TOPIC:

1910 seems to be a very late date for a QSA to be awarded. Was this unusual?

Bravery recognised. - The Queen's South African Medal with the clasps "Wepener," "Wittenbergen," "Cape Colony," and the "Transvaal" has been awarded to Mr A H Jones for his service as private No. 2397 in the Cape Mounted Rifles during the late Boer War. He has also been awarded the King's South African Medal with the clasps "South Africa, 1901," and "South Africa, 1902." Mr Jones, who is a son of Mr T Walter Jones, retired schoolmaster, of St. Nicholas [Fishguard], already possesses three other medals, one of which bears four clasps. At present he holds the responsible position of Superintendent of Police at the Cairo Zoological Gardens, in which capacity he was recently brought into close contact with Mr Theodore Roosevelt, during the ex-president's visit to Egypt.

The County Echo, Thursday 7th April 1910

newspapers.library.wales/view/3666851/3666855/58/

Thanks Berenice..... Sounds like a duplicate issue..... Mike

Hi Berenice,

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact they got his Regimental number originally mixed up on the roll ??

I've now found several more reports relating to and letters from Arthur Herbert Jones.

Mr. D. W. Jones, of the Cardiff telegraph staff, has kindly forwarded us some interesting extracts from a letter he has received from his brother, Trooper A. H. Jones, of the Cape Mounted Rifles, and attached to Captain Montmorency's scouts. He says: - "I am safe and sound, although very nearly losing the number of my mess. I have been in three engagements, and come out scatheless. One day - more by good luck than management - I just escaped being cut off and captured. Three fellows and myself were scouting about three miles from the main body when we came upon a party of the enemy in ambush on a kopje. They fired a volley point blank at us from a distance of about 400 yards. The sensation of being suddenly fired upon is indescribable. You hardly know whether to halt or retreat, and, considering that we were subjected to a cross fire from three different points, and withering at that, we thought it best to retire at the quickest rate possible. Don't believe a word of the so-called marksmanship of the Boers. It is all bunkum, as from practical experience I can say that if 400 rifles (most of them Lee-Metfords captured at Stormberg) could not hit either of us at 400 yards it does not speak much of their shooting capabilities. We are expecting a big fight shortly, when I hope to give a good account of myself. Being a marksman, I hope to make a slight reduction in their ranks. I'll try, anyway. We are attached to Captain Montmorency, V.C., who won his cross at Omdurman. He is a fine fellow, good-looking, and very reckless. I am afraid he will not come out of the war alive. He is a good man, and the Boers are afraid of him. We had a hard six hours' fighting at Dordrecht. I fired about 300 rounds, when I shot steadily and carefully. Gatacre is a good general, but a devil for hard work. He is up night and day, and no one appears to know when he sleeps. The C.M.R. have vowed that not one of them will be taken alive, as the Dutch rebels have sworn to show very little mercy to all the Colonials' troops."

It is worth mentioning that the writer's prophecy as to Captain Montmorency has proved only too true. Monday's papers state that "Captain Montmorency was killed on Saturday at Chormans Farm, with Lieutenant-colonel Hoskiss."

Evening Express, Wednesday 28th February 1900


Mr. T. W. Jones, schoolmaster, St. Nicholas, Fishguard, has received the following very interesting letter from his son, Mr. A. H. Jones, who is in the Cape Mounted Rifles. His first letter is written from Aliwal North, border of Free State, March 18, and is as follows: -
"My dear parents. - Only a few lines to give you, as I have no time. I am safe and well after three stiff engagements, which I shall never forget. We have chased the Boers from Dordrecht to the Free State, and they made a stand across the Orange River. We are now off to Bloemfontein to join Lord Roberts, and I hope I shall be at the fall of Pretoria. I have had some very narrow escapes. A shot knocked off the piling swivel of my rifle, and a splinter entered the forefinger of my left hand, which I have had extracted, and my finger is all right again; another bullet struck the butt of my rifle, but did no harm to me, besides hundreds of others coming all round.

