worn by the 4th etc. would be helpful.
Thanks, Tony.

[Frank Kelley]

If he had served in GWSA he would have certainly been entitled to the 1914-15 Star, if not it would have just been the BWM and bi lingual AVM.
The 4th SAI wore the attached.

[Tony B]

Thanks Frank. A beautiful little collection you have.
Tony

[Frank Kelley]

They are very common badges and you would certainly have absolutely no issue in getting them, but, why the interest?
You man's papers and medal cards will be extant in Pretoria.

Originally Posted by Tony B

Thanks Frank. A beautiful little collection you have.
Tony

[Alex Rice]

Originally Posted by Frank Kelley

They are very common badges and you would certainly have absolutely no issue in getting them, but, why the interest?
You man's papers and medal cards will be extant in Pretoria.

Hi Frank
I'd have to disagree with that. The collar badges come up occasionally but the springbok head & thistle shoulder titles have become very rare and hard to find.
Cheers,
Alex

[Frank Kelley]

Are you in South Africa, Alex?

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by Frank Kelley

They are very common badges and you would certainly have absolutely no issue in getting them, but, why the interest?
You man's papers and medal cards will be extant in Pretoria.

Thanks once again Frank for your informative info.

E.E. Waspe was a nephew to my paternal great grandmother. I think I got that right.

Attached images that may be of interest.
1. News clipping from the E.P. Herald.
2. His burial place in St. Julien Dressing which was forwarded to me from another member 'Chipper' in France last year.

Do you have info on the appropriate contact in Pretoria?

Thanks once more, Tony.

[Tony B]

Would there have been a death plaque issued? OR is that something that had to be ordered/requested?
Tony

[Frank Kelley]

I would perhaps ask Audrey Portman to take a look at his papers if I you. from memory, she is at rhino.research@icon.co.za

Originally Posted by Tony B

Thanks once again Frank for your informative info.

E.E. Waspe was a nephew to my paternal great grandmother. I think I got that right.

Attached images that may be of interest.
1. News clipping from the E.P. Herald.
2. His burial place in St. Julien Dressing which was forwarded to me from another member 'Chipper' in France last year.

Do you have info on the appropriate contact in Pretoria?

Thanks once more, Tony.

[Frank Kelley]

With regard to the dates you mention, the SA Brigade was in the Monchy-Breton district at the end of April 1917, they were their divisional reserve in the Arras sector in June and provided two composite battalions to attack Greenland Hill, but were not needed, so the men returned to the brigade.
Your man would have been one of over one thousand four hundred men who had been sent in April to replace losses incurred on the Somme.
The strength of his regiment on the 3oth of June was given as 39 officers and 818 rank and file, it was the largest of the four regiments at that point in time.
In July the brigade returned to the Somme, on the 28th it went into the line at Trescault, it was a relative quiet area.

Afterwards, of course, came the wretched Third Ypres and by October just between the 13th and the 23rd alone, the brigade took over two hundred and sixty casualties, so dark days and it should be remembered these men were all volunteers, they did not have to do what they did.

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by Frank Kelley

The 4th SAI wore the attached.

Hi Frank and all,
In delving into this I have now discovered a 2nd relative. This one on my mothers side of the family.

13071 T.C.J. Bennette Coy. 1st Regt. SAI who died 24 March 1918 aged 21. He also served in East Africa.
He is buried at Pozieres Memorial Cemetery. I assume he died in the battle of the Somme.

As the 4th SAI was a Scottish affiliated division as shown in Franks badges pic. would I be correct in assuming that the 1st SAI which had no Scottish connection had the same insignia minus the tartan and thistle on the shoulder titles?

Cheers, Tony.

[Frank Kelley]

Good gracious me, Sunday the 24th of March, what a remarkable day that was, a really desperate fight at Marrieres Wood, the SA Brigade was down to only five hundred at that point.
The 4th SAI was a regiment, within the SA Brigade and not a division, regarding the badges, each regiment within the brigade had it's own collar badges and numeral worn with their SA/ZA brigade shoulder titles.

Originally Posted by Tony B

Hi Frank and all,
In delving into this I have now discovered a 2nd relative. This one on my mothers side of the family.

13071 T.C.J. Bennette Coy. 1st Regt. SAI who died 24 March 1918 aged 21. He also served in East Africa.
He is buried at Pozieres Memorial Cemetery. I assume he died in the battle of the Somme.

As the 4th SAI was a Scottish affiliated division as shown in Franks badges pic. would I be correct in assuming that the 1st SAI which had no Scottish connection had the same insignia minus the tartan and thistle on the shoulder titles?

Cheers, Tony.

[milhistry]

1 SAI wore the "goat-in-the-porthole" as cap badge in common with 2,3 & 4 SAI. Collar badges were a springbok face over a ribbon with motto. They were actually the inspiration for the "bokkop" badges worn by the SA Infantry Corps when it was created in the 1950s. Shoulder titles were either "South Africa -Inf-Zuid-Africa" or "SOUTH-AFRICA". The latter one more common in photos of officers.

[milhistry]

1 SAI wore the "goat-in-the-porthole" as cap badge in common with 2,3 & 4 SAI. Collar badges were a springbok face over a ribbon with motto. They were actually the inspiration for the "bokkop" badges worn by the SA Infantry Corps when it was created in the 1950s. Shoulder titles were either "South Africa -Inf-Zuid-Africa" or "SOUTH-AFRICA". The latter one more common in photos of officers but they didn't always seam to wear them so I don't know how official they were.

[milhistry]

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205389083