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Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (3) Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein (2731. Pte H. G. McLennon. Glouc. Rgt.)

Also entitled to SA01 and SA02.

Henry George McLennon was born at Bedminster, Bristol, the son of James McLennon. He enlisted on 4 November 1889 and served with 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. McLennon died of disease on 23 March 1902 at Bloemfontein and is remembered at the Cathedral Chapter House, Gloucester.

4609 Pte. Henry  Barthelemy Prince, 1st Battalion Gloucestershire: Regiment. ( H Company)

QSA 3 clasps, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal, mounted as worn, suspension re-affixed, unofficial rivets.



Henry Prince was born in October 1878 at Lymington, Hampshire. 1881 had Henry living with his mother Louisa Augusta Prince and his Grandparents at 79 Highstreet Bristol.
Private Prince attested in 1895, he was 18 years and 6 months old.
A general labourer by trade, he had served in the 2nd Somerset Light Infantry milita. He was of medium height and build with a fresh complexion, with brown hair and eyes. Tattoo mark's were visible on left forearm.



His service record states he served  19 years and 5 months.
Which included India, Ceylon and South Africa.
During his 1 year and 84 days in South Africa, Private Prince was present at the action which took place at Nicholson's Nek. He was reported missing and later taken prisoner at Farquhars farm on the 30th October 1899. He was later released on the 5th September 1900
 at Nooitgedacht (16 km east of Waterval Onder on the Delagoa Bay railway line) having been forced to march east from the main Prisoner camp at Waterval.

Looking at Private Princes medical report, it mentions he was also wounded. A gunshot wound to the right forearm. However,  there is no mention of this wounding that I could find in the Field Force casualty documents. It was reported in the Totnes Weekly Times on the 6th January 1900.  He is reported to have been registered for one day (4th October 1900) at Green Point hospital for what looks to be to change of dressing and rest which suggests he was possibly wounded between his release in September.






After the relief of Ladysmith the battalion took little active part in the campaign, and between 21 - 24th August 1900 they were sent to Ceylon to guard the Boer prisoners. They embarked on the Dilwara, Mongolian and Bavarian and landed between 5th and 12th Sep 00. On 12th Sep 00, HQ and 6 Companies went to Echelon Barracks, Colombo and 2 Companies went to Mount Lavinia. However, Private Prince was still in South Africa when the regiment departed.
He is recorded as being in Colombo in 1901 with reference to another hospital entry.

The 1911 Census has Private Prince still serving in the Gloucesters aged 35 as a single man. He was discharged at his own request on the 21st of June 1914.  There is mystery surrounding what happened to Henry after he left the regiment. Ancestry family trees suggest no wife or children? However,  I did find a Henry Prince who matches the criteria and living at  Petrie road, Lee on the Solent,Hampshire with a wife called Ada and a daughter Eva. If this is the same man? Henry B Prince died aged 69 in 1948 in Bristol.

Nicholson's Nek  (Overview)

The British force consisted of six companies from the Royal Irish Fusiliers (520 men), five and a half from the Gloucestershire Regiment (450 men) and No. 10 Mountain Battery (140 men), all commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Frank Carleton. Their supplies were carried on the backs of well over one hundred mules, being led by the soldiers. It would be the mules that would wreck the expedition.

Carleton’s force did not get moving until late on 29 October. By two in the morning on 30 October, Carleton decided that it was too late to continue on to Nicholson’s Nek, and decided to camp on Tchrengula Hill, a steep hill to the side of the trail. During the attempt to climb Tchrengula Hill, the mules stampeded, taking with them all of the water, the heliographs, most of the ammunition and enough parts of the artillery to make all of it useless.

The British force was now in a very vulnerable position, and really should have retreated back to Ladysmith. Instead, Carleton decided to remain on Tchrengula Hill. Over the next two hours he managed to get most of his men onto the top of the hill. However, the British chose to camp on the southern, slightly lower, end of the hill, leaving the higher northern end unguarded. The British line was poorly laid out, making it hard for the two wings to communicate, but the soldiers worked to create a reasonably strong line of stone ‘sangers’ or breastworks.


Gloucestershire regiment Nicholson's Nek

Meanwhile, the Boers had been alerted to the British presence by the noise of the mules. Around 500 men took up place at the north end of Tchrengula Hill, and at dawn opened fire on the British position. This was the empty battlefield that the British were so bad at dealing with at this stage. The Boer riflemen were scattered amongst the rocks on the top of the hill, almost invisible, and refusing to present a target for disciplined British musketry. Boer casualties were reported as four dead and five wounded, while the British suffered 38 dead and 105 wounded. Other Boer forces were already on neighbouring hilltops, from where they were able to fire into the sides of the British force.

