In International?? Nahhh, look closely...

[Chris Boonzaier]

I hope to get this soon... any of you imperial guys jealous???

[stogieman]

how the heck...

... did that happen? A Non-Combattant Afrika Service Medal, with bars , on a BRITISH group????

[Rick Research]

Oh, you lucky dog! Alas, I fear you will be paying through the nose on this beautiful (and I'm amazed he continued wearing it after the war!!!!) Fabled Treasure.

Let us know the recipient's name and unit when it arrives and THEN we will all howl in global harmonic sympathy with you over what it cost.

Because even a woodchopper like you wouldn't run out of fingers and toes to count on for the odds of turning up a German post-Herero-Hottentot War trans-border "mopping up" medal in a "British" group!

[stogieman]

The only odd thing...

... is that he's wearing a German award and a WW1 Victory medal?! I know German's stopped wearing "enemy" awards during WW1, wouldn't it be safe to assume a Brit would do the same??

[Dave Danner]

The sources I have say the force of the Cape Mounted Police which was sent into the Kalahari to pursue Jakob Marengo (AKA Morenga), the Nama (AKA Hottentot) guerrilla leader, numbered 60 men under Major F. A. H. Eliott. One was killed in action. That would seem to really limit the number of possible recipients.

[Chris Boonzaier]

The Kalahari 1907 bar was only awarded to British (South African) troops.
From what I have heard, the CMR option is one possibility, but there may also be a camel corps (transport) that got it. it is indeed by far the most expensive bar. (anyone that can give me an estimate on the price of a kalahari 1907 bar would be helping a lot)
I am still waiting on details as to the guys name.
If the guy was indeed in the CMR, which was renamed 1st South African Mounted Rifles by 1914 he would probably only have served in GSWA and not in France, as the SAMR were police units and stayed in South Africa after GSWA was over. In which case the French Medaille Militaire would have been awarded for GSWA (about 10 MM were awarded.

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Chris,

great find! Congratulations!
There is an article about that DSWA medal to British recipients in an old OMM magazine. Do You have it?

Beste Grüße

Daniel

[Klaus O.]

Chris,

That's a magnificent bar... I was thinking the same thing about wearing medals of your foe during WWI... But we know that everything could be possible. It depends on the wearer and what he decided to wear at last.

On the OEK catalogue (Nimmergut) the Kalahari 1907 bar is listed with a "*" (Sternchen), which it means that, because of its rarity, the price of such bar can not be given (no market price). It depends how much collectors are prepared pay.

My congratulations; that is truly an amanzigly well kept bar. I also like the French "medaille militaire"....

Ciao,

Claudio

[McCulloh]

There was an article on this bar in JOMSA. It's very rare, having been granted by the then Governor of German West Africa to the officers, men and NCOs of "S" squadren, Cape Mounted police. I just sent a copy of the article to Christian in fact. Its JOMSA vol.41, June, 1990 by Gordon McGregor.
This is an amazing group! I hope you get it.
Only 105 medals awarded, only 92 with the bar and most thrown away after 1914. It was made illegal to wear the bar in 1914. Interestingly, the bars were made in Windehoek by Richter & Nolle.
p. 42 of above quoted article...
"On November 21, 1907 the German Consul in Cape Town wrote the Governor of good Hope colony in which he asked for a name list of the members of 'S" squadren, Cape Mounted Police , led by Major F.A.H. Elliot, with a view of awarding them a medal (for the hunting down and extermination of the robber band led by Jakob Morenga). On December 13, 1907 the list was forwarded to the Consul and from thence to Berlin. The list contained 111 names and was signed by Major Elliot.
The award of the medal was sanctioned by the King (Ed VII) after he spoke with the Kaiser. Permission was also granted for its wear in uniform.
105 medals were given to the Cape Colony Governor on Jan. 23, 1909. The medal was to be awarded to those who had taken part in the final operation against Morenga. The six men not given the medal were non-European scouts.
The medal certificates were dated Windhuk the 22nd of August 1908" and signed by Major Maercker (the temporary troop commander in the Colony at the time, as his boss was on leave in Berlin)."

[Carsten126]

Very interesting indeed. This reminds one of the film Morenga, which was aired two years ago in 3 parts on the channel EINS FESTIVAL, really a great film about the small army in Southwest 1904-1907. As far as I can remember this scene was also in the film (where english soldiers met and helped the Schutztruppe against the Morenga army).

[Christian L]

oh chris,
the bar i've ever dreamed for
if you get it, please send me scans of the font, back and a closeup of the bar!

i couldn'd say more - DREAM
christian

[Gerd Becker]

WOW!!!
Thats a rare one. Congratulations for your find, chris. My tip for the price would be 700-800 Euro for the bar only.
Thanks a lot for sharing. A wonderful piece of history!
Gerd

[Christian L]

ok chris, clean out your pm box - its full.
so i post the text here until you cleaned your pm box.
sorry for the others its in german.

schönes stück - ja, ich bin neidisch! absolut!
ich würde für eine original spange - mit lasch, nicht mit splinten (und die auf der spange gefällt mir bis jetzt ganz gut - vielleicht noch bessere bilder).
ca. 1.000 euro - aber ein richtiger marktwert ist bei, ich glaube 92 spangen, nicht wirklich anzugeben.
ich weiß von insgesamt 3 verleihenen originalen.
ich glaube zwar nicht, das ein tommy nach dem kreig die deutsche medaille vor einer französischen getragen hätte - obwohl vorher verliehen.
und die bänder sehen auch neu aus.
aber wenn die randgravur stimmt - dann ists halt von einem nachfahren falsch zusammengestellt worden.
und extrem rar, da die englische regierung die medallien samt spangen bei beginn des 1. weltkrieges zur vernichtung eingefordert hat - wieviele übrig sind?????
hoff ich konnte etwas weiterhelfen.
gruß christian

[Gordon McGregor]

I hope to get this soon... any of you imperial guys jealous???

Chris,
My name is Gordon McGregor and i wrote the book on the Kalahari 1907 bar that was awarded to Imperial british forces for the operation against Morenga in the north of the Cape Colony in september 1907. at present i am revising my book because of new info received and will be bringing out an expanded version early in next year. What is the name on the medals?
You can contact me for further info anytime.

Gordon McGregor
Windhoek
Namibia

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Gordon,

the deal ended up by falling through...
But I still have a bunch of groups from your corner of the world...:-)