King's South Africa Medal
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The King's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to all British and Colonial military personnel who served in the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
in South Africa, and who were in the theatre on or after 1 January 1902 and who had completed 18 months service in the conflict prior to 1 June 1902.North East Medals Medal Guide: King's South Africa Medal 1901–02
(Retrieved 2015-03-14)


Institution

The fourth campaign medal relating to the Second Boer War, and the second which could be awarded for service in South Africa, the King's South Africa Medal was instituted in 1902 and was the first British campaign medal to be instituted by King
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...
. Recipients had to have served in the theatre of war between 1 January 1902 and 31 May 1902 and completed 18 months service in the conflict, not necessarily continuous, prior to 1 June 1902. The medal was never awarded singly, but was always paired with the
Queen's South Africa Medal The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...
.Veterans Affairs Canada – King's South Africa Medal
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(Retrieved 2015-03-13)


The Second Boer War

The medal recognised service in the difficult latter phases of the war and rewarded those who, by their long service in the field, had brought the campaign to a successful conclusion. Poor logistics over very long supply lines and disease, combined with having to fight against a disciplined and capable enemy of excellent horsemen and marksmen who had perfected guerrilla warfare, made this a hard-won medal. In addition to men often having had to go without basics such as food and water,
enteric fever Enteric fever is a medical term encompassing two types of salmonellosis, which, specifically, are typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever. Enteric fever is a potentially life-threatening acute febrile systemic infection and is diagnosed by isolating ...
killed several thousand and was a constant drain on manpower. Published casualty rolls run to over 50,000 names, while studies of contemporary publications and reports put the actual figure for all casualties, including caused by disease, at 97,000.North East Medals Medal Guide: The Queen's South Africa Medal 1899 – 1902
(Retrieved 2015-03-13)


Award criteria


The medal

The King's South Africa Medal was awarded only to those troops on active service during 1902, and who had served for at least 18 months by the end of the war on 31 May 1902. This service did not have to be continuous. For example, men who were invalided out of South Africa prior to January 1902 but who returned and served any time between January 1902 and May 1902 received the medal, provided they had completed the 18 months aggregate qualifying service.


Clasps

Two clasps were awarded: * "SOUTH AFRICA 1901" – For service in South Africa between 1 January 1901 and 31 December 1901. * "SOUTH AFRICA 1902" – For service in South Africa between 1 January 1902 and 31 May 1902. While the qualifying criteria meant that most King's South Africa Medals were awarded with both clasps, there were exceptions. Those who served in South Africa but left in 1900, for example due to wounds, and who returned in 1902 would receive the medal with the 1902 clasp only, providing they had completed a total of eighteen months service. Nursing sisters qualified for the medal, but not the clasps, being the only recipients to receive the medal without a clasp. Those who qualified for the 1901 and 1902 clasps, but not for the King's South Africa Medal, received the clasps with the Queen's South Africa Medal.AngloBoerWar.com – Queen's South Africa Medal
(Retrieved 2015-03-13)
(Retrieved 2015-03-13)


Recipients

Even with continuous service, a recipient would have had to have served from 1 December 1900 to have 18 months service before the war ended on 31 May 1902. As a result, the majority of participants qualified for the award of the Queen's South Africa Medal only.''Campaign Medals of the British Army 1815–1972'' by Robert W. Gould (1972, Arms and Armour Press, London). p. 50. While most of those qualifying for the King's South Africa Medal served with the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, a number of others also received the medal: Service afloat off South Africa did not qualify, with only 31 medals awarded to the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. By 1902 most contingents from the
Dominion A dominion was any of several largely self-governance, self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of self-governing colony, colon ...
s had returned home, with only 154 medals awarded to Canadian forces and approximately 200 to New Zealanders. A total of 587 nursing sisters received the medal without clasp, including six New Zealand nurses, among which
Janet Gillies Janet Gillies (31 January 1864 – 24 July 1947) was a New Zealand civilian and military nurse, army nursing administrator. She was born in Whanganui, New Zealand, on 31 January 1864. Between 1899 and 1902 she served as a nurse in the Second Boer ...
.


Description

The King's South Africa Medal is a silver disk, in diameter and thick. ;Obverse The obverse shows
King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...
, in Field Marshal's uniform and facing left, with the legend "EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR" around the upper perimeter. ;Reverse The reverse shows
Britannia The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...
holding the
Union Flag The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...
in her left hand and a
laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...
in her right hand. In the right background are troops marching inland from the coast. In the left background are two
men-of-war In Royal Navy jargon, a man-of-war (also man-o'-war, or simply man) was a powerful warship or frigate of the 16th to the 19th century, that was frequently used in Europe. Although the term never acquired a specific meaning, it was usually rese ...
, with Neptune's Trident and Britannia's shield on the ground in the foreground. Around the top perimeter are the words "SOUTH AFRICA". The reverse is identical to the third version reverse of the Queen's South Africa Medal, with the wreath almost touching the "F" of "AFRICA". ;Clasps The clasps were attached to the suspender and to each other in
roller chain Roller chain or bush roller chain is the type of chain drive most commonly used for transmission of mechanical power on many kinds of domestic, industrial and agricultural machinery, including conveyors, wire- and tube-drawing machines, pr ...
fashion with rivets. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with an 11 millimetres wide green band, a 10 millimetres wide white band and an 11 millimetres wide orange band. As was often done with subsequent campaign medals, the colours of the ribbon represent those of the countries in which the campaign took place, green and white for the
South African Republic The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...
and orange and white for the
Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( ; ) was an independent Boer-ruled sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeated and surrendered to the British Em ...
. ;Naming The recipient's name and details were impressed on the rim of the medal, with some officer's medals engraved.


