(Continued)

King Edward VII. was pleased to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the following officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, whose claims were submitted to his Majesty’s approval, for their conspicuous bravery in South Africa, as stated against their names:—

Captain H. N. Schofield,[11] Royal Field Artillery.—At Colenso, on December 15, 1899, when the detachments serving the guns of the 14th and 60th Batteries Royal Field Artillery had all been killed, wounded, or driven from them by infantry fire at close range, Captain Schofield went out when the first attempt was made to extricate the guns, and assisted in withdrawing the two that were saved.

Private C. Ravenhill, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers.—At Colenso, on December 15, 1899, Private Ravenhill went several times, under a heavy fire, from his sheltered position as one of the escort to the guns, to assist the officers and drivers who were trying to withdraw the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries Royal Field Artillery, when the detachments serving them had all been killed, wounded, or driven from them by infantry fire at close range, and helped to limber up one of the guns that were saved.

Lieutenant (now Captain and Brevet-Major) J. E. I. Masterson, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment.—During the action at Wagon Hill on January 6, 1900, Lieutenant Masterson commanded, with the greatest gallantry and dash, one of the three companies of his regiment which charged a ridge held by the enemy and captured their position. The companies were then exposed to a most heavy and galling fire from the right and left front. Lieutenant Masterson undertook to give a message to the Imperial Light Horse, who were holding a ridge some hundred yards behind, to fire to the left front and endeavour to check the enemy’s fire. In taking this message he crossed an open space of a hundred yards which was swept by a most heavy cross fire, and though badly wounded in both thighs managed to crawl in and deliver his message before falling exhausted into the Imperial Light Horse trench. His unselfish heroism was undoubtedly the means of saving several lives.

Privates R. Scott and J. Pitts, 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment.—During the attack on Cæsar’s Camp, in Natal, on January 6, 1900, these two men occupied a sangar, on the left of which all our men had been shot down and their positions occupied by Boers, and held their post for fifteen hours without food or water, all the time under an extremely heavy fire, keeping up their fire and a smart look-out, though the Boers occupied some sangars on their immediate left rear. Private Scott was wounded.

Sergeant W. Firth, 1st Battalion West Riding Regiment.—During the action at Plowman’s Farm, near Arundel, Cape Colony, on February 24, 1900, Lance-Corporal Blackman, having been wounded and lying exposed to a hot fire at a range of from four to five hundred yards, Sergeant Firth picked him up and carried him to cover. Later in the day, when the enemy had advanced to within a short distance of the firing line. Second Lieutenant Wilson being dangerously wounded and in a most exposed position, Sergeant Firth carried him over the crest of the ridge, which was being held by the troops, to shelter, and was himself shot through the nose and eye while doing so.

Corporal J. J. Clements, Rimington’s Guides.—On February 24, 1900, near Strijdenburg, when dangerously wounded through the lungs and called on to surrender, Corporal Clements threw himself into the midst of a party of five Boers, shooting three of them with his revolver, and thereby causing the whole party to surrender to himself and two unwounded men of Rimington’s Guides.

Captain N R. House, New South Wales Medical Staff Corps.—During the action at Vredefort on July 24, 1900, Captain House went out under a heavy cross fire and picked up a wounded man and carried him to a place of shelter.

Sergeant H. Hampton, 2nd Battalion Liverpool Regiment.—On August 21, 1900, at Van Wyk’s Vlei, Sergeant Hampton, who was in command of a small party of Mounted Infantry, held an important position for some time against heavy odds, and when compelled to retire saw all his men into safety, and then, though he had himself been wounded in the head, supported Lance-Corporal Walsh, who was unable to walk, until the latter was again hit and apparently killed, Sergeant Hampton himself being again wounded a short time after.

Private E. Durrant, 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade.—At Bergendal, on August 27, 1900, Acting-Corporal Wellar having been wounded, and being somewhat dazed, got up from his prone position in the firing line, exposing himself still more to the enemy’s fire, and commenced to run towards them. Private Durrant rose, and pulling him down endeavoured to keep him quiet, but finding this impossible he took him up and carried him back for 200 yards under a heavy fire to shelter, returning immediately to his place in the line.

