For sale is a Queens South Africa Medal (1899 – 1902) with 3 clasps CAPE COLONY, SOUTH AFRICA 1902, SOUTH AFRICA 1902, Mention in Despatched emblem (M.I.D) impressed named LIEUT. H.R. RICH. NAMQ. LO B.S. comes with copy medal rolls, London Gazette entry 29/7/1902 and extract Namaqualand Border Scouts roll.

M.I.D. London Gazette 29/7/1902.

Henry Robbins Rich was born 9/1/1866 in South Africa (probably Namaqualand as he was baptised at that location 25/2/1866).

He served in the Boer War with the Namaqualand Border Scouts from the 2/2/1901 with the rank of Sergeant. He was commissioned Lieutenant 15/1/1902 still with the Namaqualand Border Scouts and was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 29/7/1902) still with the Namaqualand Border Scouts. Transferred to the Guides 1/8/1902. He died 9/6/1954 in South Africa.

It is believed that his brother Robert Rich also served in the N.B.S and is the Lieutenant Robert Rich on the medal rolls.

In 1901 the High Commissioner of South Africa instructed Lt. Colonel Shelton, 3rd Royal West Surrey Regiment, and ordered him to secure the rich copper mines of Namaqualand, the railway line linking the mines with the coast, and the port of Port Nolloth.

Lt Colonel Shelton, with the support of a limited number of regular troops and local men recruited and trained by the copper companies, built defences in the towns, along the railway line and at Port Nolloth. The Namaqualand Town Guard Battalion was an amalgamation of various local Town Guards, while the Namaqualand Border Scouts were a mounted force with a dismounted one, which primarily served along the railway line.

The Namaqualand Border Scouts (about 360 strong) in the words of a British officer who, although not belonging to them, saw much of their work, "they were an excellent force, which did a great deal of hard patrol work under Colonel White, and had several stiff brushes with the enemy. They were conspicuous for consistently refusing to surrender when surrounded, as patrols were at times. They would keep up a fight till dark, and although half of them were killed the survivors of the party would escape. They made wonderful marches without water in their desert country". The work of the regiment was very similar to that of the Border Scouts. The corps was employed in their own district in 1901 and 1902, and had the good fortune to be part of the garrison of Ookiep when that town was besieged in April 1902. The force which held the town made a most excellent defence, and were complimented by Lord Kitchener.