| The South West
African Campaign Medal ("Südwestafrika-Denkmünze")
was instituted by Kaiser Wilhelm II in March 1907 and was
awarded to all Germans who had served in South West Africa
during the Herero and Nama Rebellions between 1904 and 1908.
A non-combatant award was given to those back home in
Germany who assisted in the war effort.
The ribbon was white with a
vertical black stripe on either side and thinner horizontal
red stripes in the centre. The medal itself was a
brass disc with a profile view of a female warrior wearing a
winged helmet with "SUEDWEST AFRIKA 1904-06" around
the edges on the obverse. The reverse of the medal was a
crowned "W II" monogram above two crossed swords with the
motto "DEN SIEGREICHEN STREITERN" (roughly translated
as "To the victorious fighters") around the edges.
Brass clasps were authorised
for additional purchase with the medal for specific
campaigns such as "GROSS-NAMALAND", "HEREROLAND" and "WATERBERG".
See examples above. The photograph above right shows a
ribbon on display at the Imperial War Museum with 14 clasps.
That is the full collection of all those ever awarded with
the exceptions of "KALAHARI 1907" and "KALAHARI 1908". It
seems unlikely that any one soldier earned all these claps
and more probable that this collection was compiled from
different recipients.
The two Kalahari
clasps are exceptional in that they were also awarded to
British and South African forces who assisted the
Schutztruppe. The South West African Campaign Medal with a
bar for "Kalahari 1907" was awarded to members of the
South African Cape Mounted Police and Cape Mounted Riflemen
who had assisted the Schutztruppe by tracking down and
killing Jacob Marenga, when he and his Nama warriors evaded
German capture by entering Cape Colony. Their commanding
officer, Major Elliot also received the Prussian Crown
Order, Second Class. Similarly the South West African
Campaign Medal with a bar for "Kalahari 1908" was
awarded to members of the British Bechuanaland Protectorate
Police Force for their help in tracking down Simon Koper,
when he and his Nama warriors evaded German capture by
entering Bechuanaland.
Recommended Reading -
"German Medals, British Soldiers and the Kalahari Desert"
by Gordon McGregor
Recommended External Link -
The South African Military History Society
The South West African
Campaign Medal was awarded to non-combatants in an identical
style to those of the combatants except that the medal
itself was made of polished steel rather than brass.
Non-combatants medals were not awarded campaign bars.
Recommended External Link -
Traditionsverband DSWA Medal |
