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Here are some snaps of Butler's KSA. Interestingly enough his original discharge paper shows that he didn't actually have a full 18 months service to be eligible for the KSA - missing that hurdle by just over a week. His QSA was also off the NVCR roll. He appears in the 1933 Natal Who's Who.

Hi Everybody
Another KSA begging for the separated QSA!

On 30 October 1901 the Boers overwhelmed the rearguard of Colonel Benson's column, near Bakenlaagte, killing Colonel Benson himself. The heroic stand of the rear-guard places Bakenlaagte among the glorious memories of British arms. The orders were “to stop and hold the ridge or else they'd lose the guns,” in the forlorn hope of checking the Boers until the guns could be taken away by reinforcements. The defenders of the hill were almost annihilated. All the officers present were killed or wounded. Of 40 Yorkshiremen only 5 were unhurt, 79 Scottish Horse only six, 32 gunners only 3, and of 20 60th Rifles only 3.
In spite of the gallant efforts of the Mounted Infantry company & a squadron of the Scottish Horse, which promptly formed up on the flanks of the guns, the ridge fell into the enemy's hands, with the exception of a portion which a party of the Mounted Infantry held till dark. `Our Regiments in South Africa' by J. Stirling.



KSA, 2 bars SA’01, SA’02: 32778 Corpl. H. Cooke, R.F.A.
Acting Bombardier Harry Cooke served in the 84th Bty, RFA. He was promoted Corporal by the Commander-in-Chief, as detailed in the LG, 25 April 1902, p2779:
(At Bakenlaagte, on 30th October 1901) seeing the men and horses at the gun shot down, on his own initiative, unlimbered the wagon which was about 100 yards in rear and with the help of the other men mentioned took the limber up, but before they reached the gun, they and all their horses were shot down.
Four Drivers, of whom one was promoted Bombardier, were mentioned with Cooke.
Cooke is listed in the SAFF Casualty Roll as “severely wounded at Bakenlaagte” and received a QSA with 3 bars Modder River, Paardeberg & Johannesburg.
Henk

Hi
I am having problems in adding photo files to the text!
Hope this one works.
Two British columns under respectively Methuen and Von Donop had left Zeerust on 17 October 1901 in order to sweep the surrounding country, the one working in the direction of Elands River and the other towards Rustenburg.
On 24 October, during the march back to Zeerust, the column under Colonel von Donop, consisting of 1,000 rifles and seven guns was surprised by De la Rey at Kleinfontein, 6km west of Groot Marico. Unsuspicious of danger, the column, accompanied by a pro¬cession of 100 wagons, was marching along a bad road, fringed with bush and domi¬nated by thickly-timbered heights. Patrols were working on either flank; but in this sort of country Yeomanry scouts were powerless. At 7 am, some Boers having showed themselves on high ground to the front, the advance-guard guns halted and opened fire. Then, without a moment's warning, some 500 Boers under Kemp, Steenekamp, Oosthuizen and other leaders charged down from the heights on the left in three ordered lines, struck the centre of the mule-convoy, shot down numbers of the native drivers and threw the whole into confusion. While some Boers endeavoured to drive off the wagons, the rest whirled away to their right and fell upon the rear-guard, which consisted of two guns of the 4th Battery, a company of the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers and a company of the 5th Yeomanry. The troops, resisting with splendid bravery, received severe punishment. Both gun-detachments were cut to pieces; the Fusiliers lost half their number in killed and wounded; the Yeomanry a quarter of their number and half their horses, and the guns for a considerable time were in Boer hands; but, the teams having been shot down, there was no means of removing them. Meanwhile the column was cut in two, and fully two hours elapsed before von Donop was able to get back to the relief of the rear-guard. Then the Boers, who had succeeded in driving away 12 wagons with supplies and in burning one limber, were beaten off.
The British losses were 38 killed or died of wounds, 46 wounded and six missing in action. The Boers lost 20 men killed and 31 wounded

• KSA, 2 bars SA’01, SA’02: 1548 Serjt: J.Miller, North’d Fus:
Sgt. Miller was MiD (LG 17 Jan 1902, p379) for the action at Kleinfontein:
“Collected men and took them to hold an important position. Has several times done most excellent service in action.”
He is also mentioned by name “for exceptional gallantry on this occasion” in a footnote on p385 of the “Times History” Vol V. Miller received a QSA with bars Belm, ModRiv, OFS &Tvl
Henk

Hi
Trying to add on screen!


Henk

Hi Everybody
Another lonely KSA, waiting for the missing DCM and QSA, has joined the collection:

6 Feb. 1901: Lake Chrissie
On the evening of 5 February 1901 Maj-Gen Smith - Dorrien's column camped on the farm Bothwell on the northern edge of Lake Chrissie.
Cmdt-Gen Louis Botha’s main aim at the time was to cripple the advance of Smith-Dorrien into the Eastern Transvaal and he decided on a night attack to achieve this and, at the same time, carry off welcome supplies of food, weapons and ammunition.
The British camp was well situated but surprise reigned when some 2000 Boers attacked in pitch darkness at 02:50 on 6 February. A tremendous fusillade broke out, followed by a rush of galloping hooves through the crowded camp. The horses of the 5th Lancers and ILH had stampeded, throwing the camp into turmoil. The burghers achieved initial success in the wake of the stampeding horses and cut up some of the West Yorks pickets, but could not gain a foothold on the slopes and were not able to open direct fire on the main camp situated on a plateau. At 04:30, under cover of thick morning mist, Botha ordered them to retreat. The Boer commando suffered about eighty casualties, including Fieldcornet Spruyt of the Heidelberg Commando, and the British seventy-five. About 300 horses of the British force were killed or stampeded: this definitely delayed the British advance and gave the Boer commandos time to re-group.



KSA, 2 bars SA’01, SA’02: 2983 Serjt W.T. Lintott, W. York. Regt
Lance-Corporal Lintott was initially MiD and Promoted Serjeant ( LG 20 August 1901, p5491)
“For marked gallantry during Boer attack on camp at Lake Chrissie, 6 February 1901”
However, full details of his gallantry were subsequently given in the VC Citation for Sgt W B Traynor (LG 17 September 1901, p6101):
“During the night attack on Bothwell Camp on 6 February, 1901, Sergeant Traynor jumped out of a trench and ran out under extremely heavy fire to the assistance of a wounded man. While running out he was severely wounded, and being unable to carry the man by himself he called for assistance. Lance-Corporal Lintott at once came to him and between them they carried the wounded soldier into shelter…..”
Lintott was granted a DCM on the same LG page. He also received a QSA with bars OFS, Tvl & LNek

Henk

Hi
This KSA misses not only a QSA but also a DCM



I cannot trace a recommendation/citation for the DCM. He was MiD as Serjeant C Muller on p4857 of the LG of 29 July 1902, but the KSA medal roll correctly lists him as C W V Möller.

Henk