TOPIC:

David,
Yes, I think the recipient distingished himself in SA and it was also noted that he was the only surviving original horse that had gone out from England, for that reason his passage home was made possible, he was presented to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra at Windsor.
The Queen was so impressed that she ordered him to be given a medal even after she was told "But your majesty, horse's do not recieve medals"
The medal was presented to and worn by the recipient at a special parade and then afterwards instead of the breast plate badge.
Frank

Very interesting - and it rings a bell. There's a photo of the horse wearing his medal somewhere I think, Black and White Budget or ILN?

I found the following account at householdcavalry.info/horses.html

The Boer War saw some 550 men of the Household Cavalry, with their horses, leave for South Africa in November 1899. HM Queen Victoria had interrupted her holiday in Balmormal to travel back down to Windsor to travel back down to Windsor to bid them farewell.

Among the horses was D36 "Freddy" of the 2nd Life Guards. Little did The Queen — or anyone else for that matter — realise that "Freddy" would be the only surviving horse when she greeted the Regiment back home — on the lawns of Windsor Castle — at the end of the war.

"Freddy" was purchased in England (although from precisely where is not known), and records state that he was a strong, black gelding with a single white marking on his near hind leg. At the time he was acquired, the army were buying as many as 10,000 horses per year — to supply the cavalry regiments, the artillery, and various supporting services.

After joining the 2nd Life Guards (at the age of four) in 1897, "Freddy" experienced his initial training at Hyde Park Barracks, in Knightsbridge, before transferring first to Combermere Barracks, in Windsor, and then on to Regent's Park Barracks, from where he was shipped out to South Africa — by train as far as Southampton, then aboard the troop ship "Maplemore". Sad to record, many such troop horses did not survive the voyage to Table Bay, South Africa, which took a very uncomfortable month to complete.

Obviously, horses were the transport of the army in those days, and the demise of so many makes for most depressing reading. The Royal Dragoons lost 3,275 horses in just three years, and most of the 550 horses belonging to the Household Cavalry died from disease or sheer exhaustion (heat being a major contributor).

Once offloaded from the ship, men and horses left Cape Town by train for the battlefield, and were almost immediately embroiled in action near Kimberley — during the hottest period of the African summer — and straight away lost two mounts to exhaustion. Lack of water for a whole day, in February, led to the deaths of another 30 horses. As for "Freddy", in a little over six months, he covered 1,780 miles — ridden at all times by Col Stephens, during which time he had only 48 "rest days". For a horse in a constant battle situation, this is remarkable. Furthermore, for the first nine months in theatre, the Regiment had to do what it could to feed the horses, until — eventually — supplies from England finally arrived where they were needed. Throughout this time, "Freddy" played his part in five major actions and several charges — at the Relief of Kimberley, and for the capture of Bloemfontein and Pretoria.

The Household Cavalry were relieved in November 1900, whereupon they handed over their horses (all of them "replacements" which had had to be acquired locally, in South Africa), with the exception of "Freddy", who returned with his Regiment to England. Almost exactly a year since he was shipped out, he was back on English soil, on a train first to Paddington Station, and then on the final leg taking him back to Windsor, and Combermere Barracks, where he soon settled back into army life again.

The next year saw him as the leading horse inthe Musical Ride, which took its usual place in the Royal Tournament — for which Queen Alexandra took the salute. Upon seeing and hearing about "Freddy", she inquired as to why he had no campaign medal, and then ordered that he be awarded one immediately. The War Office reluctantly agreed, and "Freddy" was duly awarded the medal with five clasps — one each for Wittenberg, Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein and Transvaal.

"Freddy" took it all in his stride, and became a Squadron Corporal Major's horse, carrying the Standard of the 2nd Life Guards. He finally retired in 1905, and lived out his days in comfort in Combermere Barracks, Windsor until his death in 1911 at the age of eighteen. He is buried at Combermere Barracks in a plot alongside the former parade ground.

David,
Superb, I'm happy my memory was not playing tricks and there is a proper account of this very special QSA to be had without going to Windsor.
Regards Frank.

Hello David,
I think Major Barry DSO was a very fair man, his approach to the War Office is deserving of much applause, can you imagine how much the pair would be worth today, if they had been awarded?
Frank

Wonder what the clasp entitlement would have been?

djb wrote: Source: Page 44
68/10th Hussars/683

Application of Major Barry DSO 10th Hussars for the King's and Queen's SA Medals for his charger declined.

I was wondering too whether Major Barry heard of the other application and submitted his own on that basis?

Barry's clasps were Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefintein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Belfast, in addition to the KSA (2).

I am waiting for the entry in the Important Decisions book to the effect that horses are ineligible for the KSA!

Regards
David