Very Different Silver War Badge Variation

[mtrpltpara]

Great example of Forum help.
Bill.

[sabrigade]

This is an example of a certificate issued by the South African authorities to confirm the award of a Silver War Badge. The certificates are very rare and are extremely difficult to find.

[sabrigade]

The difference that being able to positIvely identify the identity of the owner of a badge makes all the difference and obviously does not happen often in the fascinating field of badge collecting.

Pte James Jones attested on 10 August 1915 in the First South African Infantry Brigade. On attestation he confirmed his civilian occupation as a railway constructor.

By searching his records, however, more interesting facts came to light:

Jones had 8 years previous service in a Welsh Regiment and served in the Anglo-Boer War. He was entitled to both the Queen's South Africa and King's South Africa Medals.

At the outbreak of the rebellion in South Africa in 1914, Jones attested on 13August 1914. At the conclusion of the rebellion, Jones then served throughout the German South West African campaign.

A South African Infantry Brigade had been formed for service on the Western Front. Jones joined up and became a member of the 3rd South African Infantry Regiment. This regiment consisted of members from the Transvaal and former Rhodesia.

From their camp at Bordon in England, the South African Brigade was diverted to fight in North Africa before being sent to the Western Front.

Jones participated in the Senussi Campaign in North Africa and then went with the SA Brigade to France. It was in France that his true medical condition came to be known.

James Jones had been a gold miner for 3 years in Johannesburg and he had started suffering from shortness of breath and severe coughing because of the underground conditions in the gold mines. He was told to change his occupation for medical reasons.

He felt much better during the South West African campaign but started to suffer from severe coughing bouts in the North African campaign. He did not report his condition in Egypt but the bouts worsened when he arrived in France. He was transferred to England for medical reasons and was permanently discharged after being declared medically unfit for military service by a Medical Review Board.

His documents clearly state that his military character was " Very Good" and that he was a qualified signaller and a "reliable man". Jones was recommended for further employment in a munitions factory.

[Traist]

It is always grand to put all the pieces together. Good going William. Regards Andrew

[dumdum]

Hi

Just read through the posts here. This badge is flat-backed as early badges should be. There is a "domed" effect on later ones.
I would think that your fitting comes from something else like a medal ribbon bar and has been applied to make ABSOLUTELY sure that it wasn't going to be lost!
I have a few NZ badges: NZ 82 and NZ 159 but missed NZ 127 on eBay a few weeks back.
If anyone has any NZ-prefix badges from NZ 1 - NZ 200 I can help with identification of the recipient.
If you happen to have NZ 3, I'm your man as I have his medals (one that I DID get on eBay).
BTW, these early NZ issues seem to have been soldiers with NOK in England.

[Madziro]

Hullo SA Brigade

The certificate you posted as an example could well be that of Vic Clapham of Pietermaritzburg. I am under the impression that he was the bloke who started / founded the Comrades Marathon. His son was / is a prominent member of the MOTHS in PMB and was a WW2 veteran of the Natal Carbineers and SA Military Police.

Regards

Dudley

[sabrigade]

Hi Dudley,

Correct, it was confirmed by to have belonged to him.

[sabrigade]

Does anyone have the details of the recipients of SA128 and SA354?

Regards,

Will

[High Wood]

I think that you have an original badge which has had the original brooch fitting replaced with a commercially made screw fitting, probably after the original was damaged or for better security.

[Jelly Terror]

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[GTB]

Originally Posted by Jelly Terror

SA128 = 4255 L/Cpl Clive Swinford Meyer, Royal Malta Artillery. Enlisted: 16/08/1915 - Discharged 04/02/1917 (sickness). Discharge Unit: South Africa 1/S.A.I.

SA354 = 11420 Pte J.F.E. Coetser, Royal Malta Artillery. Enlisted: 07/02/1917 - Discharged: 25/01/1918 (sickness). Discharge Unit: South Africa S.A. Sig Coy

I was surprised to see the Royal Malta Artillery mentioned in regards of the above two servicemen and in conjunction with South Africa.
The names are definitely not Maltese and furthermore ranks in the Royal Malta Artillery would not be L/Cpl and Pte but rather Lance Bombardier and Gunner.
I would be interested to know further re this matter.

GTB

[Jelly Terror]

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[Old Smelly]

Originally Posted by GTB

I was surprised to see the Royal Malta Artillery mentioned in regards of the above two servicemen and in conjunction with South Africa.
The names are definitely not Maltese and furthermore ranks in the Royal Malta Artillery would not be L/Cpl and Pte but rather Lance Bombardier and Gunner.
I would be interested to know further re this matter.

GTB

I think it's the rank they held in the unit they were in when discharged, not in their original unit.
Lee

[sabrigade]

Thank you very much, I have issues accessing this site in South Sudan. This is the first "write-up" for my display:

4255 Lance-Corporal Clive Swinford Meyer was 22 years old when he joined the 1st South African Infantry Regiment on 2 September 1915. He had prior service in the Kaffrarian Rifles in C Company during the German South West Africa campaign. A clerk by profession, he was from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. He saw service in the Senussi campaign in 1916 and then entered the Western Front as part of his regiment. He was wounded on 16 July 1916 in the famous Battle of Delville Wood on 16 July 1916. “A shell exploded close to him while he was sleeping-he was blown up-wounded in left leg slightly and fracture right leg.” He was permanently discharged as medical unfit for further war service and he was awarded Silver War Badge SA 128. He was 23 years old. His service was aptly summarised by his superiors as “Thoroughly reliable soldier and competent clerk.”

[GTB]

Further to my misgivings as to the RMA connection, this assertion does not appear in the Badge cards but is mentioned in the Ancestry site. It would be interesting if the requisite records can be accessed to confirm this quandary.
Concerning Meyer, it has been established that he enlisted into, and was discharged from, the 1st SAI. Are there any records that prior to this he had enlisted into and been discharged from the Royal Malta Artillery? As it is, the Ancestry details are somewhat misleading.
The same goes for Coetser.

I hope there isn't something obvious that I'm missing here......

GTB