Private C. Kennedy, 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry.—At Dewetsdorp, on November 22, 1900, Private Kennedy carried a comrade, who was dangerously wounded and bleeding to death, from Gibraltar Hill to the hospital, a distance of three-quarters of a mile, under a very hot fire. On the following day, volunteers having been called for to take a message to the commandant across a space over which it was almost certain death to venture, Private Kennedy at once stepped forward. He did not, however, succeed in delivering the message, as he was severely wounded before he had gone twenty yards.

Farrier-Major W. J. Hardham, 4th New Zealand Contingent.—On January 28, 1901, near Naauwpoort, this non-commissioned officer was with a section which was extended and hotly engaged with a party of about twenty Boers. Just before the force commenced to retire Trooper M’Crae was wounded and his horse killed. Farrier-Major Hardham at once went under a heavy fire to his assistance, dismounted and placed him on his own horse, and ran alongside until he had guided him to a place of safety.

Sergeant W. B. Traynor, 2nd Battalion the Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment).—During the night attack on Bothwell Camp on February 6, 1901, Sergeant Traynor jumped out of a trench and ran out under an extremely heavy fire to the assistance of a wounded man. While running out he was severely wounded, and being unable to carry the man by himself he called for assistance. Lance-Corporal Lintott at once came to him, and between them they carried the wounded soldier into shelter. After this, although severely wounded, Sergeant Traynor remained in command of his section, and was most cheerful, encouraging his men till the attack failed.

Lieutenant F. B. Dugdale, 5th Lancers.—On March 3, 1901, Lieutenant Dugdale, who was in command of a small outpost near Derby, having been ordered to retire, his patrol came under a heavy fire at a range of about two hundred and fifty yards, and a sergeant, two men, and a horse were hit. Lieutenant Dugdale dismounted and placed one of the wounded men on his own horse; he then caught another horse, galloped up to a wounded man and took him up behind him, and brought both men safely out of action.

Lieutenant F. W. Bell, West Australian Mounted Infantry.—At Brakpan, on May 16, 1901, when retiring through a heavy fire after holding the right flank, Lieutenant Bell noticed a man dismounted and returned and took him up behind him. The horse, not being equal to the weight, fell with them. Lieutenant Bell then remained behind and covered the man’s retirement till he was out of danger.

Sergeant James Rogers, South African Constabulary.—On the 15th June 1901, during a skirmish near Thabanchu, a party of the rearguard of Captain Sitwell’s column, consisting of Lieutenant F. Dickinson, Sergeant James Rogers, and six men of the South African Constabulary, was suddenly attacked by about sixty Boers. Lieutenant Dickinson’s horse having been shot, that officer was compelled to follow his men on foot. Sergeant Rogers seeing this, rode back, firing as he did so, took Lieutenant Dickinson up behind him, and carried him for half a mile on his horse. The sergeant then returned to within four hundred yards of the enemy and carried away, one after the other, two men who had lost their horses, after which he caught the horses of two other men, and helped the men to mount. All this was done under a very heavy rifle fire. The Boers were near enough to Sergeant Rogers to call on him to surrender: his only answer was to continue firing.

Lieutenant W. J. English, 2nd Scottish Horse.—This officer with five men was holding the right of a position at Vlakfontein on July 3, 1901, during an attack by the Boers. Two of his men were killed and two wounded, but the position was still held largely owing to Lieutenant English’s personal pluck. When the ammunition ran short he went over to the next party and obtained more; to do this he had to cross some fifteen yards of open ground under a heavy fire at a range of from twenty to thirty yards.

Private H. G. Crandon, 18th Hussars.—On July 4, 1901, at Springbok Laagte, Privates Berry and Crandon were scouting towards a kopje when the Boers suddenly opened fire on them at a range of one hundred yards. Private Berry’s horse fell and became disabled, and he was himself shot in the right hand and left shoulder. Private Crandon at once rode back under a heavy fire to his assistance, gave up his horse to the wounded man to enable him to reach shelter, and followed him on foot having to run for one thousand one hundred yards, all the time under fire.

