TOPIC:

REGISTER OF DECEASED SOLDIER'S EFFECTS

Entry 100148 of the above mentioned record shows that 6027 Private Dai St. John left the meagre sum of sixpence in his Army account. No recorded benefactor or claimant (see below).




Perhaps a good thing he left some money over the bar back at The Rock Inn, Neath before he departed for South Africa. Maybe he had a premonition that he wouldn't be coming back and wanted his pals to have a jar or two in his memory?

QUEEN'S COMPANY GRENADIER GUARDS

There cannot have been many of us who did not watch the funeral of Queen Elizabeth the Second last year, and no doubt, few that could fail to be impressed by the soldiers chosen to be the bearer party for their late monarch.
These men were of the Queen's Company Grenadier Guards. The Queen's Company are the men responsible for the close protection of the monarch and are at the forefront of state events such as funerals.
To qualify for the Queen's you must be over six feet tall and only the very best recruits from each intake are accepted. They may be considered the epitome of the Grenadier Guardsman.
6027 Private David St. John was just such a man.
Please find below a newspaper article describing an event shortly after the Battle of Belmont in which the fallen from Queen's Company are mentioned.

From "The People," Sunday, December 3,1900; page 11:

"THE QUEEN AND SOLDIER'S WIVES.
PARADE OF THE LIFE GUARDS AT WINDSOR.
SPEECH BY HER MAJESTY."
" A scene of unusual brilliance took place at the Victoria Barracks, at Windsor on Wednesday, where the 1st Batn. Grenadier Guards are quartered, when her Majesty, who was accompanied by Prince Henry of Battenburg and Princess Charlotte, inspected the battalion, and commanded the attendance of the wives and families of the soldiers in the Windsor district, under orders for South Africa, or actually at the front. It may be remembered that the Grenadier Guards already, figure in the casualties. To the 1st battalion at Windsor there belonged five who had been killed, 16 wounded and 2 missing. Three of those killed belonged to the Queen's Company (Corporal) Fraser and Privates David St. John and Bryne O'Beirne. The remaining two killed were also of the 1st battalion (Privates Hickling and Goodson). By 12 o'clock the entire battalion turned out on parade, facing the south of the barracks square.
The Queen's Company every member of which stands OVER SIX FEET IN HEIGHT being on the right facing the officer's quarters........"