Who is this guy?

Posts : 5 Join date : 2017-11-09

Hi I've just joined, been looking for hours for info and im not getting very far.

Searching through my dads medals and I found one from the zulu war, it has the numbers 1877-8 on it and on the side it says SERG L.K ERASMUS BERLIN VOL.
hard to read so i think thats what it says.

Dont know much about my family on that side so im curious how i got this medal thats been tucked away for 20+ years

Posts : 3326 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi kash1989

Welcome to the forum.

Your man Sergeant L.K. Erasmus is listed on the Medal Roll with the Clasp 1877-8. This does mean that he did not take part in the Zulu War of 1879.

A little about his unit.
BERLIN VOLUNTEER CORPS (CAVALRY)
In August, 1877, commanded by Captain B. E. Bowker, and were 43 all ranks and armed with 55 long Sniders being bought from the Government in instalments. Bowker with 5 men joined Bowker's Rovers and went to the front on 17th September and was succeeded as commanding officer by Capt. L. L. Vincent. In November strength was 2 and 40, with 26 horses and 6 men at the front. A few of the long Sniders were exchanged for carbines although this process was not complete more than 18 months later. At the end of 1879 the HQ was at Berlin and the corps consisted of 3 officers, 42 men and 45 horses, with 7 Snider carbines, 6 short rifles and 38 long Sniders. Disbandment was noted in June, 1880.

agree

Posts : 5 Join date : 2017-11-09

Thankyou for your reply and information.
I dont understand why he got a medal if he didn't go to war but i dont know much about this stuff.
Id still like to know how im connected to him but that may be a job for ancestry dot com or something.

Does this mean his medal would be worth nothing? I feel a bit bad selling something that was probably special to someone but i dont know him so it doesn't mean much to me

Subject: Re: Who is this guy? Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:35 am

Others will tell you better but the Clasp for 1877-78 means he did not fight in the Zulu War of 1879. He will have campaigned earlier - hence the clasp. Some medals had no clasps, other medals had 1877, 1877 - 1879, 1879 etc

To determine (& increase) the value of the medal, you need to do a bit of digging and find out what campaigns he fought in, if you do this you may add some value to the medal, was he wounded etc......non Zulu War medals are sought after but (I don't think) they are as valuable as Zulu War ones.

Ancestry would be a good start.

If you don't fancy putting in the time, wang it on e-bay and let others decide its value.....that is the true value of something - how much someone wants it..... Wink

Personally, I would feel bad about selling it full stop but it is down to the individual and the circumstances.

Cheers

Sime

Subject: Who is this Guy ? Fri Nov 10, 2017 10:31 am

Kash1989
I can tell you his medal certainly isnt worth ' Nothing ' ! , according to the Medal Year book of 2018 ( it comes out early ! ) a Colonial Medal with the Clasp 1877-78 is worth between 750 - 850 GBP's , probably more being an NCO , as Graves has mentioned the more detailed research you can do on his time in Sth Africa , the greater will be the interest in the Medal , therefore it's value will / may also increase .
90th Salute

Subject: Re: Who is this guy? Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:11 pm

While we are on the subject of medals, I saw a ZW medal the other day that had be 're-named'.

What does re-naming mean?

Ta

Simon

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

It means the original name has been removed, usually skimmed off, and a new name has been added. It can often be detected either by the dimensions of the rim or the style of the new lettering. Sometimes done by someone who has lost the original - not always done to deceive.

Steve

Subject: Re: Who is this guy? Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:26 pm

Thanks Steve.

Subject: Who is this Guy Sat Nov 11, 2017 4:29 am

That's correct Stephen , although , I'd never , ever , buy a renamed medal .
90th

Posts : 5 Join date : 2017-11-09

I found another medal with this dudes name on it, a 1939-45 ww2 medal so that's pretty cool!

Subject: Re: Who is this guy? Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:06 am

Hi,

Are you sure its the same man?

He must have been very old in WW2

Which medal is it for WW2?

Cheers

Posts : 5 Join date : 2017-11-09

Thanks for pulling me up on that! It must have been some relation to him... same last name but on closer inspection the first names C.D
I just saw the last name and got excited :P

Posts : 5 Join date : 2017-11-09

Its got a lion on top of some kind of beast... not sure what that means

Subject: Re: Who is this guy? Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:45 am

That will be the War Medal 39-45.

Does it have a ribbon? if so it should be three red stripes (one narrow), two blue stripes and one white one (with the thin red one in the middle)

Posts : 556 Join date : 2013-05-07 Location : Brecon

WW2 campaign medals were (are) issued by the Medal Office - unnamed.