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Auction: 19002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 733

(x) Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment

'Upon the final expulsion of the Boer forces from Natal and the general settling down of the northern districts, which had been occupied by the enemy for about nine months in 1899 and 1900, the Natal Volunteer Brigade was demobilised at the request of the Natal Government, which had borne the cost of keeping its forces in the field for a year and was feeling the financial strain. The Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, Lord Roberts, agreed, provided one mounted regiment was left in the field till the end of the war. This unit was formed from volunteers from all the Natal regiments, and was called the Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment. It came into being in October 1900, the units furnishing the volunteer personnel being the Natal Carbineers, Natal Mounted Rifles, Umvoti Mounted Rifles, Border Mounted Rifles, Durban Light Infantry, Natal Royal Rifles and Natal Field Artillery, with necessary detachments from the Natal Volunteer Staff, Medical, Veterinary, Transport and Supply Departments. The strength was 505, in four squadrons.

The unit gained an enviable reputation for its work and many were the encomiums received from the Imperial Army commanders, under whom the regiment or detachments served. Scouting was highly developed, and soon the Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment was famed for this type of work. Amongst its personnel were many men hailing from districts in which it operated, and consequently they possessed valuable local knowledge and many were linguists in Dutch and Zulu' (Hurst, refers).

The regiment was disbanded on 31 July 1902.


Pair: Trooper O. M. Vingevold, Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Orange Free State, Transvaal (436 Tpr. O. M. Vingevold. Natal V.C. Regt.); King's South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (436 Tpr: O. M. Vingevold. Natal V.C.R.), very fine and better (2)

Sold with Medal & clasp verification for both awards.

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Sold for
£150