19-468: South Africa Medal may refer to: South Africa Medal (1853) South Africa Medal (1880) See also [ edit ] Queen's South Africa Medal (1899-1902) King's South Africa Medal (1899-1902) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title South Africa Medal . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
38-491: A 4 millimetres wide dark blue band, a 3 millimetres wide golden yellow band and a ½ millimetre wide dark blue band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 12 millimetres wide golden yellow band. Army Order No. 103 of August 1880 instituted a new South Africa Medal . While it made no mention of any change in the design of the South Africa Medal (1853), the year "1853" was replaced in the new medal's reverse exergue by
57-647: A military trophy, consisting of a Zulu ox-hide shield and four crossed assegais . The obverse of the new medal is identical to that of the South Africa Medal (1853). Campaign medals are not listed by name in the order of wear prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood , but are grouped together as taking precedence after the Queen's Medal for Chiefs and before the Polar Medals , in order of
76-590: A retaliatory campaign. The 1846–47 and 1851–53 campaigns were both fought against the Gaika tribe of King Sandile kaNgqika , who resented British land encroachments and had recently begun to receive fire-arms. On 26 February 1852 the troopship HMS Birkenhead struck a rock off what is now Gansbaai in the Western Cape while transporting reinforcing troops to Algoa Bay . The ship sank within 20 minutes and, since there were not enough serviceable lifeboats for all
95-655: Is a campaign medal instituted in 1854, for award to officers and men of the Royal Navy , British Army and locally recruited Cape Mounted Riflemen , who served in the Cape of Good Hope during the Xhosa Wars (called the ' Kaffir Wars' at the time) between 1834 and 1853. In 1854, Queen Victoria instituted the South Africa Medal for award to members of the Royal Navy, British Army and local forces who had served in any one of three of
114-487: Is inscribed "SOUTH AFRICA" around the top perimeter and has the year "1853" in the exergue . The name of engraver L.C. Wyon is inscribed at the bottom, below the year. The name and regiment of the recipient is impressed on the rim in block Roman capitals , in the same style as found on the Military General Service Medal . The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 2½ millimetres wide golden yellow band,
133-509: The 57th Regiment in 1828, the 8th Hussars in 1830 and the 1st Dragoon Guards in 1838. Cathcart was promoted to colonel in 1841, and on 11 November 1851 was promoted to Major-General . In 1852 to 1853, as Governor of the Cape of Good Hope , he granted the first constitution to the colony, ending the 8th Cape Frontier War and defeating the Basutos at the Battle of Berea . In July 1853 Cathcart
152-453: The Basuto of King Moshoeshoe I in an effort to recover stolen cattle. The expedition culminated in the Battle of Berea , the survivors of which received the South Africa Medal (which bore the date 1853) in 1855. The medal was struck in silver and is a disk, 36 millimetres in diameter, with a swivelling suspender. Designed by William Wyon and his son Leonard Charles Wyon , with the dies for
171-456: The Battle of Balaclava , where his division was called into action, his dormant commission was revoked. He advised an infantry assault on Sevastopol , thinking it could be taken, but was turned down by Lord Raglan. He took command of the 1st Brigade during the Battle of Inkerman , where there was great confusion, was told to "Support the Guards", and then led his men too far, and was shot through
190-623: The South African Xhosa Wars on the Eastern Frontier of the Cape of Good Hope. The South Africa Medal (1853) was awarded to surviving participants in one or more of three campaigns in the eastern Cape of Good Hope and the Battle of Berea : At the time these were known as the First, Second and Third Kaffir Wars. No clasps were awarded, therefore it is not possible to determine which of
209-763: The date of the campaign for which awarded. 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 , which still took precedence before all other awards. The South Africa Medal (1853) is the oldest official British campaign medal applicable to South Africa, and takes precedence as shown below. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] George Cathcart Major-General Hon. Sir George Cathcart GCB (12 May 1794 – 5 November 1854)
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#1732856185813228-477: The heart while charging up a hill with a company of 50 men from the 20th Regiment of Foot on 5 November 1854. On 12 May 1824, Cathcart married his first and second cousin Lady Georgiana Greville (died 12 December 1871), daughter of Louisa Cathcart and Hon. Robert Fulke Greville . They had one son and seven daughters who all died unmarried. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from
247-415: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Africa_Medal&oldid=944783845 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages South Africa Medal (1853) The South Africa Medal (1853)
266-449: The medal engraved by Leonard Charles Wyon . The medal's obverse displays the diademed head of Queen Victoria, facing left. The medal is inscribed "VICTORIA" at left and "REGINA" at right around the perimeter. The name of designer W. Wyon is inscribed on the truncation of the Queen's neck. The reverse shows a crouching lion on a plinth in front of a protea bush with a single flower. The medal
285-457: The passengers, the soldiers aboard stood fast rather than escape, allowing the women and children to reach the lifeboats in safety. Of the 639 persons on board, only 193 survived. A number of the survivors were soldiers who went on to serve in South Africa and receive this medal. In December 1852, a British force under Major-General Sir George Cathcart engaged in a punitive expedition against
304-615: The wars any particular medal was awarded for, without reference to the appropriate medal rolls. The 1834–36 campaign began with a response to a Xhosa cattle raid when, on 11 December 1834, a Cape Government Commando party killed a chief of high rank. This incensed the Xhosa and an army of 10,000 men swept across the frontier into the Cape of Good Hope, pillaged and burned homesteads and killed all who resisted. In response, Boer commandos under Piet Retief , Burgher and Khoikhoi commandos and British Imperial troops which arrived via Algoa Bay launched
323-656: Was a Scottish general and diplomat. He was killed in action at the Battle of Inkerman during the Crimean War . Cathcart was born in Renfrewshire , son of William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart . After receiving his education at Eton and in Edinburgh , he was commissioned into the Life Guards in 1810. In 1813 he went to Russia to serve as aide-de-camp to his father, who was ambassador and military commissioner. George Cathcart
342-690: Was made KCB . In 1853 he was appointed Adjutant-General to the Forces , and he left the Cape in April 1854. At the start of the Crimean War , he was appointed to command the 4th infantry division. The British government gave him a "dormant commission" which meant that if something were to happen to Lord Raglan , Cathcart would take command. At the Battle of the Alma in September 1854, his division saw no action and after
361-678: Was present at the battles between the Russian and the French armies in 1813 and he followed the Russian Army through Europe, entering Paris in March 1814. When Napoleon returned in 1815, Cathcart served as aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington and was present at the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo . After the war he was commissioned in the 7th Hussars , promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1826. He then joined
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