I was looking through some of the back pages of the Commonwealth forum,
yesterday, and found a number of terrific threads started by Tony
Farrell on the subject of Victorian medals. Basically Tony detailed
the campaigns behind each medal and showed an example of the obverse
and reverse of the medal in question.
I'm going to attempt to do the same today with one that Tony didn't
mention, the South Africa 1853 medal for the Kaffir Wars. As I don't
have the computer-like brain that Tony has I'm getting all of my
references from Everson, Mayo, and Gordon.
The obverse, designed by William Wyon, features the diameded head of
Queen Victoria (ie: the young profile with the tiara) surrounded by the
legend VICTORIA REGINA (she was not Empress of India yet so no ET
IMPERATRIX).
The reverse, designed by Leonard Wyon (modeller and engraver to the
Royal Mint and son of William Wyon) has been the centre of some debate
and controversy over the years. Many, including Major L.L. Gordon -
author of "British Battles and Medals", think that it is of a lion
stooping to drink in front of a Proteus bush (a bush very common to
South Africa). In fact, according to Everson, the lion - representing
Africa - is prostrating itself in a token of submission; in heraldic
terms it is "Couchant". It is interesting to note that the
Undersecretary of State for War at the time, Sir Frederick Peel (son
of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel and brother of Sir William Peel, VC)
wrote that "I hope the Lion doing penance will not be taken for the
British Lion". I have read that some did take it for this and thus the
controversy - however this is clearly not the case.
The Kaffir Wars are some of the least known of Victorian Britain's
"small" 19th Century wars. The last of the campaigns predate the more
famous Zulu and Basuto Wars by some 20-odd years. Nevertheless,
despite not having a regiment wiped out, as at Isandhlwana, or mounting
an epic defence as at Rorke's Drift, the British soldiers and Native
levies experienced incredible hardships while fighting a well-armed,
fierce, and brave enemy. Medals were only issued to survivors and some
10 210 were issued (out of 10 500 struck).
The medal covers three campaigns: 1834-5, 1846-7, and 1850-3. There
were no bars issued for the medal and the only way of finding out which
campaign a medal was awarded for is to check the man's name on the
rolls. The exergue of the reverse is dated 1853 - the year the last
campaign ended.
The first campaign was essentially a punitive expedition. I love this
term. Essentially, the natives get uppity and the British Army is sent
in to give the buggers a good thrashing, then it's back to Pimms and
cricket. In this case the natives, under Chief Hintza, raided the
Portuguese port at Delgoa Bay in December 1834, killed the Governor and
startd raiding into British Kaffraria. After a ride of 600 miles in 6
days, Sir Harry Smith arrived to put things right. By April 1835,
Hintza was captured and peace treaties were signed - Hintza is later
killed while trying to escape. The first campaign was over but native
raids continued over the next several years - and British troops saw
some action during that period.
In March 1846, 40 warriors under Chief Tola attack an escort taking a
Kaffir prisoner to trial on charges of stealing an axe. A Hottentot
prisoner to whom the other was manacled was killed, and thus began the
2nd campaign - also known as the War of the Axe (I'm not making this
stuff up - don't ever steal tools from the British Army!!) Anyway,
those pesky natives were now better armed and some were equipped as
well as the British soldiers. Two divisions were sent to Kaffirland
and encountered stronger than expected resistance. However, on June
8th the massed warriors of two tribes are caught out in the open and
suffer heavy losses at the Battle of Guanga. By November, the chiefs
starting to surrender one by one, the war is felt to be over. However,
occasional raiding by natives continues the war until constant
patrolling, between July-October of 1847, by British regulars starves
the Kaffir tribes. The two main chiefs surrender and the axe thief is
returned to British custody....and everything is Pimms and cricket
again.
That is until October 1850 when the Kaffir tribes began adopting an
increasingly warlike attitude. Sir Harry Smith meets with the chiefs
and deposes the main instigator, Sandili. Smith returns to the Cape
convinced he has settled things. Two months later 40 settlers are
murdered and the 3rd campaign starts. The Kaffir warriors escape to
the mountains and begin a 3 year campaign of hard fighting in
mountainous and wooded terrain. This made things very difficult for
the British forces but, over time, also divided the Kaffir rebels and
forced their eventual surrender in March 1853.
Of note, disaster struck British troops arriving in South Africa when the troopship Birkenhead struck a rock and sank on February 26th, 1852. The bravery and discipline of the British troops, who were told to stand fast in
ranks to allow civilians to take to the lifeboats first - and did as
they were ordered with great calmness, so impressed King William of
Prussia that he had the story read out in every Prussian barracks.
Anyway, that's my take on the South Africa 1853 medal - I think it's
certainly one of the most interesting of the Victorian medals and
definitely not common. The example below is named to Absalom Hale,
Private in the 2nd Regiment of Foot. I'll tell his story later, but
now it's time for bed!
My sources for this write up are listed below - I'd like to hear
comments from anyone - I'm sure I missed quite a bit - I stand here, waiting to be corrected.
sources:
Everson, G.R. "The South Africa 1853 Medal". London: Samson Books
Ltd., 1978.
Gordon, Major L.L. "British Battles and Medals: Campaign Medals from
1588". Aldershot: Wellington Press, 1962.
Mayo, J.H. "Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy"
Westminster: Archibald Constable and Company, 1897. reprinted by Naval
yesterday, and found a number of terrific threads started by Tony
Farrell on the subject of Victorian medals. Basically Tony detailed
the campaigns behind each medal and showed an example of the obverse
and reverse of the medal in question.
