Description
NEWFOUNDLAND 1911 Inter-Brigade Coronation Sports bronze uniface trail strike 12.27 grams
This is a trail strike with an unfinished edge. The finished medal would have been 33mm and this example is approximately 35mm. This medal was not mentioned in The Currency and Medals of Newfoundland, nor is it listed in Andrew Whittlestone's and Michael Ewing's, Royal Commemorative Medals 1837 - 1977 Volume 5, King George The Fifth 1910 - 1936. A finished example was offered in the Nicolet Seminary collection that was offered in 2017 with the reverse being engraved "WON BY".
In an attempt to find out who struck this medal the Whittlestone & Ewing publication was reviewed looking for similar designs. There is no comparable example with a Britannia like figure holding a laurel wreath and a shield. The crowned cross sceptres occasionally appears but only on examples where it is the principle design. It would not have been a popular design as King George V had his Coronation on June 22nd, 1911, not the 23rd. It has been suggested that the St John's Regatta for 1911 took place on the June 23rd, but that event where all the athletic competitions would have taken place occurred August 2nd.
When the First World War broke out on August 4, 1914, Newfoundland and Labrador had little in the way of armed forces. There was a local branch of the Royal Naval Reserve, but the closest thing the dominion had to any land forces was a handful of paramilitary groups – civilian-run organizations that provided its members with varying degrees of military training. These groups became an important source of early recruits for the Newfoundland Regiment. Church Lads' Brigade, Catholic Cadet Corps, Epworth Guards (later Methodist Guards), Newfoundlander Highlanders. All four church brigades followed similar training programs. Cadets learned how to march in formation, deliver first aid, and respond to emergency situations. Each corps maintained its own marching band and sports teams. They competed against each other at various sporting events, such as football, hockey, and shooting tournaments, and the annual St. John's Regatta.
