Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

South Africa 1834-53 (Lieut. R. B. Thompson 1st European Levy.) naming contemporarily re-engraved in upright serif capitals, fitted with silver ribbon buckle, nearly very fine £150-£200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The John Nicholson Collection of medals to men who fought in the Kaffir Wars of 1834-53.

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Collection

The 1st European Levy was one of many ‘militia’ levies raised at the time of the 3rd Kaffir War. Generally Europeans, Hottentots and Fingoes were in separate levies. They were commanded by regular officers seconded to the levies, retired officers living in South Africa, men of standing in the communities and officers from regiments in India who were on leave in the colony. As the General Order announcing the award of the South Africa 1853 medal referred only to ‘Regular Forces’, men who served with the Levies must have felt that for them to apply would have been to invite a rebuff. But once some applications had been supported by certain personages of rank and met with a favourable response, precedents had been established which could have removed the barriers to hundreds of volunteers no less worthy. That the War Office was not swamped by claims suggests that the news of the success of the few was not widely spread abroad. Only a handful of men who served with the Levies are listed on the Roll, but medals to others are known to exist and I have no doubt that more will surface from time to time (The South Africa 1853 Medal - The Colonial Forces and Native Levies, by Gordon Everson refers). Lieutenant Thompson does not appear on the Roll of issued medals so it would seem likely that he arranged for his own medal to be named up. It is of some interest nonetheless.