Order of wear

Campaign medals are not listed by name in the order of wear prescribed by the British
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, or simply the Central Chancery, is an office of the Lord Chamberlain's department within the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the administration of orde ...
, but are grouped together as taking precedence after the
Queen's Medal for Chiefs Queens is a borough of New York City. Queens or Queen's may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Queens (group), a Polish musical group * "Queens" (song), a 2018 song by Saara Aalto * ''Queens'' (novel), by Stephen Pickles, 1984 * "Queens", ...
and before the
Polar Medal The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom to individuals who have outstanding achievements in the field of polar research, and particularly for those who have worked over extended periods in harsh climates. It w ...
s, in order of the date of the campaign for which awarded. Second Boer War campaign medals are worn after the
Ashanti Medal The Ashanti Medal was sanctioned in October 1901 and was the first campaign medal authorised by Edward VII. This medal was created for those troops engaged in the Third Ashanti Expedition, also known as the War of the Golden Stool. This expedition ...
and before the Africa General Service Medal and in the following order: * The
Queen's South Africa Medal The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...
. * The Queen's Mediterranean Medal. * The
Transport Medal The Transport Medal was a British campaign medal sanctioned on 8 November 1903 and awarded by the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty. It was awarded to masters and officers of merchant ships employed by the Transport Service to move troops to ei ...
. * The King's South Africa Medal.


South Africa

Even though the Boer Republic awards for the Anglo-Boer War, the '' Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst'' (Decoration for Loyal Service) and the two campaign awards, the '' Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog'' (Anglo Boer War Medal) and the ''
Lint voor Verwonding The ''Lint voor Wonden'' (Wound Riband, also ''Lint voor Verwonding'') is a South African military campaign award. It was instituted on 21 December 1920 as a retrospective award for Boer veteran officers and men of the 1899–1902 Second Boer W ...
'' (Wound Ribbon), were instituted on behalf of King
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...
by the Governor General of the Union of South Africa, the ''Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst'' is not listed in the British order of wear and the two campaign awards would therefore most likely also have been excluded. The South African order of precedence of the Second Boer War campaign medals, in order of the date of the campaign for which awarded, is as follows: * The Queen's South Africa Medal. * The '' Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog''. * The ''
Lint voor Verwonding The ''Lint voor Wonden'' (Wound Riband, also ''Lint voor Verwonding'') is a South African military campaign award. It was instituted on 21 December 1920 as a retrospective award for Boer veteran officers and men of the 1899–1902 Second Boer W ...
''. * The King's South Africa Medal. In the South African order of wear, in respect of British campaign medals applicable to South Africa, the King's South Africa Medal takes precedence before the
Natal Native Rebellion Medal The Natal Native Rebellion Medal was a British campaign medal. It was authorised in 1907 for service in Natal during a Zulu revolt against British rule and taxation in 1906. The 1906 Clasp to the medal was awarded to those who had served for mo ...
. On 6 April 1952 the Union of South Africa instituted its own range of military decorations and medals. These new awards were worn before all earlier British decorations and medals awarded to South Africans, with the exception of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
, which still took precedence before all other awards. Of the official British campaign medals which were applicable to South Africans, the King's South Africa Medal took precedence as shown.Government Notice no. 1982 of 1 October 1954 – ''Order of Precedence of Orders, Decorations and Medals'', published in the Government Gazette of 1 October 1954.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, * Preceded by the ''
Lint voor Verwonding The ''Lint voor Wonden'' (Wound Riband, also ''Lint voor Verwonding'') is a South African military campaign award. It was instituted on 21 December 1920 as a retrospective award for Boer veteran officers and men of the 1899–1902 Second Boer W ...
'' (Wound Ribbon). * Succeeded by the
Natal Native Rebellion Medal The Natal Native Rebellion Medal was a British campaign medal. It was authorised in 1907 for service in Natal during a Zulu revolt against British rule and taxation in 1906. The 1906 Clasp to the medal was awarded to those who had served for mo ...
.


See also

*
Cape Copper Company Medal for the Defence of O'okiep In the Colonies and Boer Republics which became the Union of South Africa in 1910, several unofficial military decorations and medals were instituted and awarded during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The Cape Copper Company Medal fo ...
* Kimberley Star


References

{{South African military decorations and medals British campaign medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa pre-1952 Second Boer War