TOPIC:

6846 PTE. S. MALONEY, L'POOL REGT. Is the naming on this three clasp QSA, TRANSVAAL, SA 1901, SA 1902.

What is so unusual is the creative case to contain his medal. I so far am unable to establish who and how it was made but it is most likely carved by a Boer Prisioner. The style is similiar to many POW pieces I have owned.

Has anyone seen this type of container before ? And how can you establish if MALONEY guarded POWs ?
HELP !
Baden Powell

Hello BP

Tremendous box. I have medal box carved by Boer POWsin Trinchinopoly, India. It is not like this one. According to his papers Maloney went to "India" in November 1902 - he could have been a POW guard.

Regards
Meurig

Thanks Meurig
Glad to know there is another, regardless of style. I'd love to see the one you have and hear its story. Also may I ask what you have on MALONEY going to India in 1920. That would be a welcome addition to my file.
Really appreciate your reply. THank You, BP

Hello BP

Maloney's service papers are on FindmyPast and Ancestry - in the WW1 series. I don't where exactly the Liverpools were stationed in "India". I have read that they were in Meiktila, Burma in 1903.

I have written about the medal box I have on my blog: theangloboerwars.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/...craft-medal-box.html

Regards
Meurig

Very nice medal box. I believe these boxes were made in all the POW camps. I have 2 from Ragama, probably carved by the same POW judging by the style of the naming. The different camps tended to use different woods and you may get a clue by comparing with other POW ephemera. Yours could have originated from Green Point in South Africa or even have been carved by Maloney himself. Robin Woodruff, [email protected] , is very knowledgeable on the subject of POW handicrafts and may be able to help.