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Good Evening Everyone...…

Who says that you can't still find some great stuff on eBay...…
Purchased this just before Christmas and it arrived today.....

Q.S.A. with bars Cape Colony / Orange Free State / Transvaal

Named: 74735 G__ _ _____ "O" Bty R.H.A. The persons name had been removed......

On Checking F.M.P. I have found.......

74735 Gunner P, Byrne, "O" Battery R.H.A.

First name(s) P
Last name Byrne
Service number 74735
Rank Gunner
Regiment O Battery Royal Horse Artillery
Memorials St James's Park north-east corner. Memorial. Royal Artillery, The Mall, London, England

Biography - Event detail
Killed on 12/07/1900 at Zilikats Nek (Official casualty roll location: Silkaatsnek)
Event unit
O Battery Royal Horse Artillery
Event source
SAFF

Gazetteer

[2526: 2540-2753] a farm in the South African Republic (Brits district; North West), 30 km north-west of Pretoria, which derives its name from a pass in the Magaliesberg said to have been used by Mzilikazi Khumalo. Variants: Zilkatsnek (used on the 1: 250,000 map); Silkaatsnek (Afrikaans spelling used by Breytenbach); Mosilikatse Nek (used in Victoria Cross citation and on map in Wilson III); Nitral's Nek (used in Wilson II), Uitval Nek (used in Wilson III; Uitval is the name of a farm to the south of Zilikatsnek farm); Silikaats Nek, Silkaats Nek (CR). The pass was occupied by Col R.S.S. Baden-Powell's force on 2 July 1900 with two squadrons of the Rhodesian regiment and two Royal Canadian Artillery guns. They were relieved by a squadron of the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) under Maj H.J. Scobell with two guns of 'O' battery, Royal Horse Artillery, and then on 10 July by five companies of the 2nd The Lincolnshire regiment under Col H.R. Roberts, but remained that night with the infantry. At dawn on the following morning the troops were fired on from two unoccupied peaks above the pass. The burghers led by Asst Cmdt-Gen J.H. de la Rey charged the guns and captured them and by late afternoon had taken the pass. The squadron of Scots Greys together with the commanding officer, adjutant and 84 men of the Lincolnshire regiment, were taken prisoner; other British losses were 24 killed and 44 wounded. Marching from Pretoria* to Rustenburg*, Lt-Gen I.S.M. Hamilton's force attacked a commando under Cmdt Coetzee, West Pretoria commando, occupying the pass on 2 August, 1900. The infantry attacked from the south and Brig-Gen G.T. Mahon's cavalry brigade advanced from the north. Caught in a pincer movement the burghers retreated leaving several waggons behind; among those killed was Coetzee. For gallantry during this action, Pte WJ House, 2nd Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) regiment, was awarded the Victoria Cross. HMG III pp.236, 238-240, 314 and 336-338 (map no.38); Times IV pp.350-354, 356 and 360-361 (map of the Transvaal in the end pocket); Breytenbach VI pp.256-261 (not mapped); Wilson II pp.693-696 (Nitral's Nek) (map on p.692), III p.95 (Uitval Nek) (map on p.65); Russell pp54-58.

Mike

That is a very nice find Mike, well done.