The South African Medal Roll
1877-78-79

D R Forsyth

Published by Roberts Publications
Aldermaston, Berkshire, England

Our starting point for deciding on 'qualifiers' it lists the recipients of the campaign medal.  Those entitled to the medal may not have taken part in the Anglo-Zulu War but other conflicts during these three years and so further research is often necessary.  The problems of transcribing handwriting are shown.

The South African Campaign of 1879

JP Mackinnon and SH Shadbolt
London 1880

Reprinted Portsmouth 1970
Reprinted London 1995 (with index)


This book is invaluable for the service details of the regular officers involved in the conflict, although does contain a few anomalies (Why is there a colonial officer in the biography section, when many other colonial officer casualties are ignored?  Where are the further officer casualties that died of disease/debility brought on by campaigning like John Hardwick APD, who does feature?) And most annoying to the KLH there is no memorial to Marmaduke Stourton, 63rd Regiment, at Ryde, Isle of Wight, England.

Places of Research

Bath Reference Library, Somerset, England
Plymouth Naval Studies Library, Devon, England

Bed And Breakfast

Mrs Slater, 24 City Way, Rochester, Kent, England.  +44 (0)1634 843792

Arosfa Guest House, Harbourside, Aberaeron, SA46 0BU Arosfa Guest House Harbourside, Aberaeron, Ceredigion, SA46 0BU Phone: +44 (0)1545 570120
http://www.4hotels.co.uk/uk/aberaeron27452.html

See also the Links page

Wirral Council Cemeteries Department ... locked churches that give no contact number for access ... the clergyman in the South West who told me come back on Sunday morning because the church was always open then....  The stonemason in Wales who said we needed permission to go into the open church and then gave us the wrong directions to the Vicarage AND churchwarden and drove off as we returned after locking the door .. The vicar of H.H. in the Southeast who refused us a key ... the guard on the gate at a barracks who felt we were a threat to national security and would not let us in to get to the open regimental museum - we think it had something to do with the rather pathetic attempt at a moustache partly attached to his upper lip.  The attendant at an East Anglian Cathedral who bore false witness in the house of The Lord, the mandacious clergyman in Hampshire, the road signposters in Norfolk, the artist in residence at a large West Country house who tried his best to help but had smoked something and it created problems in communication, and Agent Orange, but that is a whole other story. Cemetery offices that have cheerfully helped us for years and enjoyed the free publicity we have given them and then go and change 'management' and become obstructive.