Description
Natal Medal, bar 1906, Seaman A.H. White, Natal Naval Corps
Officially impressed: “SEAMAN A.H. WHITE, NATAL NAVAL CORPS”
Confirmed on the medal roll, the Natal Naval Corps earned 203 medals in total, with 136 earning the medal with 1906 clasp and 67 without clasp.
The Natal Naval Corps was an unusual little unit, it began life as the Natal Naval Volunteers in 1885, as a Coastal Artillery unit tasked with defending the port of Durban.
They fought in the Boer War being attached along side Royal Navy sailors to the Naval Brigade.
In 1904 they were renamed and became the “Natal Naval Corps” and had grown significantly but still only numbered around 200 men, and were mobilised in 1906 during the Zulu Rebellion.
In 1907, they were remobilised and to take part in the arrest of the Zulu King, Dinizulu. 100 or so men of the Natal Naval Corps formed part of Dinizulu’s escort from the Zulu Capital of Nongoma, taking him back to the Natal Capital of Pietermaritzburg.
