Commemorative plaque, 1st South African Brigade, First World War

An oval varnished wooden plaque with green felt backing featuring a collection of five infantry collar badges from the 1st South Africa Brigade, surrounding two engraved sterling silver scrolls, one of which states "1st South African Brigade", while the second lists battle honours: "EGYPT 1916. ARMENTIERES. SOMME. VIMY. SOMME. ARRAS. SCARPE." The scrolls are nailed to the plaque, while the badges appear to have been glued. The collar badges are (top) 2nd South African Infantry (1915 - recruited from Natal and Orange Free State); (left) 1st South African Infantry (1915 - Cape Province); (right) 3rd South African Infantry (1915 -Transvaal and Rhodesia); (bottom) 4th South African Infantry (1915 - a largely Scottish unit); and (centre) general service badge, small version.

Associated with the service of Major Frank Eardley Cochran, in Melbourne, Victoria, in February 1880. After gaining engineering qualifications at Melbourne University, Cochran enlisted as a private with the Third Victorian (Bushman's) Contingent which departed for South Africa on 10 March 1900 aboard SS Euryalus. The unit operated for 14 months in the Transvaal Cochran was invalided home early, arriving on 2 May. Once recovered, he re-enlisted in early January 1902 at the army camp of Langwarrin in Victoria, was assigned to the 2nd Australian Commonwealth Horse (which included three Victorian rifle squadrons) arrived in South Africa in May 1902, serving until August that year. It is probable that Cochran then did not return to Australia, but continued his involvement in the South African military forces, later enlisting with the Natal Light Horse. Cochran, whose family was divided between South Africa and Melbourne, ultimately settled permanently to South Africa prior to 1914. Here, he enlisted for the First World War in 1916, in the 2nd Regiment, South African Infantry, where he qualified as a 1st Class instructor in Sniping. In March 1917 he was seconded for duty as Staff Captain to the 1st South African Infantry Brigade but he returned to regimental duty at his own request at the end of July. He had risen to the rank of Major, been awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1918, and been twice mentioned in despatches, before he was killed in action on 24 March 1918, near Pozieres. He is commemorated on panel 27 of the Pozieres Memorial. The 1st South African Brigade comprised 160 officers and 5,648 men and embarked for service in late 1915. After some action in Egypt, they arrived in France in April 1916 and are best remembered for their attack and defence of D'Eville Wood in July and August 1916.