SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL 1878, TPR. G. DAVIS. ONE STAR DIAMD. CONTGT.

Description

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1878 (
TPR. G. DAVIS. ONE STAR DIAMD. CONTGT.
).
Tpr. Davis
was of the One Star Diamond Contingent, composed of diamond miners from Griqua and the Transvaal. Only 169 medals were awarded to this contingent. Judging by this excerpt from
The History of Our Own Times in South Africa
by Alexander Wilmot, It is possible that Tpr. Davis fought at Klein Boetsap and Litakong:
"Griqualand West was in an unfortunate position in 1878. Great falls of reef took place in the mines, and the people were very much opposed to annexation, while they complained, with some reason, that their Legislative Council was not summoned. The population of the province included forty thousand natives, and the great war epidemic broke out among them. In an engagement near Kuruman, Sub-Lieutenant Paterson, Sergeant Rawstorne, and three troopers were killed, and immediately after, the Administrator, Major Lanyon, sallied out of Kimberley at the head of fifty men of the "One Star Contingent." A sharp engagement was fought at Klein Boetsap, where sixteen men successfully defended themselves against one hundred natives, who when repulsed, proceeded to "Cornforth Hall," and barbarously murdered Mr. Francis Thompson. The Administrator and Colonel Warren smartly gathered together adequate forces, and the Diamond Fields Horse, Diamond Contingent, artillery, and infantry soon proved that they were able to revenge the outrage. A successful engagement took place at Litakong, when it was observed that the Batlapins were a more dangerous foe than the natives of the Cape Colony. They were extremely cunning, and were tolerable shots, but once the white men took the field in force, it was seen that they would be compelled to submit. At an early stage of the proceedings Gasibone fled, and the chief Mankoroane was fined a thousand head of cattle for complicity in the rebellion. Colonel Warren, however, was not able to terminate operations against the enemy until nearly the close of the year. The Bechuanas were quite subdued by the month of November, but the Griquas, Kaal Kafirs, and Korannas kept up a guerilla warfare for some time afterwards."