As far as I can ascertain the Ladybrand Town Guard only gets one mention in the British Newspapers of the day. Below is my transcription of a couple of paragraphs from the Bournemouth Daily Echo of 7 August 1902 which occur in an article reviewing the contribution made to the South African War by the men of Bournemouth.
“Mr C Abbott, brother of Councillor A. J. Abbott, was a sergeant in the Town Guard at Cape Town, Mr. G. Jennings saw long service on one of the hospital ships, and Mr. H. Whitcher served with the Kaffarian Rifles. Mr. Mitchell Park, who was in the Free State, was commandeered with two other British subjects to serve with the Boers. On refusing, the three men were sentenced to be shot. This was shortly before the entry of British troops to the Colony, and the sentence was never executed. Mr. Bennett Burleigh related the incident in one of his interesting dispatches. After serving with members of a Scottish Guard at Johannesburg, Mr. Park joined the Ladybrand Town Guard, whose duty it was to protect the town against the wandering Boer Commandoes.
“Writing to his friends in Bournemouth, Mr Park says: ‘The arms of the Town Guard were called in last Monday, and the feeling among the men is that we have been shabbily treated. Several M.P.’s have been approached on the matter. The facts are these: On joining we received £1 each (some who joined a little later got nothing) with which to buy a tunic hat putties, etc. How far this went you may guess when I tell you that my tunic alone cost 27s 6d. We were ready at a moment’s notice to go out when called upon; some with our own horses, saddles and bridles, other with what we could borrow, or in some cases what the police and Government would lend them. We were frequently out, sometimes lying in the hot summer sun, and sometimes lying in wet dongas for a whole night. Last Saturday our Captain got a note from the Adjutant of the Garrison saying that by Monday morning all arms and munitions of war belonging to the Town Guard had to be handed in. Not a word of thanks, not even a parade and decent dismissal; no recompense, no medal, nothing whatever to show for two and a half years’ of being on the qui vive, of being out in all weathers, of being at the beck of every commander who chose to use us. This is how England treats her loyalists, many of whom counted imprisonment among other indignities for her sake.’ ”
Mr Mitchell Park obviously had his patriotic beliefs shaken to the core by the treatment and lack of recognition he received. The implication of his use of “We” is that he was not alone. So this could account for QSAM’s to members of the Ladybrand TG being “very scarce” (to quote Adrian) as there are only 8 names on the medal roll and M. Park is not one of them.
