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From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

Robinson's Drift

“On the 19th there was a skirmish at Robinson’s Drift in which six of the South African Light Horse were taken prisoner.” Times History, Vol III, p242-3.

The above sentence was based on two reports in Cd 968 (P39-41), the so-called ‘Spion Kop Despatches’, presented to Parliament in 1902.
The first report was from Lt. Col. C Thorold, Commanding the 1st Btn., Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and the second from Maj. Gen. G Barton, Commanding at Chieveley. This second report detailed the circumstances under which the six men surrendered to the Boers, and also listed their names.

The Natal Field Force Casualty Roll lists Cpl. Eustace and Tprs. Elder, Jolliffe, Gilbanks and Brown as ‘Missing-Released, Natal 19/01/1900’ and Tpr. Lilly as ‘Wounded, Natal, 20/01/1900’.

Opposite Tpr. Elder’s name the date of release is given as 06/06/1900. The incident was covered in an article “A Forgotten Action of the South African Light Horse” by David Gruber in the OMRS Journal, Spring 1997, p12-13 which gave the names of the 6 “prisoners” as they were noted in the SAFF Casualty Roll.

However, four of the men, viz. 26 Pte A W M Brown, 451 Cpl J. Eustace, 31 Pte H E Gilbanks and 450 Pte J. Jollife were actually killed and only 371 Pte H W Eldred and 803 Pte C F M Lilly were taken as prisoners of war to Pretoria. The names of the 4 casualties are shown on the Memorial Tablets in All Saints’ Church in Ladysmith and also appear in the handwritten Natal FF Casualty Roll.

QSA (3) CC, Tug H, RoL (450 Tpr. J. Jolliffe. S.A. Lt. Horse)

QSA (2) CC, RoL (451 L.Cpl. J. Eustace. S.A. Lt. Horse)

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (1) Natal (1645 Tpr A.Baker S.A.Lt Horse.) Impressed.

Trooper Arthur Baker DOW at Ladysmith 21 April 1900.

Steve Watt says he died of wounds at Elandslaagte.

Picture courtesy of DNW

BSACM Rhodesia 1896 (Troopr. F. Snowden. Belingwe Column);
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (1094 Corpl. F. Snowden. S.A. Lt. Horse) officially re-impressed

Severely wounded at Elandslaagte on 17 April 1900.

Pictures courtesy of Spink

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Laing's Nek (Lieut: A. H. Leith. S. A. Lt. Horse.)

Albert Howe Leith was born at Aberdeen on 1 June 1851, the son of Admiral John Leith, Royal Navy, 24th Laird of Fyvie. A rancher by profession, he served during the Boer War with the South African Light Horse. Leith died on 15 June 1903 at East Mylor, Cornwall.

A memorial in Aberdeen was erected and inscribed:

'IN MEMORIAM ALBERT HOWE LEITH
SON OF ADMIRAL JOHN LEITH AND MARGARET HIS WIFE, OF BLACKFORD
BORN IN ABERDEEN JUNE 1st 1851
HAVING LIVED AN ADVENTUROUS LIFE IN AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND MEXICO
DIED AT FLUSHING CORNWALL JUNE 1902
FROM THE EFFECTS OF ILLNESS CONTRACTED WHILE SERVING AS AN OFFICER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN HORSE IN THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH.'

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 (1038 Tpr: J. N. Neville. S.A. Lt. Horse), unofficial rivets between third and fourth clasps, the initials and surname unofficially re-engraved.

Name on medal roll is 'J. N. Moore'. Enlisted at Maitland, Cape Colony on 28 November, 1900, being discharged on 24 July 1900, his character "very good". Later served as Sgt 62 Mossel Bay District Mounted Troops. Address Rosmead Avenue, Claremont Flats, Cape Colony.

Picture courtesy of Warwick and Warwick

QSA (5) Cape Colony, OFS, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (43689 Tpr W. MacKenzie S.A. Lt Horse)