The South African
Military History Society

---

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging

Military History Journal
Vol 4 No 3 - June 1978

EDITOR'S LETTER-BOX

3. Battle of the Falkland Islands

The account of the Battle of the Falkland Islands by Lt-Cdr A.G. McEwan, RN, (Retd), (Vol 4, No 2, Dec 1977), page 65, mentions the remarkable sight of a full-rigged ship sailing through the battle area. This story is well-known among tales of the last of the sailing ships, the vessel being the Spangereid. I believe she was Norwegian registered and therefore neutral.

Less well-known is the fact that her remains lie at the bottom of James Bay, the anchorage at the island of St Helena. A few years after the Great War she was outward bound from England with a cargo of coke which caught fire in her holds. She was breached off the West Rocks at Jamestown where she sank in fairly shallow water.

The writer went diving over the wreck some fifteen years ago and could recognize many features of a large iron sailing ship.

Robert H. Johnston

4. War medals awarded after fifty years

Eighty year old Commandant Paul Gauvin visited the Republic in 1968 to explain how the Association of which he was president, ‘Les Soldats de la Marne’, issues medals to veterans of the 1914-18 Marne River battles, and was able to recommend the award of the Marne medal to a number of South Africans.

The names and addresses of organisations that may grant medals to ex-servicemen who served on any of the respective battlefronts in either of the world wars are listed below:

• Marne: Les Soldats de la Marne, 26, Rue d’Epernay, Sezanne (Marne), France.
• Somme: M. Jacques Martin, Association des Ancients Combattants de la Somme, 54, Boulevard des Anglais a Peronne (Somme), France.
• Verdun: Association des Ancients Combattants de Verdun, Livre d’Or, Hotel de Ville, Verdun sur Meuse, France.
• Saint Mihiel: Association de la Medaille de Saint-Mihiel, Hotel de Ville, a Saint Mihiel (Meuse) 55, France.
• Arras and Artois: Ancients Defenseurs d’Arras et de l’Artois, 19a, Rue Venture, Marseille (Ier), France.
• Argonne-Vauquois: M. R. Boutaud, Ancients Combattants de l’Argonne, 19, Avenue Hoche, Paris VIII, France.
• Chateau-Thierry: Municipalité de la ville de Chateau-Thierry, (Aisne), France.
• Aisne and Chemin des Dames: Association des Ancients Combattants Rescapes de l’Aisne, 8, Rue Alexis Maneyrol, 92, Chaville, France.
• Charleroi, Dinant and Namur: M.R. Yve, Association Franco-Belge des Ancients Combattants en Belgique, 13, Rue Meridienne a Rouen (Seine Maritime), France.
• Gembloux, Blaregnies, Flanders and Dunkirk: Association Nationale des Ancients Combattants de Flandres-Dunkerque 40, 9, Rue Moncey, Paris 90, France.
• Nieuport, Dixmude, Ypres and the Belgian Coast: Union Franco-Belge, 77, Rue Lagrange, Bordeaux, France.
• Rhine, Rhenanie, Ruhr and Tyrol: Ancients des Forces Francaises en Allemagne et en Autriche, 39, Rue Caumartin, Paris 9degrees, France.

Those who might qualify for any of the above awards should write direct to the organisation concerned, requesting application forms for the association’s medal. The completed forms must be returned together with full details of the applicant’s service on the particular front, plus a fee for the medal. If the award is approved, a medal and certificate of award are issued. Miniature medals are also available.

Commander A. J. Bateman, SAN

4. Cape Corps

I am researching the origin and development of the Cape Corps with special reference to the role of the education corps and the army correspondence scheme. (An historical-critical survey of the period 1795-1977). I shall be glad to receive any information concerning the origin of the Cape Corps and information which would help me establish the role played by the education corps and the army correspondence scheme.

Willie R. Hoods

Return to Journal Index OR Society's Home page