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Hello Brian and Alice. Thank you very much for the information and images, much appreciated. Always good to be able to add to the story of a soldier's life and death, and important to get a correct spelling of his surname. I've added the images of the tribute medal and the report of the funeral, with a transcription of the cutting.


....We regret to state that another of the members of the "D" Evesham Company 2nd V.B. Worcestershire Regiment has died at Aldershot. This is Private W. Sorrell, a Harvington man, who succumbed to the effects of a sharp attack of pneumonia on Saturday last, February 24. The body was brought to Harvington for burial, and was accorded a full military funeral. The band and a considerable number of members of "D" Company paraded at the Drill Hall on Thursday, under the command of Capt. Wilding and Lieuts. Idiens and Remington and Sergt.-Instructor Vant, and marched to Harvington. As may be expected, the unusual sight of a proper military funeral caused a large number of people to assemble. The Volunteers received the coffin at the house of deceased's father. The firing party were drawn up with arms reversed, and six of deceased's comrades carried the coffin shoulder high to the churchyard. The coffin was covered with a Union Jack, and had on it several beautiful wreaths, and a helmet. One of the wreaths was from the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the company, and consisted of red, white, and blue flowers. As the cortege marched slowly through the village to the church the band played the Dead March in "Saul." At the entrance to the churchyard the procession was met by the Rev. J. H. Waugh, who conducted the funeral service. The church was crowded. When the body had been committed to the ground the firing party, under Sergeant Watkins, fired three volleys over the grave, and the band played the funeral hymn, "Days and moments quickly flying."
....Private Sorrell, who was thirty-two years of age, was a native of Harvington. He served in the Queen's Royal Rifles, and is thus an old soldier. On leaving the regiment when his time expired he joined the "D" Company of Volunteers, and was much respected by his comrades. He was a bricklayer's labourer by trade, and for the last three years has lived in Birmingham with his wife and two children, to whom he was a good husband and father. The widow and relatives wish through our columns to thank the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the "D" Company for according him a military funeral, and for all the consideration shown.
....When volunteers were asked for Africa Private Sorrell at once expressed a wish to go, and it was a great disappointment to him he was unable through being in hospital to accompany his comrades. He is one of a fighting family. He has a brother at the front, Lance-Corporal J. Sorrell, of the 2nd Coldstreams. His wife' brother, Sergt. Marshall, of the Rifle Brigade, is also at the front. His sister's husband, who is in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, has been severely wounded at Paardeberg, and this sister's husband has a brother in the same regiment. The surname of these two is Best.
Evesham Journal
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THE EVESHAM WATCHES



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Evesham Standard, 8 June 1901

WELCOME TO VOLUNTEERS.
It is a little uncertain when the Evesham Volunteers will arrive, but it is confidently expected that they will be at Evesham on Monday, and they will then be very heartily welcomed. The Mayor presided over a meeting of the committee who are making the arrangements for the welcome on Tuesday, when it was arranged that the banquet shall be held on Tuesday, June 18th. The 16 watches to be presented to the Volunteers on their return are silver keyless three-quarter plate levers with compensation balance and brequet hair springs. They are in extra heavy silver cases with the borough arms and Evesham on scroll above and “J.S. Slater, Mayor” below, engraved on the back of the case. On the inside dome is engraved in bold letters: “Presented to Private _______ D Company, V.B. Worcestershire Regiment, by the town of Evesham, for services as a Volunteer in the South African War, 1900-1”. Messrs Eccles Bros. warrant the watches to be of English manufacture, and agree to keep them in repair (bar accidents) for seven years. They will be exhibited in their new shop next week.


Gloucester Citizen, 11 June 1901

EVESHAM’S WELCOME TO HER VOLUNTEERS
Evesham sent 20 volunteers (including two yeomen) to South Africa, and two died at Aldershot, one of disease in South Africa, and five had previously been invalided home. One remains at the front, and the others returned on Monday, looking fit and well. A crowd assembled at the station, and there was a procession through the town, which was gaily decorated. A short service of thanksgiving was held in All Saints’ Church, the Mayor and Corporation joining in the procession to the church at the Town Hall. Afterwards the men proceeded to the Drill Hall, where the Mayor made a congratulatory speech and there was much hand-shaking. Next week the town will entertain the volunteers to dinner, and each will be presented with a silver watch suitably engraved. It is also proposed to erect a permanent memorial, inscribed with the names of those who served their country in South Africa.


