Sergeant H. Engleheart, 10th Hussars.—At dawn on March 13, 1900, the party that had destroyed the railway north of Bloemfontein had to charge through a Boer piquet and get over four deep spruits in order to make their way back through the Boer lines. At the fourth spruit Sapper Webb’s horse failed to get up the bank, and he was left in a very dangerous position. In face of a very heavy rifle and shell fire, and notwithstanding the great chance of being cut off, Sergeant Engleheart returned to Sapper Webb’s assistance. It took some time to get the man and his horse out of the sluit, and the position became momentarily more critical owing to the advance of the Boers. He was, however, at last successful, and retiring slowly, to cover Webb’s retreat, was able to get him safely back to the party. Shortly before this, Sergeant Engleheart had shown great gallantry in dashing into the first spruit, which could only be reached in single file, and was still full of Boers hesitating whether to fly or fire. Had they been given time to rally they must have destroyed the small party of British, as they outnumbered them by four to one.
Major Phipps-Hornby, Sergeant Charles Parker, Gunner Isaac Lodge, Driver Horace Harry Glasock, Q Battery, R.H.A.—Four Victoria Crosses were awarded to members of Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, for gallantry displayed at Koorn Spruit. As every man of the battery had displayed equally conspicuous courage, Lord Roberts decided to deal with the case under Rule 13 of the Warrant of the Order, and allotted four badges—one for officers, one for non-commissioned officers, and two for gunners and drivers. The circumstances in which Major Phipps-Hornby was selected for the honour in the first class mentioned are set forth in the following extract from the London Gazette: “On the occasion of the action at Koorn Spruit on March 31, 1900, a British force, including two batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery, was retiring from Thabanchu towards Bloemfontein. The enemy had formed an ambush at Koorn Spruit, and, before their presence was discovered by the main body, had captured the greater portion of the baggage column and five out of the six guns of the leading battery. When the alarm was given Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, was within 300 yards of the spruit. Major Phipps-Hornby, who commanded it, at once wheeled about and moved off at a gallop under a very heavy fire. One gun upset when a wheel-horse was shot, and had to be abandoned, together with a waggon, the horses of which were killed. The remainder of the battery reached a position close to some unfinished railway buildings, and came into action 1150 yards from the spruit, remaining in action until ordered to retire. When the order to retire was received, Major Phipps-Hornby ordered the guns and their limbers to be run back by hand to where the teams of uninjured horses stood behind the unfinished buildings. The few remaining gunners, assisted by a number of officers and men of a party of mounted infantry, and directed by Major Phipps-Hornby and Captain Humphreys, the only remaining officers of the battery, succeeded in running back four of the guns under shelter. One or two of the limbers were similarly withdrawn by hand, but the work was most severe and the distance considerable. In consequence, all concerned were so exhausted that they were unable to drag in the remaining limbers or the fifth gun. It now became necessary to risk the horses, and volunteers were called for from among the drivers, who readily responded. Several horses were killed, and men wounded, but at length only one gun and one limber were left exposed. Four separate attempts were made to rescue these, but when no more horses were available the attempt had to be given up, and the gun and limber were abandoned. Meanwhile the other guns had been sent on, one at a time, and, after passing within 700 or 800 yards of the enemy, in rounding the head of a donga and crossing two spruits, they eventually reached a place of safety, where the battery was reformed. After full consideration of the circumstances of the case, the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief in South Africa formed the opinion that the conduct of all ranks of Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, was conspicuously gallant and daring, but that all were equally brave and devoted in their behaviour. He therefore decided to treat the case of the battery as one of collective gallantry under Rule 13 of the Victoria Cross Warrant, and directed that one officer should be selected for the decoration of the Victoria Cross by the officers, one non-commissioned officer by the non-commissioned officers, and two gunners or drivers by the gunners and drivers. A difficulty arose with regard to the officer, owing to the fact that there were only two unwounded officers—Major Phipps-Hornby and Captain Humphreys—available for the work of saving the guns, and both of these had been conspicuous by their gallantry and by the fearless manner in which they exposed themselves, and each of them nominated the other for the decoration. It was ultimately decided in favour of Major Phipps-Hornby, as having been the senior concerned.”
Sergeant Charles Parker was chosen by the non-commissioned officers as the one among them most deserving the distinction.
