15929705970001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141516170534539566017053297440001705345375250fitz-onlineadlib-object-141516https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141516cb78954b-a992-3593-8cea-4fbb474346237referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsDuring the 1830s and 1840s several Dutch republics had been established outside the British Cape Colony in South Africa, among which were Transvaal and the Orange Free State, all now in modern South Africa. Transvaal was annexed briefly by the British but its independence re-established in the First Boer War.
In the 1880s however the discovery of vast gold reserves in Transvaal brought large numbers of foreign settlers, largely British, across the border, and an attempted coup at the instigation of Cecil Rhodes in 1895. Military escalation followed, negotiations failed and the two Boer republics, convinced that the British intended annexation, declared war in the Cape Colony in October 1899.
Despite initial successes in battle against the British, by mid-1900 the Boers were being driven into retreat by a much-reinforced British opposition. They therefore turned to a dogged campaign of guerilla warfare, and it was May 1902 before the last of the distinct forces operating in the different provinces of the two Boer republics was forced to surrender.
British troops (and sailors) therefore spent the period of 1900-1902 in local clean-up and defence operations, which were awarded bars to the Queen's South Africa Medal according to the provinces in which these operations were carried out. This medal was awarded to Corporal George Aldcroft of the Royal Canadian Artillery, whose service covered both `home' deployments in the Cape Colony and Rhodesia (now parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively) and `foreign' service in the two former Boer Republics (both now subsumed into South Africa). The medal incorrectly gives his first initial as `C.'. Lester Watson acquired the medal at some point before 1928.
The Museum must thank Corporal Aldcroft's grandson for bringing his grandfather's first name and the engraver's mistake to our attention.CM.1422-20091accession numberCM.1422-2009141516priref141516Watson Catalogue334orderingM-0305previous object numberLW.0305urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141516https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141516Bust of Victoria facing left with veilobverseVICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIXdesignBritannia in foreground facing right holding standard and waving wreath over army marching along shore, with ships offshore in backgroundreversedesignreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumGiven by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009referenceagent-206432adlib-agent-206432e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afbWatson, Lester200920092009givenon loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-2009190219021902mintreferenceagent-149658adlib-agent-1496584cb81521-c6ef-3826-8224-de2a104139c5Londonrulerreferenceagent-151398adlib-agent-151398bb2cd0a1-0a27-3787-a684-475d3b199972Victoria (1837-1901)artistreferenceagent-174946adlib-agent-17494697851273-f820-36e3-970a-41d6d59650dfSaulles, George W. dewith the title ofrulerreferenceagent-174945adlib-agent-17494553c52c53-979d-3cdf-9a0b-6b7b691fe2ddVictoria regina et imperatrixreferenceterm-106216adlib-term-106216825b8379-ec94-388e-9a59-624e40c090d0Londonreferenceterm-39778adlib-term-397788bd60ed6-968d-3faf-8ad5-b4e4ee9bb245silverDiametermm36.3Weightg49.19referencemedia-116583adlib-media-11658323783da9-c51c-329e-ba76-a7f3e1010d8ejpegcm/cm15/LW_0305_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13216162449774601imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0305_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13216162449774601imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0305_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13216162449774601imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0305_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13216162449774601image0media
imagereferencemedia-116584adlib-media-116584d05f0553-36f5-3289-a8ab-459de76714fcjpegcm/cm15/LW_0305_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13316162788949591imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0305_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13316162788949591imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0305_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13316162788949591imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0305_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13316162788949591image1media
imagereferenceterm-123031adlib-term-123031b551dc41-4600-347e-aea2-3d6d1879cbc3Queen's South Africa Medal (second striking)denominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-107681adlib-term-107681e80da827-45c6-3b71-a3ef-28794a05e4a8Britainsubsubseriesreferenceterm-122838adlib-term-122838f00c5146-e71d-395a-a55e-6c5d3efeb034Canadian Armed Forcessubsubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, acquired before 1928referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum430-434, 438-439, 440, 443-453referencepublication-5886adlib-publication-5886a6056c29-399c-38dd-9710-5b3f2d44b8a6British Battles and Medals 7th ednreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-123031adlib-term-123031b551dc41-4600-347e-aea2-3d6d1879cbc3Queen's South Africa Medal (second striking)Queen's South Africa Medal (second striking)referenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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