South African Republic & Orange Free State War Medal
Encyclopedia
The South African Republic and Orange Free State War Medal, commonly referred to as the "Anglo-Boere Oorlog Medal", was a South Africa
n military campaign medal. It was authorised on 21 December 1920, as a retrospective award for Boer
veterans of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902).
The medal was awarded, on application, to veterans who had served in the Boer forces between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. As neither of the Boer republics (the Orange Free State
and the South African Republic
) had had official honours systems of their own, this medal was created to give the Boer veterans parity with their fellow-South Africans who had fought on the British side in the war.
The medal is silver. Both sides depict an ornamental frame, encircled by the words "Anglo-Boere Oorlog 1899-1902". One side has the arms of the SAR in the centre of the frame, and the other side has the OFS arms. This enabled each recipient to wear the medal so as to display the arms of the state for which he had fought.
The ribbon, as worn by an SAR veteran, is green, red, white, blue, and yellow. An OFS veteran would have reversed the ribbon so that the yellow stripe was on the left.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n military campaign medal. It was authorised on 21 December 1920, as a retrospective award for Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
veterans of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902).
The medal was awarded, on application, to veterans who had served in the Boer forces between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. As neither of the Boer republics (the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
and the South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
) had had official honours systems of their own, this medal was created to give the Boer veterans parity with their fellow-South Africans who had fought on the British side in the war.
The medal is silver. Both sides depict an ornamental frame, encircled by the words "Anglo-Boere Oorlog 1899-1902". One side has the arms of the SAR in the centre of the frame, and the other side has the OFS arms. This enabled each recipient to wear the medal so as to display the arms of the state for which he had fought.
The ribbon, as worn by an SAR veteran, is green, red, white, blue, and yellow. An OFS veteran would have reversed the ribbon so that the yellow stripe was on the left.
See also
- British and Commonwealth orders and decorations
- South African military decorationsSouth African military decorationsAn overview of South African military decorations and medals, which form part of the South African honours system.-1894–1913:The colonial military forces received British military decorations in wartime. From 1894, the colonial governments awarded medals for distinguished conduct and for long...