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At the Guildhall, Brecon, on Monday afternoon, Lord Glanusk, Lord-Lieutenant of Breconshire and honorary colonel of the 1st V.B. S.W.B., presented the South African medals to men of the 1st V.B. South Wales Borderers - the Breconshire Battalion - who formed part of the 24th Volunteer Active Service Company. The Depot South Wales Borderers (24th Regiment) furnished the guard of honour for the occasion, under Captain C. W. Wadsworth. Supporting Lord Glanusk on the platform were Colonel Gough, commanding 1st V.B. S.W.B.; Colonel T. G. Powell, Brynmawr; Colonel J. J. Jones, Cefn; Major Howell, Builth; Captain D. V. Rees, Brecon; Captain D. W. E. Thomas, Talgarth; Captain H. V. Jones, Cefn; Captain T. L. Jones, Brynmawr; Captain J. J. Watkins, Crickhowell; Captain Carless, Builth; Captain and Adjutant Goring, Captain and Quartermaster Dickey.

Lord Glanusk said the Volunteers of Breconshire who had returned from South Africa deserved well of their country. (Cheers.) He had been supplied with certain facts which had been placed in his hands by Captain Goring. They had been made out for him by Colour-Sergeant West, who, he was pleased to say, had earned the distinguished conduct medal. (Cheers.) Lord Glanusk now read a resume of the work of the 24th Volunteer Active Service Company from the time they left Brecon in January, 1900, till their return. In the 29 engagements in which they had fought they had been under the command of five different generals, all of whom had expressed the highest admiration of the work done. He did not suppose there ever was a war in which greater difficulty was experienced than the present one in South Africa, but it had shown the vast strength of the Empire of Great Britain, and that reliance could be placed in our Regulars and Volunteers. (Cheers.)

The medals were then distributed by his Lordship. Appended is a list of the men entitled to the medal, all of whom were decorated, with the exception of the three absentees whose names are marked with an asterisk (*), and who will have their medals forwarded to them from headquarters at Brecon : -
379 Colour-Sergeant C. West (sergeant-instructor Senny Bridge Company). Sergeant West has also obtained the distinguished service medal.
*7499 Corporal E. P. Howell, Strand, Builth.
7500 Private E. Boucher, Brook-street, Hay. [Ernest Boucher]
7501 Private T. Bound, Field-street, Cefncoed. [Thomas Bound]
*7502 Private R. B. Challoner, Hay (absent in South Africa).
7503 Private J. Clee, Lower Cwntwrch, Swansea Vale. [John Clee]
7504 Private J. T. Davies, High-street, Builth.
7505 Private J. Davies, High-street, Llandovery.
7506 Private J. Evans, Cwmbach, Llangenny. [James Evans]
7507 Private T. Farley, 29, Lion-street, Hay. [Thomas Farley]
7508 Private J. Havard, Tramroad Cottage, Talybont. [James Havard]
7510 Private W. Jenkins, Gellinos, Ystalyfera.
7511 Private W. Lloyd, New-street, Llandrindod.
7512 Private E. T. Morgan, New Swan Hotel, Ystalyfera. [Edward Thomas Morgan]
7513 Private R. B. P. Morgan, Begulidy Rectory, Kington. [R. B. Pughe Morgan]
*7514 Private G. Morgan, Beaufort Arms, Crickhowell. [George Morgan]
7516 Private T. A. L. Thomas, Brecon. [Trevor A. Llewellyn Thomas, 3, Usk-terrace, Brecon]
7517 Private E. A. Thomas, Pontycapel-road, Cefncoed. [Edgar Thomas]
7518 Private D. Watkins, Dinas-road, Brecon.
7519 Lance-Corporal J. Walters, Silver-street, Brecon.
7520 Private A. Williams, Bank-square, Builth. [Arthur Williams]

Corporal E. P. Howell's medal was handed over to his father, Major M. G. Howell, Lord Glanusk congratulating Corporal Howell upon having obtained a commission in his Majesty's forces.

Private George Morgan, Crickhowell, was absent through the death of his father.

In the case of the following three members who died in South Africa the medals will be forwarded to the next-of-kin : -
7509 Private S. Jones (father, Mr W. Jones, Gurnos Shop, Ystalyfera, Swansea Valley).
7521 Private W. E. Jones (father, Mr W. Jones, Laurel Cottage, Three Cocks, Breconshire). [William Edward Jones, died 5th August 1901, of enteric, at Kroonstad]
7515 Private E. Powell, Hay Company (mother, Mrs M. Powell, The Gaer, Michaelchurch-on-Arrow, Kington). [Edward Powell]

The Cardiff Times, Saturday 19th October 1901

In the course of a letter to friends at Newport, Corporal C. Pobjoy, of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion South Wales Borderers (Active Service Company), writing from Johannesburg Hospital, where he was employed in clerical work, on June 19th, says : - "We have had two Volunteers die of enteric fever. Their names are E. Powell and Simon Jones, of Swansea. I was working in the hospital when these two died. The first-named died on June 3rd, and the last-named one on June 18th. Both were buried with military honours in Johannesburg Cemetery." The Simon Jones referred to was a native of Ystalyfera, and was the son of Mr. William Jones, butcher, Gurnos, Ystalyfera.

The Cambrian, Friday 27th July 1900


At the Guildhall, Brecon, on Tuesday night, presentations were made to Corporal J. J. Walters, Lance-corporal Trevor Thomas, and Private D. Watkins, who served with the 24th Volunteer Active Service Company in South Africa, and also to Miss Alicia Williams (sister of Mr. G. Hyatt Williams, town-clerk), who went through the campaign as a nurse in the Welsh Hospital. Each of the Volunteers was presented with a very handsome silver watch, and Miss Williams was given a pair of field glasses.

The presentation ceremony was gracefully performed by the Mayoress of Brecon (Mrs. Powell Price), who in a very able speech alluded to the services of the men in the fighting line and of the valuable work done by Miss Williams in the Welsh Hospital, which was, said the mayoress, more efficiently equipped and better administered than any other field hospital in South Africa.

Unfortunately, Miss Williams was unable to be present to receive the testimonial from her townspeople, and her brother had to act as her deputy.

Captain Rees proposed a vote of thanks to the mayoress, and also to Mr. C. E. W. price, who carried out the duties of secretary in connection with the presentation fund.

A concert was held during the evening, at which the Brecon Volunteer Band played several excellent selections.

Weekly Mail, Saturday 26th October 1901

"Interesting presentations" above included Miss Alicia Williams who served as a nurse in the Welsh Hospital. Here, courtesy of the National Library in Wales, she is!



I m still researching her but her full name was Alicia Jane Williams and she was born & raised in Brecon (mid Wales). She trained as a nurse at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh. When the Welsh Hospital was transferred to the army and became the Officer's Hospital she stayed on and, as the caption and newspaper reports tell us, contracted typhoid. She was invalided home and survived. She then did some private nursing and the 1911 census shows her as a companion to a lady of means living in Dolgellau, Come WW1 despite being 52 she volunteered as a nurse and for a time was acting matron on the St Patrick, a hospital ship that spent its time ferrying wounded soldiers back from France. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal for her work in WW1. In the summer of 1920 she spent 6 months touring Canada & the USA. I think she died a spinster in Brecon in 1951 by when she would have been 88 or 89.

Miss Bulkeley Williams was no relation and her full name was Lucy Jane Bulkeley Williams but she seems to have spent most of her time known as Miss Bulkeley Williams. Hers is a fascinating story for another time.

The photo was obviously taken on a windy day.