Queen South Africa Medal 1899-1902 Remount Dept SA

Boer War QSA Medal 1899-1902. Civilian administrators Medal issued to Clerk F.W.Cooper Remount Depot South Africa.

When the conflict broke out in  South Africa, the remount services went into immediate action, with the expectations this would be a short conflict. However the war dragged on and the remount department had great diffculty operating on the required scale. Between October 1899 and January 1902, they had to supply 216,863 horses and 94,030 mules to the Cape. A lack of suitably qualified equine personnel had devastating effects on the horse wastage. For example. One shipment of 500 remounts were sent on a train for 11 days from Cape town to Krugersdorp and were only partly watered and fed. Then the horses were marched for two more days. As a result 300 horses died from exhaustion within three weeks. 

The poor hygiene, underfeeding, and quickly spreading disease further depleted the horses. As a result, during each month in 1901 about 25% of horses died. Meaning  that on average, every single horse had to be replenished every four months. A very expensive operation as local markets were quickly depleted and replenishments from Britain were scarce.

The Medal is in fine condition with minimal contact or wear marks. Old short clasp, as worn. Medal roll and Civil service extracts supplied.