John Chard Medal and Decoration variants |
Michael Boyle
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Nigel,
I only recently became aware of this medal, much to my embarrassment! I wasn't aware there's a difference between the John Chard Medal and the John Chard Decoration but these may help: http://www.geocities.com/militaf/1-mil2.htm http://www.warstore.co.za/ALLBG.asp?ItemID=3 http://www.medals.org.uk/south-africa/south-africa036.htm http://www.trademe.co.nz/Antiques-collectables/Militaria/Medals/auction-43642259.htm http://aboutfacts.net/War23.htm [a bit questionable perhaps] http://rapidttp.com/milhist/vol011gr.html [Includes reference to both Medal and Decoration and they would know!] http://www.militarybadges.info/pages/sa/green.htm http://www.royal-arsenal.com/Isandlwana.html [For an interesting and amusing Zulu perspective on the A-ZW and comment on John Chard's name still being attached to a medal] http://www.cthighlanders.co.za/cth/decorations.htm [shows the JCD with clasp for 30yrs. and JCM, both seem to be the same ribbon but the JCD has a 'pip' in the middle] e-Bay also has a number for sale with photo. Best Michael |
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Michael Boyle
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Sorry, almost forgot the most pertinent reference:
Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America (JOMSA) Farek, Dan, "South Africa: John Chard Medal," Vol.46, No.7 (Jul 95): 44 [Medal Note]. I haven't read the article as I'm not a member but you can contact them at: http://www.omsa.org/ for more information. MAB |
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Rich
Guest
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Just an observation.. I can understand the Chard medal but were other items other than medals made to signify the gallant action or actions during the AZW? I note this because after Trafalgar there was so much stuff made on behalf of Nelson where his visage was put on porcelain mugs, saucers, plates, etc etc. you name it. Now was this done to the same extent after '79? Was it that Chard just didn't "rate" for that kind of exposure or porcelain stuff wasn't so hot at the time in commemorating great war events?
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Military_artist
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Michael - many thanks for the links - the only one I wasn't aware of was the US medal site so I'll investigate that further. For your info the JC Medal is in bronze and was awarded for 12 years efficient service (reduced to 10 after 1986), and the decoration is in silver and awarded for 20 years efficient service, followed by the 30yr clasp. Both awards were issued up until 2003 when they were replaced. What I'm after is a list of the variant types (some have voided acorns at the top, others solid ones etc.) I do know that the EIIR crest was on the reverse of each until 1961 when it was discontinued.
Rich - I suspect that at the time 'commemoration' of the events of the AZW would have been seen as inappropriate. Generally speaking the whole war was percieved as a mistake and the attack on the Zulu nation not something to be celebrated. I know that a few photographic commemoration booklets were produced and I believe a few collectable pieces relating to the death of The Prince Imperial but on the whole both the military establishment and the Government were keen to move on and forget the events of 1879 as rapidly as possible, and but for Stanley Baker on the whole that's the way they would have stayed! |
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Rich
Guest
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Thanks MA for that reply. Makes perfect sense. It looks as if it took 80+
before the war got a good serious look once again from contemporary British society. And as for the war being a "mistake", I surely see the parallels with the US in Vietnam on how the war and its participants were "commemorated". |
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Peter Ewart
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Rich
It is also worth remembering that the AZW was only one of many other similar imperial campaigns, and that "the public" at that time constituted only the reading public - a minority. Isandlwana & the death of the P/Imp caused a storm in the press for a few weeks, but other than in the parliamentary reports and the occasional editorials, this died down fairly soon. The comparatively new illustrated press was a different matter, of course, but "British society" as such was a tiny proportion of the actual population and, if the majority had any opinion at all, they certainly weren't asked what it was. Had universal male suffrage (or, indeed - or especially - complete suffrage) come earlier than 1882, and/or Forster's Education Act before 1870, perhaps matters would have been a little different. The AZW is popularly credited with being a major contributor to the fall of the Tory government of the day, but William Ewart (no relation!)Gladstone's Midlothian campaign was really what swung it for the Liberals, although of course he did bang on about the poor Zulus "fighting for hearth and home" every night of his tour. Perhaps if "Dizzie" hadn't made his notoriously grumpy remark about Colenso, Chelmsford & Louis Napoleon, the AZW would not have gathered so much popular credit for change in the public's eye. It is also worth bearing in mind that the electorate returned a different government every two or three years while WEG and Disraeli were at the helm. Of course, much more attention will have been given to the war and its ramifications by the army, the WO and parliament (over five million pounds worth!) So although it is sometimes fair to compare the AZW or other Victorian campaigns in some ways with modern day conflicts such as, for example, Iraq (in this latest case especially with regard to participation itself as far as parliament and the educated public are & were concerned) I suspect there are too few parallels between Victorian and modern society which can genuinely be held up to make comparisons. Hopefully, the private soldier who comes home from Iraq will not undergo the "Tommy this & Tommy that" of a century ago, even if his presence in the theatre of war is as unwanted by the public at large as the presence of Frere's army in Zululand was by the government, parliament and the electorate of 127 years ago. Peter |
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Rich
Guest
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Thanks Peter for your informative reply. You know I have to get it into my head that the British were very very ambivalent on the war. Certainly the England of 1805 was much different from British society in the latter 19th.
Any book to recommend to get a feel of what was going there in society and what went on in the assessment of British colonial behavior after 1879? The Zulu War had to have taught them something! |
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Martin Everett
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There examples both the JC decoration and medal on display in the museum at Brecon.
I was hoping to get a copy of the medal (in the shape of VC) awarded to those completing the Isandlwana - Rorke's Drift half-marathon. Next year will be the event's 10 year. There were 172 competitors this year on Sat 21 January 2006. |
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_________________ Martin Everett Brecon, Powys |
John Chard Medal and Decoration variants |
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