Sergeant-Major Alexander Young, Cape Police.—Towards the close of the action at Ruiter’s Kraal, on the 13th of August 1901, Sergeant-Major Young, with a handful of men, rushed some kopjes which were being held by Commandant Erasmus and about twenty Boers. On reaching these kopjes the enemy were seen galloping back to another kopje held by the Boers. Sergeant-Major Young then galloped on some fifty yards ahead of his party, and closing with the enemy shot one of them and captured Commandant Erasmus, the latter firing at him three times at point blank range before being taken prisoner.

Lieutenant L. A. E. Price Davies. D.S.O., King’s Royal Rifle Corps.—At Blood River Poort, on September 17, 1901, when the Boers had overwhelmed the right of the British column, and some four hundred of them were galloping round the flank and rear of the guns, riding up to the drivers (who were trying to get the guns away) and calling on them to surrender, Lieutenant Price Davies, hearing an order to fire on the charging Boers, at once drew his revolver and dashed in among them, firing at them in a most gallant and desperate attempt to rescue the guns. He was immediately shot and knocked off his horse, but was not mortally wounded, although he had ridden to what seemed to be almost certain death without a moment’s hesitation.

Driver F. G. Bradley, 69th Battery Royal Field Artillery.—During the action at Itala, Zululand, on the 26th September 1901, Major Chapman called for volunteers to carry ammunition up the hill. To do this a space of about one hundred and fifty yards swept by a heavy cross fire had to be crossed. Driver Lancashire and Gunner Bull at once came forward and started, but half-way across Driver Lancashire fell wounded. Driver Bradley and Gunner Rabb without a moment’s hesitation ran out and caught Driver Lancashire up, and Gunner Rabb carried him under cover, the ground being swept by bullets the whole time. Driver Bradley then, with the aid of Gunner Boddy, succeeded in getting the ammunition up the hill.

Private W. Bees, 1st Battalion Derbyshire Regiment.—Private Bees was one of the Maxim-gun detachment which at Moedwil on the 30th September 1901 had six men hit out of nine. Hearing his wounded comrades asking for water he went forward, under a heavy fire, to a spruit held by Boers about five hundred yards ahead of the gun, and brought back a kettle full of water. In going and returning he had to pass within one hundred yards of some rocks also held by Boers, and the kettle which he was carrying was hit by several bullets.

Lieutenant L. C. Maygar, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles.—At Geelhoutboom, on the 23rd November 1901, Lieutenant Maygar galloped out and ordered the men of a detached post, which was being outflanked, to retire. The horse of one of them being shot under him, when the enemy were within two hundred yards, Lieutenant Maygar dismounted and lifted him on to his own horse, which bolted into boggy ground, causing both of them to dismount. On extricating the horse, and finding that it could not carry both, Lieutenant Maygar again put the man on its back and told him to gallop for cover at once, he himself proceeding on foot. All this took place under a very heavy fire.

Surgeon-Captain T. J. Crean, 1st Imperial Light Horse.—During the action with De Wet at Tygerskloof, on the 18th December 1901, this officer continued to attend to the wounded in the firing line, under a heavy fire at only one hundred and fifty yards’ range, after he had himself been wounded, and only desisted when he was hit a second time, and, as it was at first thought, mortally wounded.

Surgeon-Captain A. Martin-Leake, South African Constabulary.—During the action at Vlakfontein, on the 8th of February 1902, Surgeon-Captain Martin-Leake went up to a wounded man and attended to him under a heavy fire from about forty Boers at a hundred yards’ range. He then went to the assistance of a wounded officer, and while trying to place him in a comfortable position was shot three times, but would not give in till he rolled over thoroughly exhausted. All the eight men at this point were wounded, and while they were lying on the veldt Surgeon-Captain Martin-Leake refused water till every one else had been served.

FOOTNOTES:

[11] See Author’s remarks, Biographical Record, vol. vi.

TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES

General: Corrections to punctuation have been made but not indivdually noted

General: Variable hyphenation of pom(-)pom and women(-)folk as in the original text

General: Variable accenting of depôt and bonâ as in the original text

Page iv: Arril corrected to April in first section of chapter XVII