Gunner Isaac Lodge and Driver Horace Harry Glasock were selected in the like manner by the vote of their comrades.
*Lieutenant F. A. Maxwell, D.S.O., Indian Staff Corps, attached to Roberts’s Light Horse.—Lieutenant Maxwell was one of three officers not belonging to Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, specially mentioned by Lord Roberts as having shown the greatest gallantry and disregard of danger in carrying out the self-imposed duty of saving the guns of that battery during the affair at Koorn Spruit on March 31, 1900. This officer went out on five different occasions and assisted to bring in two guns and three limbers, one of which he, Captain Humphreys, and some gunners, dragged in by hand. He also went out with Captain Humphreys and Lieutenant Stirling to try to get the last gun in, and remained there till the attempt was abandoned. During a previous campaign (the Chitral Expedition of 1895) Lieutenant Maxwell displayed gallantry in the removal of the body of Lieutenant-Colonel F. D. Battye, Corps of Guides, under fire, for which, though recommended, he received no reward.[23]
Lieutenant W. H. S. Nickerson, Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to Mounted Infantry.—At Wakkerstroom, on the evening of the 20th April 1900, during the advance of the Infantry to support the mounted troops, Lieutenant Nickerson went, in the most gallant manner, under a heavy rifle and shell fire, to attend a wounded man, dressed his wounds, and remained with him till he had him conveyed to a place of safety.
Corporal H. Beet, 1st Battalion Derbyshire Regiment Mounted Infantry.—At Wakkerstroom, on the 22nd April 1900, No. 2 Mounted Infantry Company 1st Battalion Derbyshire Regiment, with two squadrons Imperial Yeomanry, had to retire from near a farm, under a ridge held by Boers. Corporal Burnett, Imperial Yeomanry, was left on the ground wounded, and Corporal Beet, on seeing him, remained behind, and placed him under cover, bound up his wounds, and by firing prevented the Boers from coming down to the farm till dark, when Dr. Wilson, Imperial Yeomanry, came to the wounded man’s assistance. The retirement was carried out under a very heavy fire, and Corporal Beet was exposed to fire during the whole afternoon.
Captain Ernest Beckwith Towse, the Gordon Highlanders.—On the 11th December, 1899, at the action of Majesfontein, Captain Towse was brought to notice by his commanding officer for his gallantry and devotion in assisting the late Colonel Downman, when mortally wounded, in the retirement, and endeavouring, when close up to the front of the firing line, to carry Colonel Downman on his back, but finding this not possible Captain Towse supported him till joined by Colour-Sergeant Nelson and Lance-Corporal Hodgson. On the 30th of April, 1900, Captain Towse, with 12 men, took up a position on the top of Mount Thaba, far away from support. A force of about 150 Boers attempted to seize the same plateau, neither party appearing to see the other until they were but 100 yards apart. Some of the Boers then got within 40 yards of Captain Towse and his party, and called on him to surrender. He at once caused his men to open fire, and remained firing himself until severely wounded (both eyes shattered), succeeding in driving off the Boers. The gallantry of this officer in vigorously attacking the enemy (for he not only fired, but charged forward) saved the situation, notwithstanding the numerical superiority of the Boers.
Corporal F. M’Kay, the Gordon Highlanders.—On the 29th of May 1900, during the action on Crow’s Nest Hill, near Johannesburg, Corporal M’Kay repeatedly rushed forward, under a withering fire at short ranges, to attend to wounded comrades, dressing their wounds, while he himself was without shelter, and in one instance carrying a wounded man from the open, under a heavy fire, to the shelter of a boulder.
Corporal F. Kirby, Royal Engineers.—On the morning of June 2, 1900, a party sent to try to cut the Delagoa Bay Railway were retiring, hotly pressed by very superior numbers. During one of the successive retirements of the rearguard a man, whose horse had been shot, was seen running after his comrades. He was a long way behind the rest of his troop, and was under a brisk fire. From among the retiring troop, Corporal Kirby turned and rode back to the man’s assistance. Although by the time he reached him they were under a heavy fire at close range, Corporal Kirby managed to get the dismounted man up behind him, and to take him clear off over the next rise held by our rearguard. This is the third occasion on which Corporal Kirby has displayed gallantry in the face of the enemy.