Mr. Jones writes his second letter from Aliwal North. He says: - "We were half-way to Bloemfontein to join Lord Robersd when we were re-called to this place, and now there are rumours that we are not to leave Cape Colony, we being a Colonial force formed specifically for its protection. So far we have had the credit of having done better than many other troops, as we have never retired a yard, but have advanced every foot since our formation at the front, and have driven the Boers before us up to our present position, which we have held against 4,000 of the enemy, with sixteen guns. We mustered 2,200 only, with one battery (two 15-pounders, beautiful weapons, four 7-pounders, and four Maxims). The Boers had all 15 and 40-pounders, and played great havoc the first eight hours. Then the tables turned and we were in for victory; and the next two days over 600 came and gave themselves up. I have never in all my wanderings, and I think I have had a good experience of humanity in all parts of the world, seen anything to approach the appearance of these fellows. They are as dirty, dishevelled, big, strong, ugly-looking men as I have ever seen; hair about a foot long, whiskers growing outwards; well, really, I cannot describe them accurately. They remind me of Darwin's missing link. They were completely ignorant of anything concerning the outside world, and it was only our entry into the Free State that made them think a little of what they were doing. Every day their commandants used to read out false telegrams announcing Boer victories, something after this style. (This is perfectly true, as they have told us themselves.) "Glorious British defeat; 2,000 troops killed; General Roberts captured, with 8,000 British prisoners." This was the sort of stuff that was read out to them, and considering that 90 per cent. of them are grossly ignorant, you can imagine what surprises were in store for them, especially when we told them about Cronje's surrender. You should see the expressions on their faces. They were worthy coming from England to behold. The more enlightened of them realised that the end would be victory for the British; but the others did not, especially when they were promised farms and presents of money to start with after the war was over. One young Dutchman I felt sorry for. He and his father were fighting together at Labuschagnes Nek when his father was shot dead by his side, and he himself was shot through the shoulder, and was still unattended to when he gave himself up. But now he is looked after by our medical staff, after receiving no attention for twelve days. The Boers have no doctors or stretcher-bearers. I refer to the ones we were engaged with. Everyone seems to be his own doctor, and how on earth they would get on with a lot of injured men is more than I can say. They have made such tremendous uses of the white flag that they know to their cost that we take no notice of it. Here's an instance. At Labuschagne's Nek fight in the midst of the battle, when bullets were falling heavily, one man amongst a group of eight held up a white flag on the muzzle of his rifle. We advanced towards them about ten yards, when the men on each side of the man with the white flag fired a volley into the midst of us (about 30), but, strange to say, did not hit any of us. But not one of those eight escaped; five were shot dead, and three wounded. The scoundrels only wanted us to rise up out of cover, but this time they miscalculated the range and suffered for it.

"As regards food here now, we are separated from the Imperials, and our rations are catered for by the Colonial Government. There is a great difference, both in quality and quantity. The Colonials will not stand any nonsense in this respect, and now in our own Colony we can speak out. It seems strange shooting men in cold blood, but one does it as a matter of duty, and thinks nothing of it. You discuss the fight after the battle as if you were talking of a new play. One does not think of being shot at or being killed. It is a splendid sensation after the first few rounds. It makes you feel quite brave, almost reckless, and it is a mystery to me how on earth I escaped being wounded or killed, although I shall have a mark on my left forefinger as long as I live.

"We are still waiting anxiously for the Queen's chocolate; we have always been ahead of it, and it is still following us. I trust we shall stay here long enough for it to catch us. I have been offered £6 10s. for my box, but I am not going to sell it. There are a lot of fellows here who don't get it; even some officers do not participate in the distribution, as they were late in coming upon the scene of operations. I should very much like to see you all after the war, but I must save up some money, as, unfortunately, I lost a belt containing £35 at Labuschagnes Nek, and another chap lost over £80, rather serious losses, but they can't be helped. I must now conclude."

Evening Express, Monday 30th April 1900

The CMR medals were issued in 1903.

Northing on the roll indicates a late or duplicate issue. As he was in Cairo it may be that it took time track him down.

I think it was the KSA that was finally issued to him on 3 December 1909. It was sent to HQ, Mounted Troop, PO Box 1993, City Police, Alexandria, Egypt.

His QSA and KSA are together and have been seen quite often on the market.