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The New South Wales Lancers send a contingent of 8 officers and 162 men. They served in South Africa between November 1899 and January 1901.

Read about IL's visit to the regimental museum.


Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (Capt. C. E. Nicholson. N.S.W. Lrs:) officially engraved naming;
[ 1914-15 Star ]
BWM 1914-20 (Lieut-Col. C. E. Nicholson. A.I.F.)
[ VM ]
[ Volunteer Officers Decoration ]
[ Volunteer Force Long Service Medal ]

Charles Edward Nicholson was born 1 January 1854 in West Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. He was crown lands agent at Coonabarabran from 1882 but resigned in 1888 to return to Maitland to farm. The same year he joined the New South Wales Lancers as a Trooper under Captain Cracknell and was quickly promoted to the rank of Sergeant, then Second Lieutenant and, as First Lieutenant in 1900, he was selected for a command in South Africa during the Boer War. From February 1900, the third contingent of New South Wales Lancers under Temporary Captain Nicholson were engaged in continuous scouting under General Sir J. P. D. French for 8 months in Cape Colony, Orange Free State and the Transvaal. On 5 May 1900, Nicholson’s draft of 40 officers and men joined the remainder of the regiment, now attached to the Inniskilling Dragoons, 1st Cavalry Brigade under Major Allenby and took part in the advance on Pretoria. Service which saw Nicholson appointed Honorary Captain on 25 February 1901 and commended for his gallant work by Allenby, who wrote on 18 December 1900: ‘Captain Nicholson, of the New South Wales Lancers, has been under my command during about six months of the campaign, the New South Wales Lancers having been attached to the regiment under my command. During that time he has done excellent work, and has shown on all occasions great daring, skill and judgement. He not only carried out orders well and intelligently, but showed great reliance and initiative in different positions: I consider him a very valuable officer.’

Nicholson’s actions in this period are frequently cited in ‘Featherbed Soldiers - The N.S.W. Lancers in the Boer War 1899-1902’ by N. C. Smith and C. V. Simpson but he received no formal recognition, indeed, despite the continuous contact with the enemy throughout their tour, the N.S.W. Lancers were to receive relatively little in the form of honours or awards.

After returning to New South Wales, Nicholson served for some time as Adjutant to the Fourth Australian Light Horse Regiment and qualified for the rank of Major at the head of the Commonwealth military list in 1907. Major Nicholson then succeeded to the command of the 4th Australian Light Horse Regiment but resigned on being returned to Parliament as the member for Maitland. He was awarded the Volunteer Force Long Service Medal and Volunteer Officers Decoration but retired from military service in 1912 due to his growing political commitments.

During the Great War, Nicholson was back in uniform however, firstly with the Hunter River Lancers and the Australian Light Horse as a Major, and then on the Sea Transport Staff from 1916 to 1917 as a Lieutenant-Colonel. His command of the Troops on the Warilda which left Brisbane on 8 October 1915, bound for Suez, qualifying him for the 1914-15 Star in addition to the BWM and VM. Having retired from politics in 1925, he died in Maitland in 1931.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (895. Tpr A.A.Burgin. N.S.W. Lcrs:) Engraved.

With pin-back fitting, hairlines and some surface marks, otherwise very fine.

A.A.Burgin is quoted in 'The Australians at the Boer War' by R.L.Wallace. A 135 word quote (presumably from Burgin's diary) describes the Lancer movement with 50,000 UK troops and 1,000 wagons mount to Modder River on the way to the Relief of Kimberley 15/2/1900 by General French.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein (67. Cpl. R.E.Harkus. N.S.W. Lrs.);
Jubilee Medal 1897. (Tpr. Harkus. N.S.W. Lancers.)

Both medals engraved. Stored in a plush lined, hinged-lid timber display box, extremely fine.

Together with NSW Lancer Regiment hat badge (1895-1903) in white metal (47mm) (Grebert p67); Yeomanry & Volunteer Tournament, prize medal in silver (38mm), by Mappin & Webb, London W, reverse inscribed, '1897/Tent pegging/1st Prize/Won By/Trooper Harkus/New South Wales/Lancers', suspension missing; Royal Military Tournament, prize medal in silver (38mm), no maker, reverse inscribed, 'Colonials Competitions/Lemon/Cutting/1st Prize won by/Trooper Harkus/N.S.W.Lancers'.

Entitlement to Coronation Medal 1897 confirmed.

Rowland Edward Harkus was born at Moruya on the NSW south coast on 12 June1869. He served in the Postal Department at Moruya and from 17May1892 at Parramatta, Sydney, NSW. He joined the Parramatta troop of Lancers in 1893 and was an outstanding horseman and also talented in wrestling, sword and lance competitions including tent pegging just to name a few.

Corporal Rowland Edward Harkus died of enteric fever at Bloemfontein. He had been an employee of the PMG Department before going to South Africa and despite his pleas for an exemption he was denied permission to go to the war. He went anyway. There were very many news reports of his death, one going into great detail of Corporal Harkus's military career and military tournament achievements and covering almost an entire page in The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta) on Saturday 12 May 1900. Another less detailed news report in The Temora Star on Saturday 12 May 1900 reads as follows.

'Death of Corporal Harkus

Corporal Harkus, who was one of the best-known men in the New South Wales Regiment, has, like many another brave fellow, ended his career in South Africa. Colonel Burns on Wednesday received a letter from Captain Cox, who is in charge of the Lancers on active service, conveying the information. The communication was dated April 10, and stated that six days previously Corporal Harkus had died in the Hospital at Bloemfontein. Several other members of the squadron were also in the hospital, but their cases were not critical, and, taken altogether, the health of the rest of the men, Captain Cox said, was very good when compared with other regiments.

