The QSA named to a cruise ship: HMS Ophir

In June 1901 HMS Ophir took the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and Queen Mary) on a tour of the Empire. Their route included South Africa - the war was still raging.

From EF Knight, With The Royal Tour

The ship named 'HMS Ophir' was a civilian ship of the Orient Steam Navigation Company. It only received the prefix 'His Majesty's Ship' for the duration of the Royal tour. One of the functions carried out by the Royals was the presentation of QSA medals to Australian and New Zealand recipients. These, known as "Ophir presentation medals", were issued unnamed and engraved locally, thus they have a different and distinctive naming style to other QSAs.

From EF Knight, With the Royal Tour

Example of naming on a QSA presented on HMS Ophir and named locally in Australia. Ryan Darby

To supplement the civilian crew 53 Royal Navy officers and men were seconded to the ship. Most of the sailors had served during the war, so they were correctly entitled to a Queen's South Africa medal.

The curiosity is that a number of these men received QSAs named to 'HMS Ophir', a ship that never served in a war-like capacity during the war.

From the table below it will be seen that only seven of the 53 of the HMS Ophir QSAs are known, and only three are named to HMS Ophir.

Name		Number	Rank	Unit served ABW	Medal Named To
Amos	JE	4.197	Gunner	Royal Marine Artillery, HMS Monarch
Banbury	W		Carpenter	HMS Niobe
Bath	E	5509	Gunner	Royal Marine Artillery
Blackler	ER	138.978	Petty Officer 1st Class	HMS Niobe
Brooks	AJ	355.853	Domestic	HMS Niobe
Bryer	SMG		Engineer	HMS Niobe
Coak	G	114.036	Petty Officer 1st Class	HMS Niobe
Collins	AD	341.209	Shipwright	HMS Partridge
Crichton-Maitland	CM		Lieutenant	HMS Niobe
Dilton	WJ	165.933	Stoker	HMS Powerful
Dingle	A	182.842	Able Seaman	HMS Fearless
Elmes	H	5719	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry
Farnley	AH	147.391	Acting Chief Yeoman of Signals	HMS Diadem	HMS Diadem
Fraser	R	5.265	Gunner	HMS Monarch
Fuggle	WJ	139.794	Petty Officer 2nd Class	HMS Powerful
Game	J	Ply6.451	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry, HMS Powerful
Gosling	JS	158.692	Able Seaman	HMS Niobe
Gregson	J	278.345	Stoker	HMS Powerful
Guyatt	F	Po7.816	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry, HMS Powerful
Harvey	E	5.641	Gunner	Royal Marine Artillery, HMS Powerful
Herring	CR	4.540	Gunner	HMS Monarch
Hogan	AJ	180.318	Able Seaman	HMS Niobe	HMS Niobe
Holdway	W	151.709	Leading Stoker	HMS Fearless	HMS Ophir
Hutchings	F	Ply5.808	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry, HMS Niobe
Killan	T	284177	Stoker	HMS Powerful	HMS Ophir
Knight	DJ	130.376	Petty Officer 1st Class	HMS Niobe
Land	CE	167.357	Able Seaman	HMS Powerful
Lee	WR	183.137	Able Seaman	HMS Fearless
Livingstone	J	3396	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry
Martin	JF	142.963	Stoker	HMS Fearless
McCormack	C	109.665	Master At Arms	HMS Niobe
Millington	J	Ply6.742	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry, HMS Niobe
Musk	W	161.890	2/Yeoman of Signals	HMS Niobe
Norris	J	4367	Gunner	Royal Marine Artillery
Raikes	GL		Lieutenant	Royal Marine Artillery, HMS Monarch	HMS Monarch
Read	WG	182.574	Able Seaman	HMS Monarch
Ridgway	F	4.260	Gunner	Royal Marine Artillery, HMS Monarch
Saurin	GL		Midshipman	HMS Diadem	HMS Diadem
Smith	AE	282.946	Stoker	HMS Powerful
Spencer	E	158.713	Stoker	HMS Powerful
Stockley	HHF		Lieutenant	Royal Marine Light Infantry, HMS Niobe
Stone	RJ	124.598	Petty Officer 1st Class	HMS Niobe
Stumbles	GE	163.303	Able Seaman	HMS Niobe
Taylor	E	153866	Leading Stoker	HMS Fearless	HMS Ophir
Tildesley	JH	Po7.134	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry, HMS Powerful
Tillman	W	8266	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry
Toms	E	133.659	Petty Officer 1st Class	HMS Niobe
Tye	AC	Ch4.569	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry, HMS Monarch
Walker	FS	186.955	Able Seaman	HMS Tartar
Wemyss	RE		Commander	HMS Niobe
Winsloe	AL		Captain	HMS Niobe
Wreford	FA	112.186	Petty Officer 1st Class	HMS Niobe
Wright	H	179.875	Able Seaman	HMS Tartar

The tour received much press coverage. At least two accounts were published:

HMS Ophir was escorted by two Royal Navy Ships HMS Juno (7 QSA medals) and HMS St George (12 QSA medals). None of these medals are known to be extant.

HMS St George

Name		Number	Rank	Ship served ABW
Bunker	S	174.718	Able Seaman	HMS Niobe
Carpenter	AA	187.102	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Chichester	EG		Midshipman	HMS Powerful
Clarke	F	166.379	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Claxton	AA	145.559	Leading Carpenter's Crew	HMS Powerful
Coate	JJ	183.468	Stoker	HMS Powerful
Jacobs	W	180.568	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Johncox	EA	190.774	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Read	WCC	162.263	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Stannard	WP	173.522	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Terry	FG		Midshipman	HMS Niobe
Walker	BC		Midshipman	HMS Niobe

HMS Juno

Name		Number	Rank	Ship served ABW
Barwell	W	Po9.471	Private	Royal Marine Light Infantry, HMS Monarch
Bowes	J	153.881	Stoker	HMS Powerful
Chant	FG	193.151	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Dowden	F	175.472	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Gooch	JA	159.697	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Le Quelenac	JA	172057	Ordinary Seaman	HMS Powerful
Spicer	JG	125137	Yeoman of Signals	HMS Monarch, HMS Philomel