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Smethwick wrote: I often wonder how the town fathers decided who should be listed on their Town War Memorials.

Private 4167 George Duckworth, 1st Battalion South Lancashire Regiment was the only man to die in defence of Fort Prospect on 26th September 1901. Although he was born in Smethwick in 1875, he and his family moved to St Helens before the 1881 Census and George was still living there when he enlisted in the South Lancashire Regiment in 1893. As far as I see, following all Berenice's excellent work, he does not appear on the St Helens Town Boer War Memorial. So over 12 years of residence does not seem to have qualified him for selection.

Smethwick never erected a Boer War Memorial to the fallen but at least George is commemorated on the South Lancashire Regiment Boer War Memorial in Warrington.

Well, 4614 Lance Corporal George Pattison, a Regular in the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards, who was killed in action at Belmont, 23rd November 1899, wasn't included on the St Helens roll of honour either, even though his father was manager at a St Helens colliery. On the other hand, Lieutenant Pilkington, also a Regular, has his name on the St Helens' roll, perhaps because the Pilkington glass-manufacturing company was the largest employer in the town.

The Yeomanry were the glamour boys, followed by the Volunteers, then the Reservists, but the rank and file Regulars tended to be left behind when domestic honours were handed out.

BereniceUK wrote: The Yeomanry were the glamour boys.

On their return, the men of the St Helens Troop, 32nd I.Y., received silver English lever "Prescot" watches, and the officers gold tribute medals.

The presentation was made by Colonel Lord Gerard, at Moss Bank (H.Q. of "B" St Helens Troop, Lancashire Hussars), on 14 September 1901 (Wigan Observer, 18/09/1901).

The watches were inscribed: "PRESENTED TO / Pte. Dennett, / 32ND CO I.Y., / B. TROOP LANC. HUSSARS, / FOR GALLANT SERVICES / RENDERED DURING / South African War / 1899-1901".

Unusually the inscriptions on the watches and gold medals did not include the name of the presenting town.


Wigan Observer, 18th September 1901

WATCHES FOR ST HELENS YEOMEN.
PRESENTATION BY LORD GERARD.

There was a large gathering on Saturday at Moss Bank, the headquarters of the St Helens B Troop of the Lancashire Hussars, when the twenty-five men who served in South Africa with the 32nd Company of the Imperial Yeomanry were presented with silver English lever (Prescott) watches. The presentation was made by Colonel LORD GERARD, commanding officer, who was accompanied by a large number of officers and gentry. LORD GERARD, and the officers who served with the company, Lieut. PILKINGTON and Veterinary-Surgeon DIXON, were also the recipients of handsome gold medals. The recipients of the watches were Sergeant EDDLESTON, Sergeant PORTER, Corporal PENDLEBURY, Corporal SUMNER, Privates BYRON, CAMPBELL, CULLEN, DANCER, DENNETT, EDEN, Joseph FAIRCLOUGH, LITTLER, SWIRE, BEESLEY, GREEN, GREGSON, HODSON, MARSH, MIDDLEHURST, PICKERVANCE, REES, ROBERTS, SEPHTON, SHERLOCK, and SWIFT. Mrs Fairclough, of Peasley Cross, was also presented with a watch in memory of her son John, who was killed at Kheis. The presentation and the necessary subscription were arranged with much care by a local committee.


The recipients of the watches were:

32nd (Lancashire) Company, 2nd Bn. Imperial Yeomanry –
8947 Sergeant William EDDLESTON
8930 Farrier-Sergeant H. PORTER
8926 Lance-Corporal John PENDLEBURY
8940 Corporal John SUMNER
8989 Trooper Lawrence BEESLEY
8921 Trooper John Forbes BYRON
8935 Trooper George CAMPBELL
8933 Trooper Joseph CULLEN
8939 Trooper James DANCER
8944 Trooper James DENNETT
8946 Trooper Aloysius EDEN
8937 Trooper John FAIRCLOUGH (K.I.A., Kheis, 28/05/1900 - watch presented to his mother)
8932 Trooper Joshua FAIRCLOUGH [Joseph Fairclough]
8923 Trooper Thomas GREEN
8928 Trooper Luke GREGSON
8931 Trooper Arthur HODSON
8922 Trooper Joseph LITTLER
8936 Trooper Thomas Henry MARSH
8938 Trooper William MIDDLEHURST
8942 Trooper Samuel PICKERVANCE [Pickavance]
8945 Trooper John Harry Benbow REES
8927 Trooper Frederick James ROBERTS
8925 Trooper Joseph SEPHTON
8943 Trooper William Arthur SHERLOCK
8924 Trooper Thomas SWIFT
8929 Trooper William SWIRE





Gold medals were presented to:

Head Quarter Staff, Natal Field Force –
Colonel William CANSFIELD, Lord GERARD

32nd (Lancashire) Company, 2nd Bn. Imperial Yeomanry –
Lieutenant Ernest Sinclair PILKINGTON
Veterinary-Lieutenant William Goodchild DIXON

These were inscribed: "SOUTH AFRICAN WAR / 1899-1901 / PRESENTED TO / LIEUT E.S. PELKINGTON [sic] / 32ND CO / IMPERIAL YEOMANRY".

SEE: St Helens Tribute Medal



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