Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog |
|
|---|---|
South African Republic and Orange Free State sides
|
|
| Country |  South Africa |
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Eligibility | Boer military veterans |
| Awarded for | Campaign service |
| Campaign(s) | 1899–1902 Anglo Boer War |
| Status | Discontinued in 1946 |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1920 |
| South African order of wear | |
| Next (higher) |  Queen's South Africa Medal |
| Next (lower) |  Lint voor Verwonding |
.png){kind=small} .png){kind=small} SAR and OFS ribbon bar orientations |
|
The Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog (which means "Medal for the Anglo-Boer War") is a special military medal from South Africa. It was created on 21 December 1920. This medal was given to Boer soldiers and officers who fought in the Second Boer War between 1899 and 1902.
Contents
Why the Medal Was Created
The Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog was first called De Zuidafrikaanse Republiek- en Oranje Vrijstaat Oorlogsmedalje. It was made official in December 1920. This medal was a way to honour Boer soldiers who fought for the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State. They fought against the British in the Second Boer War, which lasted from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902.
The Boer Republics did not have their own awards for bravery. After the British won the war, Boer soldiers who later joined the Union Defence Forces (UDF) did not have medals. This was different from their fellow South African soldiers who had fought on the British side. Those soldiers had many medals.
In 1913, a military leader named Colonel Skinner noticed this difference. He thought it was unfair that brave Boer officers had no medals. He asked for this to be fixed. However, the First World War started, so nothing happened right away. Finally, in 1920, this medal was created. Two other awards, the Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst and the Lint voor Verwonding, were also created at the same time.
Who Received the Medal
To get the Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog, soldiers had to meet certain rules. They had to have fought in the Boer forces between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. They also had to have stayed in the Boer army until 31 May 1902. This meant they could not have surrendered or sworn loyalty to the British before that date.
Also, the soldiers had to be serving in the Union Defence Forces. Or, they had to be available to join the army if needed. The first medal was given out on 28 October 1921.
Over time, the rules became a bit less strict. Later, soldiers could get the medal if they could prove they fought against the British. They still had to show they did not surrender or swear loyalty before 31 May 1902. This allowed more soldiers, who were first left out, to receive the medal.
About 100,000 Boer citizens fought in the war. But only about 13,800 medals were given out. This might be because almost 20 years passed between the end of the war and when the medal was created. Also, soldiers had to apply for the medal themselves.
Some foreign volunteers who fought for the Boers also received this medal. This included soldiers from the Hollander Corps, Scandinavian Corps, German Commando, and Irish Brigade. Nineteen medals were also given to women. Most of these women were trained nurses. Two were school teachers who helped as volunteer nurses.
How the Medal Was Worn
In South Africa, the Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog was worn in a specific order. It was placed after the Queen's South Africa Medal. It was worn before the Lint voor Verwonding. The Lint voor Verwonding is also a campaign medal, even though it does not have a medal attached to it.
- It was worn after the Queen's South Africa Medal.
- It was worn before the Lint voor Verwonding.
What the Medal Looks Like
The medal is made of silver and is shaped like a flat circle. It is about 3.65 centimetres (1.44 inches) across and 0.32 centimetres (0.13 inches) thick. It hangs from a bar at the top. The soldier's rank, first initial, and last name are carved into the edge of the medal.
Two Sides, Equal Importance
This medal is special because neither side is considered the "back." Both sides are equally important. Each side has a decorative border. Around the edge, it says "ANGLO-BOERE OORLOG" at the top and "1899 • 1902" at the bottom.
One side shows the coat of arms (like a national symbol) of the South African Republic. The other side shows the coat of arms of the Orange Free State. This design allowed each soldier to wear the medal showing the symbol of the state they fought for.
The Ribbon
The ribbon for the medal is about 3.18 centimetres (1.25 inches) wide. It has the combined colours of the two former Boer Republics. The official colours were red, green, white, blue, and orange. However, the orange colour on the actual ribbons often looks yellow.
If a soldier fought for the South African Republic, they wore the ribbon with the green band on the left. It had a green band (11.5 mm wide), a red band (3 mm wide), a white band (3 mm wide), a blue band (3 mm wide), and an orange band (11.5 mm wide). If a soldier fought for the Orange Free State, they wore the ribbon and medal turned around, so the orange (yellow) band was on the left.
When the Medal Stopped Being Awarded
The original deadline to apply for the medal was 30 June 1921. But this rule was not always followed strictly. The very last group of twelve Medalje voor de Anglo-Boere Oorlog medals was given out in 1982. This was 80 years after the war ended!
One of these last medals went to a soldier named Burgher Herman Carel Lubbe. He joined the Fauresmith Commando when he was only twelve years old. This happened after his mother was sent to a concentration camp. He received his medal on 24 January 1983 in his hometown of Carolina.
