TOPIC:

Edward Oliver Hutchinson and his Boer War unit the Frontier Light Horse was mentioned in another recent topic thread and I thought that I would expand on his story. My story ends with a request for help. I would be delighted if someone could help me!

Edward Oliver Hutchinson was a very interesting South African miltiary personality. He served during the Gaika Galeka Wars of 1877 - 1878 and Anglo-Boer War. He raised and commanded the Frontier Mounted Rifle Volutneers in 1886 being granted the Honorary rank of Major in 1896. In 1899 Colonel Zachary Stanley Bayly, having retired from his Colonial Military duties, was instrumental in raising the District Mounted Rifles which was later to become the Frontier Light Horse in 1900. It was at that stage that Edward Oliver Hutchinson was appointed as Commanding Officer. He also held the post of Commandant of No 2 Area in the Cape Colony in which he organised and commanded some 3 000 C.D.F. troops during the later stages of the ABW. He was one of the Reformers imprisioned by Kruger in 1896 following the Jameson Raid and was one of those many recipients who received a double issue of the SAGS medal with the clasps “1877” (P.A.G. Rifle. Volunteers) and “1877-78” (Port Elizabeth Volunteer Horse).

The hisory of the Frontier Mounted Rifles is rather interesing and soon after Edward Hutchinson retired as Officer Commanding of the Frontier Mounted Rifles the well known personality James Robert Hart was appointed as the Officer Commanding of the F.M.R. During the early stages of the ABW the FMR saw service a Pan Hoek, Bird’s View, Doordrecht, Labuschagne’s Nek and various other engagements. However significant numbers of the unit balked at the idea of crossing over into the Orange Free State prior to Wepener. Clearly it was one thing for many Eastern Cape farmers to do what they saw as their duty during the earlier frontier conflicts but it was quite another matter to directly engage their South African brethren in their own country! Understandably Hart was sympathetic to this view however the British Military Authorities took a different view. Hart was dismissed as Officer Commanding it being recorded that “his services were dispensed with”, and he was replaced by Captain F.J. Bertenshaw. (this medal sold on the Spinks Centenary Auction – I should have bid for it!)

I suspect that it was Edward Hutchinson who commented on the events of those years and provided the limited comments to which Tylden refers to in his well-known reference book on South African Regiments.

Some 20 years ago a leading London Auction house offered the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration inscribed “Major J.B. Hart, Frontier Mounted Rifles” for sale. This was the rare and perhaps unique Victorian issue awarded to a South African which first surfaced in a Spink’s Circular Spinks during the mid-1950’s. (From photographs it now seems likely that Major Tylden’s similar award was also the Victorian issue however as far as I am aware that medal, nor his medal group, have ever surfaced.) As things would have it, I acquired the medal only to find that the Officers’ Decoration was a private copy. I complained to the senior dealer principle but he brushed my complaint aside pleading innocence as the Decoration was so seldom seen on the market. I insisted on keeping the medal but alas I was not offered a discount!

Robert Hart was a very well-known and respected Frontier Farmer. His forbears had served with considerable distinction as Volunteers risking life and limb on the Frontier since the early 1800’s. I would guess that he had long looked forward to the day when he was awarded the Volunteer Decoration and could add the post nominal letters “V.D.” after his name.

James Robert Hart was born on 25 May 1856. He completed his school education at St. Andrews College School in Grahamstown and farmed at Hopewell in the district of Cathcart.

Examining his military career it would seem that he served with the Queenstown Volunteers during the Gaika/Gaeleka War in 1877/1878 and as a Corporal with the Cathcart Burghers during the Basuto War in 1880/1881. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant with the Cathcart Mounted Rifles (this unit presumably emerging from the Cathcart Burghers) in April 1886, a year later finding himself as a Captain in the newly organized Frontier Mounted Rifles in May 1887. He was appointed Major in January 1888 and continued serving right up to his “dismissal” in about May 1900. Clearly his military service, with his length of service prior to his first commission counting half, was approaching the 20 year length of service requirement before the award of the coveted “VD” could be considered. Surely there was no more deserving and respected Volunteer Officer on the Cape Frontier. (It will be remembered that during those early years the VD, i.e. both the Volunteer Decoration and the subsequent Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officer’s Decoration were very proudly worn as the First medal in a mounted group and it was only after a plethora of new gallantry awards were approved and awarded during the Great War that the order of wear of the prestigious VD was shunted to the end a group!) I guess the origin of the copy Decoration arose due to a decision taken by his many friends to support him at a time when the shameful British military system had treated him so badly, Tylden quoting the words of a serving Commanding Officer (I suspect Edward Hutchinson), records: “There are many difficulties facing Commanding Officers when war breaks out in a country of divided allegiances and ways of thought”.

In closing this note I seek help!

I have the two bars CGHGS medal (Transkei & Basutoland) awarded to Capt. G.B. Smith of the Cathcart Burghers. Unfortunately I have not been able to either identify who he was or to learn anything about him.

I have noted a George Bernard Smith (d 1938), a George Bested Smith (d 1915), a George Brickels Smith (d 1913) and a George Bevvestock Smith (d 1913) on the South African Archives Web site. Can anybody perhaps help me with my problem? I would be most grateful.


RobM.