Help identifying unit South Africa Medal Dr A Hayter N.C.R.A

Dear Sirs. I am new to this site and wondered if your experts could help me identify the unit that my South Africa medal has on it. South Africa Medal issued to 5707 Dr A Hayter N.C.R.A. This is possibly a Natal unit that may have not crossed into Zululand so didn't get the clasp as was the case for many. Has anyone got a clue what NCRA stands for? I believe the N is probably for Natal maybe Natal Caribineers Rifle Association or something. I can't find his name on any unit medal roll so it is possible he was a civilian volunteer of some sort but it is intriguing that he has a service number 5707. Thank you for your help. Jeremy

Jeremy,

Not a Doctor, but a Driver!  But there is still a puzzle to solve over the number inscribed on the medal.

Your man is Driver 4045 A. Hayter, ‘N’ Battery, 6th Brigade, Royal Regiment of Artillery.

Some background on the battery.

‘N’/6 R.A. were commanded by Major F. T. Le Grice, at the time of its embarkation on 24th February, 1879, the Battery’s strength was 5 officers, 172 other-ranks, 6 9-pr. R.M.L. cannon and 132 horses. Sailed to Natal on the hired transport Olympus from Southampton.

Arrived at Durban on 31st March 1879.  From there the battery moved up country to Landsman’s Drift arriving there on 12th May 1879.  The battery served in Major-General Edward Newdigate’s IInd Division during the advance to Ulundi.

On 4th July 1879 at the Battle of Ulundi the battery fired 68 rounds.  During the action Driver D. Brennan was severely wounded, two of battery’s horses were killed and two others wounded.

Following the battle a section of two cannon were detached from the battery and served under the command of Brigadier (Local Rank) H. E. Wood, V.C.

The remaining four cannon formed part of a small column of mounted troops and infantry, under the command of Le Grice, which were sent to Transvaal.

The battery was eventually reunited in Pietermaritzburg on 26th October 1879, two days later it left Natal for duties in India.

I hope that helps, I’ll leave the number puzzle for someone else to answer.

JY

John, No clasp?

Frank,

Sorry I should have said Driver 4045 A. Hayter, ‘N’/6 R.A., received the Clasp 1879.

JY

Andy,

Well done.

I wonder what his crime was?

JY

And why did he commit suicide?

Steve

Steve
Possibly identity crisis?

Incredible, thank you for this information John and 1879Graves. Yes I misread the "6" as a "C" as there was a slight rim ding at that point. Looking again it is indeed N.6.R.A as you say. The number is a mystery however my own experience with my Boer War G.Grandfather was that he had several numbers as he changed units 1894 Niger campaign (Benin Clasp), 1896 Matebele War under Baden Powell (Rhodesia Clasp), Uitenhage Volunteer Rifles (Colonial regiment). then 18th Imp Yeomanry 71st Sharpshooters, then Bethunes Horse, then came back yet again in the 31st Imp Yeomanry and finally he became a Chelsea pensioner. He relied on the Queens shilling to support his family. Led me on a merry dance with all his different service numbers trying to trace his movements. Like Hayter my G.Grandfather died very young in 1912 leaving his family in the Marylebone work house. PTSD took many young lives as well as disease which reduced them to old men very fast. There was no support from the British government or toffs in the army, you just had to grow an extra set of nuts and get on with it. And I am sure suicide was one of the ways of ending it. What a tragedy for both Hayter and my G.Grandfather which I hope has been addressed more these days.

Maybe this A. Hayter joined different units and was given different numbers. No the medal had no clasp but now I know he was given one I will get a decent repro to go with the medal. As a South African now living in Australia I spent some time in Ulundi working for Sky News London during the S.A elections in 1994. The area is quite magnetic and weird. I met the King of the Zulu's and also Buthelezi a prominent Zulu politician but also descendant of one of the Zulu generals during the Zulu War...as a kid in 1975 I also went to Isandwala and Rorke's Drift which was a very quiet place those days where you could still pick up shell casings from the battlefields.....thanks again and any more info about the service number issue will be much appreciated. If someone tells me how to post pics, I will put up a picture of Hayter's medal (which is also the surname of my in laws in the U.K). I am of the family that pledged the HAVARD chapel to the South Wales Borderers at Brecon Cathedral as their Regimental Chapel. As some will know the colours flag pole carried to safety from the battlefield of Isandwala by V.C winners Lt's Coghill and Melvill eventually recovered from the bottom of the river in Zululand hangs from the rafters of the chapel. The wreath presented to the regiment by Queen Victoria is also in our family the chapel built by my ancestors around 1090 so I have some connection to the story....Cheers Jeremy Havard.

Hello Jeremy,

You might be interested to hear that in three weeks time that King Zwelithini, Prince Buthelezi and about one hundred and fifty other Zulu will be gathered in the Havard Chapel, to take part in a service remembering the events of the Zulu War of 1879.

JY

Thank you for the heads up. Does anyone happen to know if anyone makes a repro of the 1879 clasp?

HI SAAFCAPT,

Bigbury Mint, in Devon, UK supplies superlative  product in terms of medals and ribbons. Problem is that they are better than the original. Their contact information is on the Internet. They contract to the MOD as well.

regards

barry