The Brian Kieran Collection

British War Medal 1914-20, bronze issues (4) (14939 Pte. S. Makete, S.A.N.L.C.; 20674 Pte. C. Lekhotla, S.A.N.L.C.; 1953 Pte. J. Melato, S.A.N.L.C.; 20042 Pte. M. Malikalike, S.A.N.L.C.), this last polished, thus good fine, the remainder very fine or better (4) £200-250

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Kieran Collection.

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The British Government authorised some 21,000 British War Medals in bronze to members of the South African Native Labour Corps who had witnessed foreign service, but in the event only around 3,000 were issued, the Union Government having refused to pay for the Medals due to its own nationals. As a consequence, those awards named to the S.A.N.L.C. are in fact to men who lived beyond the borders of the Union of South Africa, namely British Empire subjects from such places as Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland. The Corps suffered losses of well over 600 men, the majority on the occasion of the sinking of the S.S. Mendi after a collision off the Isle of Wight on 20 February 1917.