The battle ended in chaos. One part of the British line misinterpreted an attempt to warn them of a flanking attack as an order to pull back, and abandoned the line of sangers, which the Boers quickly seized. The Gloucestershire Regiment had taken the brunt of the fighting so far. Just after noon, Captain Stuart Duncan, apparently convinced that his isolated detachment was alone on the hill, raised the white flag. Where this differed from the Boer action at Elandslaagte was that when Carleton saw the Boer’s rise to accept the surrender, he decided that he had no choice but to accept the white flag and surrender the rest of this force. The Royal Irish Fusiliers, who had yet to be heavily engaged, were enraged by this decision, but had to accept it. In contrast, when part of his force had raised the white flag at Elandslaagte, General Kock had responded by leading a counterattack in person. The two sides still had a very different conception of the use of the white flag.

Carleton’s decision to surrender was almost certainly correct. From his position on Tchrengula Hill he could see back to Ladysmith, where White’s main attack had also failed. His own ammunition was running short. Retreat would have been impossible. However, the result was the biggest surrender of British troops since the Napoleonic Wars. Close to one thousand British soldiers entered captivity after the battle.

The battle was a confusing affair for the British as isolated groups of soldiers, mainly from the Gloucestershire Regiment struggled to get to grips with the enemy and even abandoned positions in confusion, which the Boers gratefully took advantage of.

Captain Stuart Duncan of the Gloucestershire Regiment, was in command of his isolated company, which was taking heavy loses and he became convinced that he was fighting alone so ordered the white flag to be raised. When Lieutenant Colonel Carleton saw the Boers rise to accept the surrender he felt compelled to order the cease fire.

Picture courtesy of Lockdales

QSA (4) Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Dreifontein, South Africa 1901 (last clasp loose on ribbon) engraved (1578 Pte G. Wood Glouc. Rgt).

Served with 2nd Battalion.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

DCM GV (5794 C.S. Mjr: C. Hopkins. 2/Glouc: Regt.);
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (5794 Cpl. C. Hopkins, Gloucester Regt.) later replacement issue;
KSA (2) (5794 L. Cpl. C. Hopkins. 2/Gloucester Regt.) later replacement issue;
1914-15 Star (5794 C.S. Mjr. C. Hopkins. Glouc: R.);
BWM and VM (5794 W.O. Cl. 1. C. Hopkins. Glouc. R.);
Army LS&GC GV 1st issue (5794 C.S. Mjr. C. Hopkins. Glouc: R.)

DCM LG 30 June 1915: ‘For conspicuous gallantry displayed in undertaking in daylight a reconnaissance in front of the enemy’s trenches, and advancing to within 10 yards of the German lines.’

Charles Hopkins was born at Cirencester and enlisted into the Gloucestershire Regiment at Athlone on 27 February 1900. He served overseas in South Africa from 17 October 1900 to 11 November 1902; in India from 12 November 1902 to 24 November 1910; at Malta from 22 March 1912 to 11 September 1913; in China from 12 September 1913 to 7 November 1914; and in France from 19 December 1914 to 2 January 1917, when he was invalided home with malaria. He was finally discharged from the 5th Battalion (T.A.) on 26 February 1921, and was afterwards employed at Oakley Hall School, Cirencester from 1928.

He died at Cirencester on 2 April 1952, aged 70.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 (5514 L. Corpl: H. Key. Glouc: Regt), suspension loose, edge bruise, very fine
[ BWM and VM ]

Hugh Key was born at Tewksbury, Gloucestershire in 1881, prior to enlisting he worked as a Butcher and served in the Militia with the 4th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. Attesting on 24 January 1899 he was posted to the 2nd Battalion on 25 May and joined them in travelling to Saint Helena on 11 May 1900. Sent to South Africa for service in the Boer War Key served there from 8 February 1902.

Posted to India from 12 November 1902-11 January 1907 he returned to Britain. Stationed with the 3rd Battalion in 1914 he was transferred to the 11th Battalion and remained with this formation for the duration of the Great War, being promoted Sergeant on 8 November 1914. Key was later appointed to the position of Master Cook on 4 August 1915.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (1) Defence of Ladysmith (4331 Pte. W. Cotterell, Glouc: Regt.) surname partially officially corrected, very fine £120-£160

William Cotterell was born in the Parish of St. Augustine’s, Bristol, in 1875. A labourer, he attested for the Gloucestershire Regiment at Bristol on 6 June 1894, and witnessed extensive service in India, South Africa and Ceylon. Posted to the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, on 23 February 1897.

Noonan's speculate that he was likely present at the engagement of 24 October 1899 at Rietfontein where the Battalion received their baptism of fire. The events that day were later described by Lieutenant A. H. Radice: ‘For several hours the Battalion remained lying on the open veldt in long lines, fully exposed to Boer fire. The hail of bullets gradually became less but never ceased altogether, every movement on our part drew a burst of heavy fire. Nothing could be seen of the enemy; no movement could be detected in the empty landscape; and yet the double crack of the Mausers and the swish of the bullets went on unceasingly. Hours passed without any change - the casualties mounted up.’ Sir George White prepared Ladysmith for siege, and Cotterell and his comrades were soon digging in and sandbagging with the rest.

He survived the siege and returned home to England on 30 December 1902, but was later convicted by the Civil Powers of two charges of assault, leaving the Army in 1910.

QSA (1) verified on WO100/183p305.