A Fine Collection of Boer War Medals to Medical Services, the Church and the Press

An important Q.S.A. awarded to Emanuel Peter, a Clerk by profession and a Leader in the Natal Volunteer Indian Ambulance Corps under Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (E. Peter. Natal Vol: Ind: Amb: Corps) toned, very fine and very rare £600-£800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Boer War Medals to Medical Services, the Church and the Press.

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The recommendation for the award of a medal to ‘The Natal Volunteer Indian Ambulance Leaders’ put forward by Lancelot P. Booth, Medical Officer to the Corps, dated 5th October, 1900, states:

‘These men are educated, English-speaking Indians residing in Natal who volunteered for active service in any capacity and underwent training in Ambulance work, and when some 700 to 800 Indian coolies, ignorant of English, were engaged as Ambulance “bearers” these volunteers were appointed Leaders.
The Leaders stipulated that they should be unpaid, as their one desire was to prove in some humble way their loyalty to the Empress of India.
These men saw active service in the operations at the Tugela, at Colenso and Spion Kop. Their special usefulness was in helping to remove the severely wounded to Rail-end by stretcher when the troops fell back carrying as far as 25 miles in one day.
The War Medal would be highly prized by them.’

The list of 19 names that followed was headed by ‘Mohandas K. Gandhi, Bar:-at-Law, Inner Temple’ (a.k.a. Mahatma Gandhi). At No. 13 on this list is ‘Emanuel Peters, Clerk.’

Emanuel Ambrose Peters (known as Manuel Peters or Emanuel Peters) was born at Durban, Natal, of Indian parentage. He was married to Janetta (née de Mink) who died on 4 February 1924, leaving two daughters born in 1921 and 1923. Emanuel Peters died at Johannesburg on 2 April 1940, aged 65, and had been a chef by trade.

Sold with copied medal rolls, and other research, including a copied image of the Indian Volunteer Ambulance Corps with Gandhi, Peters and others all identified.