Corporal Harkus was an active member of the Lancer Regiment, and was perhaps the most prominent member in military sports that the colony has produced. He took part in all the leading military tournaments in the colony, and invariably carried off a number of prizes. On two occasions he has gone to England as a representative of this colony. The first was at the jubilee, in 1897. He then took part in various military sports, and earned the distinction of gaining two Empire medals. What this means may be imagined from the fact that only seven Empire medals are granted annually, and they are open to the whole of the Imperial, Indian, and colonial military forces. Corporal Harkus brought two of the seven back to New South Wales. In 1899 he again went to England with the squadron for training. It was while returning from this trip that hostilities commenced, and part of the squadron went on active service as soon as their vessel reached the Cape. Corporal Harkus returned home to Parramatta to put his affairs in order, and then proceeded with the second contingent of Lancers to join their comrades on the battlefield. Although the letter received by Colonel Burns does not state the cause of death, it is surmised that he fell a victim to enteric fever, as recent letters from the front stated that this dreaded scourge was prevalent at Bloemfontein.'

Ex. W (Bill) Woolmore Collection.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (940. Tpr. H.C.Beeching. N.S.W. Lrs.) Engraved. Hairlines and surface marks, otherwise good fine.

Ex Barry Hibbard Collection.

Henry 'Harry' Cotton Beeching confirmed as Trooper in NSW Lancers.

The following letter was published in the Evening News (Sydney, NSW) on Saturday 18 August 1900, page 3 under the heading, 'Lucky Lancers'. 'Trooper H. Beeching, of the N.S.W. Lancers, writes from Pretoria on June 17, to his mother on the Richmond River, as follows: 'It has been nothing but 'spar' and hard fighting since we left Springfontein. We have been up to our neck in fight all the way, and the whole family have paddled through without a scratch. We joined the old Lancers at Bloemfontein, and thought no small slice of ourselves when we got with them. All the camp knew we were coming, and were on the lookout for us. We had a great reception.

All the Tommies were down to have a look at the 'New Sow Wale Lancers,' as they call them. They reckon they are the men they want out here; they say that Boer bullets cannot hit them, and, if they do, they glide off, and I believe them, for we have been under more heavy fire than any other regiment in French's Brigade since this march started, and are the only squadron that has gone through without losing a man. The Inniskillings, that are next to us in the ranks, have lost as many as twenty men in a day's fighting. But when our roll was called we could always fill it, or account for those who were missing. We go under the name of the 'Lucky Sow Wale Lancers,' and we are exactly that, for the corners we have been in and scratched through without some of us stopping lead is wonderful. Last Sunday week, for instance (I daresay you have heard of it now, for it was sure to go home, as General French gave the Lancers special praise for bravery and coolness) we were in the middle of a long pass, not dreaming of what was coming, when hundreds of rifles opened upon us from a lope or hill of broken granite, not 300 yards off. It was a nice trap, and no mistake. They had the whole brigade fairly at their mercy. The only thing that could be done was retire, and that left the lot under fire for at least a mile. How did both horses and men go down? There was no escape on either side, and to advance meant a clean sweep of the lot, so back they started, with our lot with them; but we were pulled up before we got far, and ordered to go back to a bit of a drain, and return the fire.

What sort of a nasty feeling did it give a chap? I could have bet my life that the lot of us would have gone down before reaching the drain for cover, and here's one who thought they had, for we were lying there for two hours, with bullets pouring in like hail. It was a case of lying low or stopping one. At any rate, we got a chance of retiring after dark, and were a sorry-looking lot going into camp. We expected to find most of our pals on the road, and in the drain riddled with bullets; but they kept straggling in by twos and three up till 12 o'clock, and what sort of rejoicing was there when the roll was called and the word came, 'None missing.'

We were that happy that we lit a large fire, and sat up all night rehearsing our experiences. It was as happy a meeting as we had a few days after the prisoners were released, and you can guess what it was like. Just fancy, our brigade being the one to release them, and the N.S.W. Lancers were the first to get there. They saw us coming over a ridge a mile away, and could not contain themselves; but made a bolt over, through, and under the walls, and came running to meet us. The excitement was intense; but the hand-shaking and all that was soon put a stop to, for while we were in the middle of it the Boers got their 'Long Tom' out, and fired three shells in quick time at the crowd. Two of them whistled over our heads; but the other dropped fair amongst us; but luck still stuck to us, for instead of striking the ground and bursting, it fell in a soft place, and did little damage, for instead of killing one and wounding two, it must have settled at least thirty had she gone off. There was a great scatter, then our guns came galloping up, and got into action in quick order; while we were packed off to drive them out of a kopje, and got a warm reception in doing it. We lost a few horses driving them out; but the Carbiniers that came up lost both horses and men. They had the bad luck to lose an officer and two privates; but all that comes when you go out looking for fight.' '

It was also reported in the Northern Star (Lismore, NSW) paper on Wednesday 6 February 1901, page 4 that on the previous Thursday an official function was held in Lismore to welcome back Trooper Beeching. He had been a member of the Lismore Fire Brigade when he resigned to volunteer to go the war in South Africa. Members of the Brigade were glad that he was rejoining the Brigade and the function proceeded in the Brigade rooms with the mayor and other dignitaries in attendance.

Estimate Au$ 4,000.

The 'Lion's cubs' to the front
A Troop Sergeant Major of the New South Wales Lancers

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/3...-jack?start=30#90607

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (940. Tpr. H.C.Beeching. N.S.W. Lrs.) Engraved.

Henry 'Harry' Cotton Beeching confirmed as Trooper in NSW Lancers.

This medal is a relisting from a few months ago. www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...-wales-lancers#90835