Jameson's Men

The Jameson Raid was a defining event in the history of the British South Africa Police. What led Dr Leander Starr Jameson, Rhodes' right hand man in Rhodesia, to take most of the Police out of the country and invade the Transvaal with the aim of capturing Johannesburg? His public aim was to relieve the "Uitlanders" (foreigners) from the oppression of the government of the Transvaal Republic. Critics say it was really about seizing control of the goldfields, maybe even eventually annexing the country. Whatever the reasons, the Raid was a disaster and led to sever repercussions, one of those being the Imperial Government taking over control of the B.S.A. Police from the B.S.A. Company. Rhodes had to resign. The removal of most of the B.S.A.P. (who were the First Line of Defence) from the country was one of the causes of the Matabele Rebellion. Cliff Rogers (a former member of the B.S.A.P.) has extensively researched the circumstances of the Raid, how it was conducted and the men who took part. The Raid and the events of the next few years led inexorably to the Anglo-Boer War, in which the B.S.A.P. served with distinction. A brief account of this service is given, culminating in the award of a Banner by King Edward VII. A controversy has since arisen over whether this was a Banner or a Colour. The author has thoroughly researched this question including perusing original documents, some of which are reproduced here. The final section describes some of the memorials to the B.S.A.P including the 2010 unveiling of the Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in England.