Full medal write up
BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY MEDAL 1890-97, REVERSE RHODESIA 1896, 1 CLASP, MASHONALAND 1897 ‘TROOPR J. F. DEANE. S.F.F.’
Joseph Francis Deane, a prospector and volunteer Trooper in the Salisbury field force during the 1896 rebellion, later served as a Corporal in the Umtali Volunteer Corps during the 1897 operations in Mashonaland.
On June 20, 1896 news of the spreading war with the Matabele, the panicked residents of Abercorn built a temporary laager at Deary’s Store, where they remained besieged for 23 days, virtually without water. Deane, a prospector, was one of those who whilst making his way to Deary’s, was wounded but would survive the siege, along with 5 other Europeans.
“Even before the siege of Deary’s Store began, a party of four prospectors who had taken the track through Mazoe and continued down the Mazoe Valley, were fired upon whilst passing Chipadzi’s kraal; Joseph Francis Deane and James Stroyan were wounded, with John Fletcher and George Holman unhurt, and they brought news of the uprising to the scattered mining community when they reached Deary’s Store at Abercorn on the evening of Saturday 20 June. Deary’s Store had not been designed for defence; it was in a bad position on the level; with rising ground on every side, particularly the lower slopes of Tafuna Hill, but there was no other choice. Only 180 metres to the north was the future site of the old Tafuna Hotel and Store, which would have made a much better defensive site, but there was neither the time…………………….
SEE PDF FOR FULL WRITE UP
The above extracted from an extremely detailed narrative of the events can be viewed here:
Condition GVF. Sold with a digital PDF copy of Rodesiana Vol 9, 1963, that the website article is based on. A fine and most interesting medal.