St John Ambulance Brigade in South Africa 1900-1902

SJAB enlistment in to the royal army medical corps

When the Army Authorities first requested SJAB assistance in providing hospital orderlies SJAB men were engaged by civil contract and this led to some difficulties due to their non-entitlement to some of the benefits provided to enlited men. (See Brigade Orders (BO) 16, 22, 25, 26 & 30 below). In April 1901 Brigade Order 40 was issued and the loss of SJAB identity is likely to have reduced the number of men volunteering, Senior SJAB Officers voiced their concerns. In June 1901, BO44 was issued advising that an Army Order was to be issued giving the conditions for SJAB men to be specially enlisted in to the RAMC and the associated advantages to such an arrangement. This was followed by BO57 which confirmed that volunteers would retain their SJAB identity and also accrue the same benefits of enlistment as the RAMC enlisted soldiers. The SJAB SA medal register lists 83 SJAB men as enrolling in the RAMC (under Army Order 86/1901) but several men who enlisted are known to have not been included in the SJAB medal register.

Brigade Order 40 - 10th April 1901

Brigade Order 44 - 15th June 1901

1.

Brigade Order 44

Brigade Order 57 - 3rd November 1901

Brigade Order 16 - 14th November 1899 (With Amendments)

Brigade Order 22 - 27th June 1900

Brigade Order 25 - 9th November 1900

Brigade Order 26 - 9th December 1900

Brigade Order 38 - 16th January 1901