Gloucester Journal, 22 June 1901

The members of the Evesham Volunteer Company, who have been serving in South Africa, were entertained to a banquet in the Town Hall on Tuesday night. The Mayor (Councillor J.S. Slater), who presided, presented to each of the Volunteers a silver watch engraved with the borough arms and the name of the recipient.



Silver watches, "engraved with the borough arms and the name of the recipient", and newly-minted 1901 sovereigns, were presented to fifteen returned Volunteers and one member of the Imperial Yeomanry on 18 June 1901.

Covers of watches inscribed with the Borough Arms, and: "EVESHAM / J.S. SLATER, MAYOR".
Inner cuvettes of watches inscribed: "PRESENTED TO PVTE / H.HARRIS / D COY 2ND V.B. WORCR REGT / BY THE TOWN OF / EVESHAM / FOR SERVICES AS A VOLUNTEER / IN THE / SOUTH AFRICAN WAR / 1900-1".

Presentation made by the Mayor (Councillor J.S. Slater), at Evesham Town Hall.

"The watches are silver keyless three-quarter plate levers with compensation balance and brequet hair springs. They are in extra heavy silver cases with the borough arms and 'Evesham' on scroll above, and 'J.S. Slater, Mayor', below, engraved on the back of the case" (Evesham Standard, 22/06/1901).

Supplied by Messrs Eccles Bros, Evesham, who agreed to "keep the watches in repair (bar accidents) for seven years".


RECIPIENTS:

Volunteer Active Service Company, 2nd Bn. Worcestershire Regiment ["D" Company, 2nd V.B.W.R.] –
6706 Bugler Frank FINCH
6712 Private G. BYRD
6715 Private Joseph CASSELL
6722 Corporal Reginald John DALE
6819 Private Charles FREEMAN
6736 Private William John GARDINER
6741 Private Frederick HALFORD
6821 Private George HARCOURT
6745 Private Henry HARRIS
6747 Private J.H. HAY
6763 Private James LANGSTON
6825 Private George MARCH
6831 Private William John PORTER
6797 Private J. TOMKINS
6801 Private Wilson C. WALTERS

16th (Worcestershire) Company, 5th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry –
7330 Trooper Robert Edward TWIGG

Trooper Twigg transferred from the Evesham Volunteers to serve in South Africa. He received a watch on account of this. Trooper PIKE, another Yeoman, who had not been a member of the Evesham Company, did not receive a watch.


Dale example sold by the Vintage Wrist Watch Company in 2018.
Harris example in the Constantine Collection.

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Evesham Standard, 22 June 1901

HOME FROM THE WAR.

DINNER TO THE EVESHAM VOLUNTEERS.

The splendid welcome which Evesham gave last week to the Volunteers on their return from the war, was followed on Tuesday by a dinner to the Volunteers and Reservists of the town who have returned from active service. The Town Hall was gay with flags and bunting, and in the centre sat the men in khaki – war-beaten, and of quiet demeanour, more serious doubtless after looking death in the face on the battlefield than when they left Evesham eager to take their part in the work which had to be done for the empire. The Mayor (Mr J.S. Slater) presided, and he was supported at the top table by the Revs. J.M. Walker, W.D. Standfast, and H.B. Case (Evesham), W.H. Shawcross (Bretforton), Captain Wilding, Messrs A.W. Byrch, I. Morris, J.H. Leigh, J. Sladden, J. Idiens, G. Hogarth, C.A. Corke, G. Hughes. There was a large gathering of Volunteers and townspeople in the body of the hall, and the Mayoress, Mrs Wilding, and many other ladies graced the proceedings after the dinner. The following were the members of the Evesham Volunteers who had returned from active service, and to whom the Mayor presented the watches: Bugler F. FINCH, Privates J. DALE, J. CASSELL, W.J. GARDINER, J. LANGSTON, J. HAY, F. HALFORD, J. TOMKINS, G. BYRD, H. HARRIS, W. WALTERS, C. FREEMAN, W.J. PORTER, G. MARCH, and G. HARCOURT. Trooper TWIGG, of the Imperial Yeomanry, was also the recipient of a watch. The other warriors who were entertained to dinner by the town on their return from the war were: Private YAROLD, Rifle Brigade; Private NIGHTINGALE and Private BROWN, 1st Welsh Regiment; Private CLINTON and Private MOYLE, 2nd Worcestershire Regiment; Private COTTLE, 1st Gloucestershire Regiment; Private LEWIS, Royal Berks; Private ALLINGTON, Royal Artillery; Private HALL, 1st Worcestershire Regiment; Private ROBBINS, D.C., Light Infantry; Trooper PIKE, Imperial Yeomanry; and Gunner STANDFAST, Elswick Battery, V.A.