I'm going to attempt to do the same today with one that Tony didn't
mention, the South Africa 1853 medal for the Kaffir Wars. As I don't
have the computer-like brain that Tony has I'm getting all of my
references from Everson, Mayo, and Gordon.
The obverse, designed by William Wyon, features the diameded head of
Queen Victoria (ie: the young profile with the tiara) surrounded by the
legend VICTORIA REGINA (she was not Empress of India yet so no ET
IMPERATRIX).
The reverse, designed by Leonard Wyon (modeller and engraver to the
Royal Mint and son of William Wyon) has been the centre of some debate
and controversy over the years. Many, including Major L.L. Gordon -
author of "British Battles and Medals", think that it is of a lion
stooping to drink in front of a Proteus bush (a bush very common to
South Africa). In fact, according to Everson, the lion - representing
Africa - is prostrating itself in a token of submission; in heraldic
terms it is "Couchant". It is interesting to note that the
Undersecretary of State for War at the time, Sir Frederick Peel (son
of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel and brother of Sir William Peel, VC)
wrote that "I hope the Lion doing penance will not be taken for the
British Lion". I have read that some did take it for this and thus the
controversy - however this is clearly not the case.
The Kaffir Wars are some of the least known of Victorian Britain's
"small" 19th Century wars. The last of the campaigns predate the more
famous Zulu and Basuto Wars by some 20-odd years. Nevertheless,
despite not having a regiment wiped out, as at Isandhlwana, or mounting
an epic defence as at Rorke's Drift, the British soldiers and Native
levies experienced incredible hardships while fighting a well-armed,
fierce, and brave enemy. Medals were only issued to survivors and some
10 210 were issued (out of 10 500 struck).
The medal covers three campaigns: 1834-5, 1846-7, and 1850-3. There
were no bars issued for the medal and the only way of finding out which
campaign a medal was awarded for is to check the man's name on the
rolls. The exergue of the reverse is dated 1853 - the year the last
campaign ended.
The first campaign was essentially a punitive expedition. I love this
term. Essentially, the natives get uppity and the British Army is sent
in to give the buggers a good thrashing, then it's back to Pimms and
cricket. In this case the natives, under Chief Hintza, raided the
Portuguese port at Delgoa Bay in December 1834, killed the Governor and
startd raiding into British Kaffraria. After a ride of 600 miles in 6
days, Sir Harry Smith arrived to put things right. By April 1835,
Hintza was captured and peace treaties were signed - Hintza is later
killed while trying to escape. The first campaign was over but native
raids continued over the next several years - and British troops saw
some action during that period.
In March 1846, 40 warriors under Chief Tola attack an escort taking a
Kaffir prisoner to trial on charges of stealing an axe. A Hottentot
prisoner to whom the other was manacled was killed, and thus began the
2nd campaign - also known as the War of the Axe (I'm not making this
stuff up - don't ever steal tools from the British Army!!) Anyway,
those pesky natives were now better armed and some were equipped as
well as the British soldiers. Two divisions were sent to Kaffirland
and encountered stronger than expected resistance. However, on June
8th the massed warriors of two tribes are caught out in the open and
suffer heavy losses at the Battle of Guanga. By November, the chiefs
starting to surrender one by one, the war is felt to be over. However,
occasional raiding by natives continues the war until constant
patrolling, between July-October of 1847, by British regulars starves
the Kaffir tribes. The two main chiefs surrender and the axe thief is
returned to British custody....and everything is Pimms and cricket
again.
That is until October 1850 when the Kaffir tribes began adopting an
increasingly warlike attitude. Sir Harry Smith meets with the chiefs
and deposes the main instigator, Sandili. Smith returns to the Cape
convinced he has settled things. Two months later 40 settlers are
murdered and the 3rd campaign starts. The Kaffir warriors escape to
the mountains and begin a 3 year campaign of hard fighting in
mountainous and wooded terrain. This made things very difficult for
the British forces but, over time, also divided the Kaffir rebels and
forced their eventual surrender in March 1853.
Of note, disaster struck British troops arriving in South Africa when the troopship Birkenhead struck a rock and sank on February 26th, 1852. The bravery and discipline of the British troops, who were told to stand fast in
ranks to allow civilians to take to the lifeboats first - and did as
they were ordered with great calmness, so impressed King William of
Prussia that he had the story read out in every Prussian barracks.
Anyway, that's my take on the South Africa 1853 medal - I think it's
certainly one of the most interesting of the Victorian medals and
definitely not common. The example below is named to Absalom Hale,
Private in the 2nd Regiment of Foot. I'll tell his story later, but
now it's time for bed!
My sources for this write up are listed below - I'd like to hear
comments from anyone - I'm sure I missed quite a bit - I stand here, waiting to be corrected.
sources:
Everson, G.R. "The South Africa 1853 Medal". London: Samson Books
Ltd., 1978.
Gordon, Major L.L. "British Battles and Medals: Campaign Medals from
1588". Aldershot: Wellington Press, 1962.
Mayo, J.H. "Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy"
Westminster: Archibald Constable and Company, 1897. reprinted by Naval
and Military Press.
Rest assured, when that cheque from the Islamabad Institute for Testicular Research comes a flappin' through my letterbox, I'll pencil one in. In fact, it's already pencilled in... in bright red marker pen: along with an East & West, Northwest Canada, New Zealand, Ashantee, and some early Afghan & Scinde gongs.
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