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  #1  
Old 29-07-08, 09:38 PM
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orasot orasot is online now
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Default C.s.a.r.v

Hi Chaps, Can any of our South African friends shed any light on the C.S.A.R.V. - Central South African Railway Volunteers. I was told they were the forerunner for the South African Motor Cyclist Corps. Any info would be greatly appreciated, the badges came to me as part of a very old collection.
All the best, Wilf.
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File Type: jpg CENTRAL SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAY VOLUNTEERS.jpg (73.2 KB, 59 views)
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  #2  
Old 07-08-08, 05:31 PM
natal01 natal01 is offline
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According to Tyldens book, The Armed Forces of South Africa , the CSARV started life as the Imperial Military Railway Volunteer Corps. This was the military "home" for all the civilian railway employees during the Boer War. In December 1902 the name changed to the Central South African Railway Volunteers and was known as such until 1906 when the name changed yet again to the Central South African Railway Corps. This name only lasted for a short time until the unit became the Central South African Railway Engineer Corps, which better reflected their duties as engineers serving armoured trains. This name endured until 1913, when the unit seems to have been disbanded. It was never a very big unit.
The SA Motor Cyclists Corps was around from 1916 to 1918 and its badge was the winged wheel used variously by the Railways and Harbours Brigade and the CSARV.
The badges are very nicely struck and dont turn up all that often, which , I suppose , is not all that surprising given the size of the unit.
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Old 07-08-08, 07:41 PM
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Natal01,
Thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed response, excellent info. The badges were part of a collection I got from a relative of an old Firmin employee, I have shown various other badges from this collection in some other threads. You are right, all these badges are very nicely struck. Thanks again, & welcome to the forum, all the best, Wilf.
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  #4  
Old 10-08-08, 06:06 AM
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Brian Conyngham Brian Conyngham is offline
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The similarity between the CSARV and the SAMCC was that they were both staffed largely by railwaymen and the SAMCC badge was based on the CSARV badge which in turn had been based on the old Boer Republic NZASM Railways badge.

See attached photo of SAMCC badge in my collection.

Info below sourced from http://orangemarmtrading.com/SA_Railway_History.html will help explain this situation a little better, I hope:

1902 - Central South African Railways. The Imperial Military Railways proceeded to assume control of all lines in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, thereby also absorbing the NZASM, and it eventually became the Central South African Railways (CSAR), under the control of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Girouard.

1916 - South African Railways and Harbours. The Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, consisting of the four former colonies, the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River and Transvaal. As a self-governing state of the British Empire, the Union remained under the formal rule of the British crown, represented in South Africa by a Governor-General. All railways in South Africa finally became a unified state-owned railway system in 1916 when the Central South African Railways, the Cape Government Railways and the Natal Government Railways were all merged by an Act of Parliament. Thus was born the South African Railways and Harbours (SAR&H). Later, when commercial aviation developed, the South African Airways also became a part of this huge land, sea and air transport system.

In WW2 the Railways and Harbour Brigade once again based their badge on the "winged loco wheel".
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File Type: jpg SAMCC cyclist cap.jpg (20.5 KB, 29 views)

Last edited by Brian Conyngham; 10-08-08 at 06:29 AM.
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Old 17-08-08, 08:50 PM
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Thanks Brian, all the best, Wilf.
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  #6  
Old 18-08-08, 01:10 PM
7923BSAP 7923BSAP is offline
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Have just acquired this badge and collars for my collection; Tyndale is the only reference I have been able to find thus far quoted already by Natal 1
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