THE MAYOR’S TRIBUTE.

The Mayor next addressed the men who had returned from the front, and spoke of the steps which the town had taken to welcome them home. The necessity of a dinner was, of course, quickly recognised. But they wished to do more than that. They wished to give some solid and substantial proof of their admiration of the way in which they had conducted themselves. They wished to give them something to keep, which they could look at from day to day, and that they could hand down to their children. They thought that a watch would be a suitable gift to make, and he was very pleased that his name on that present was linked with theirs. But they wished to do something even more than that. This war would live in English history, and the names of those who went on active service would live in the history of their town. Whatever view might be taken by the historian of the future as to the justice or injustice of the war, the valour of the soldier did not enter into the account. It was the duty of the soldier to go forth at the call of his country. “Their’s not to make reply; their’s not to reason why; their’s but to do and die”, whatever they felt about the justice or injustice of the war. The soldiers could not pay his three shillings and get his certificate for conscientious objection, like a man who did not believe in vaccination. The soldier had to go and he went. So they did not intend that the names of their Volunteers who went on active service should be forgotten. When the dinner was a thing of the past, when the watches were worn out, and when the men themselves had passed away, their names would live in the history of the town and neighbourhood as the Volunteers who left home and native land to fight in the defence of the Empire. (Applause). They would place their names in solid marble or enduring brass either outside or inside the Town Hall, which was the centre of their municipal life, while the names of those who unhappily died would be placed upon a tablet in the old church of All Saints. For these purposes the town and neighbourhood had willingly, gladly, and gratefully subscribed, and he now asked the Volunteers to come forward and receive their watches, and he was proud and pleased to present them in the name of the town and district. (Applause).

Before the presentation Mr Leigh said he had been to some little trouble to get something he thought they would value, and he had been able, through the kindness of Mr Bracher, to get sovereigns fresh from the Mint, which had never passed through any hands at all. He hoped they would value that present, and that they would regard them as medals. Every day they would grow more valuable, and 1901 sovereigns would be worth something some day.

A watch and a sovereign were then presented to each of the Volunteers by the Mayor and Mr Leigh amidst much cheering. The watches are silver keyless three-quarter plate levers with compensation balance and brequet hair springs. They are in extra heavy silver cases with the borough arms and Evesham on scroll above and “J.S. Slater, Mayor” below, engraved on the back of the case. On the inside dome is engraved in bold letters: “Presented to Private ______ , D Company, V.B. Worcestershire Regiment, by the town of Evesham, for services as a Volunteer in the South African War, 1900-1”.

Trooper TWIGG first replied to the toast, expressing the thanks of his comrades to the town. He explained that he joined the Volunteers at Evesham, but, being very anxious to go to South Africa, he joined Lord Dudley’s troop of Yeomanry, or no doubt he would have gone out with the Evesham Volunteers. He came back earlier than the Volunteers, and therefore he thought they were making a bit too much of him that night. (“No, no!”)

Bugler FINCH also replied, thanking Evesham for the splendid welcome given to the Volunteers. They did not expect anything like it, and they hardly knew how to thank the town enough. (Applause).


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