Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902 (1) clasp to Natal Royal Rifles
Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Relief of Ladysmith
28 Serjt: P. E. Thomalla. Natal R.R.
Lightly polished, nearly very fine
With copied roll entry.
The “Rifles” had been formed in 1866 as the Maritzburg Rifles or “Mud Rats” as they were affectionately known on account of the “muddiness” of Pietermaritzburg as it was in those days. From a promising beginning squabbles erupted amongst its leadership leading to the breakaway of its one wing to become the famous Durban Light Infantry. The N.R.R. continued in a much smaller vein numbering a paltry 160 officers and men by the time the Anglo Boer War broke out in October 1899.
On 29 September 1899 at 6 .p.m. the corps received orders to proceed to the front at 4 p.m. the following day. Despite the short notice the whole of the corps, apart from a few who were ill, mustered at the appointed hour. Howard would have been among their number. The corps was despatched to the front on 30 September 1899, remaining for quite some time at Estcourt, about 40 miles from Ladysmith and a similar distance from the Free State border.
Their main function, until the arrival of the Army Service Corps, was to keep open the lines of communication with many important bridges in the area requiring close watching.
Earning for himself the Relief of Ladysmith clasp Thomalla would have been among the number who were present at Willow Grange and a number of other skirmishes and actions leading up to the relief of that town on 28 February 1900.
After Ladysmith had been relieved the necessity for a concentration of colonial troops dissipated and many were sent home with a few electing to stay on in the newly constituted Natal Voluntary Composite Regiment. Others were deployed to Zululand where, in May 1900, they again joined the main army under General Hilyard.
