Lieutenant A. C. Doxat, 3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry.—On the 20th October 1900, near Zeerust, Lieutenant Doxat proceeded with a party of Mounted Infantry to reconnoitre a position held by one hundred Boers on a ridge of kopjes. When within three hundred yards of the position the enemy opened a heavy fire on Lieutenant Doxat’s party, which then retired, leaving one of their number who had lost his horse. Lieutenant Doxat, seeing the dangerous position in which the man was placed, galloped back under a very heavy fire and brought him on his horse to a place of safety.
*Lieutenant H. Z. C. Cockburn, Royal Canadian Dragoons.—During the action at Komati River on the 7th of November, Lieutenant Cockburn, with a handful of men, at a most critical moment held off the Boers to allow the guns to get away; to do so he had to sacrifice himself and his party, all of whom were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners, he himself being slightly wounded.
*Lieutenant R. E. W. Turner, Royal Canadian Dragoons.—Later in the day, when the Boers again seriously threatened to capture the guns, Lieutenant Turner, though twice previously wounded, dismounted and deployed his men at close quarters and drove off the Boers, thus saving the guns.
*Sergeant E. Holland, Royal Canadian Dragoons.—Sergeant Holland did splendid work with his Colt gun, and kept the Boers off the two twelve-pounders by its fire at close range. When he saw the enemy were too near for him to escape with the carriage, as the horse was blown, he calmly lifted the gun off and galloped away with it under his arm.
Sergeant Farmer, Cameron Highlanders.—During the attack on General Clements’ camp at Nooitgedacht on December 13, 1900, Lieutenant Sandilands, Cameron Highlanders, with fifteen men, went to the assistance of a picquet which was heavily engaged, most of the men having been killed or wounded. The enemy, who were hidden by trees, opened fire on the party at a range of about twenty yards, killing two and wounding five, including Lieutenant Sandilands. Sergeant Farmer at once went to the officer, who was perfectly helpless, and carried him away under a very heavy and close fire to a place of comparative safety, after which he returned to the firing line, and was eventually taken prisoner.
FOOTNOTES:
[22] The names are arranged according to the dates on which were performed the deeds that earned the distinction. An asterisk denotes the V.C.’s conferred by King Edward VII.
[23] This decoration was the first Victoria Cross conferred by King Edward VII., on March 8, 1901.