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The Cape Town Highlanders had a strength of 458 in October 1899 and were employed chiefly in garrison duty and in guarding the Cape to Kimberley railway during the campaign.

From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

Jacobsdal Siege, 25-27 October 1900

“The story of Jacobsdal was one of carelessness and bravery. Here were 45 Cape Town Highlanders, 8 police, and a 15-pounder, manned by some Colonial Volunteers.

The men were lodged partly under canvas on the market square, partly in houses near at hand.

In the night of October 25… 70 Boers under Field Cornet Bosman crept up the bed of the Riet River which runs through the town and gained some houses commanding the tents of the sleeping Volunteers. Opening fire at 3am, they killed 14 and wounded 13 of the 34 men in the tents. Those in the buildings held out until a relief party of 54 men arrived from Modder River.

On the next day the town was evacuated, only to be immediately reoccupied by the Boers.”
Time History, Vol V, p25-6

QSA (2) CC, OFS (1006 Pte. H. Pope. Cape Town Highrs.)

Pte Pope was one of the 14 men killed in the Bosman attack.

From today's City Coins auction, 27 November 2020

Garies vicinity, 19 March 1902

A patrol left Garies on 18 March 1902 and during an engagement at Brandy Wyn’s Kop, Lieutenant Charles Darter was killed in the “the Gorge”… after the engagement they encamped in the gorge and buried Lieutenant Darter at 12pm. On 19 March 1902 they were nearly surrounded at Rietkloof by the Boers, who failed also to occupy Brandy Wyn’s Kop. Captain Montagu led the Cape Police to capture a kopje occupied by the Boers; he was successful with no one being hit. The Boers were unable to bottle up the column. The column retired from Brandy Wyn’s Kop with the assistance of Lieutenant Maddison, who held the pass in advance of the withdrawal. Captain Montagu and his men covered the retreat.

Sergeant Bidmead was mortally wounded and Corporal Kenney slightly wounded. At a subsequent time, Commandant de Villiers told Major Cobbe that he thought the attack on the Kopje one of the smartest things he had seen. Garies was reached but Sergeant Bidmead died.
“O’Okiep” by Brian Kieran, p.46

CGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland (Pte. 489 H. Bismead. C.T. Highdrs.);
QSA (1) CC (489 S.Q.M.Serjt. H. Bidmead. Cape Town Hdrs.)
Medals cleaned.

Although Bidmead’s QSA was issued off the roll of the Cape Town Highlanders, the Supplementary QSA roll of the Namaqualand Border Scouts (dated 7 August 1907) indicates his service with the NBS as 1.6.01 to 19.3.02 (his date of death) and states “No” in the column referring to service in any other units.

The clasps SA01 & SA02 issued off this last roll probably never reached Bidmead’s next-of-kin.

He is buried in Garies.

From the next Noble Numismatics auction


Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (1) Cape Colony (696 Pte A. McKechnie. Cape Town Highrs:) Impressed.
[ KSA (2) ]

Picture courtesy of City Coins

CGHGSM (1 Bechuanaland (83 Pte A. Nicholl C.T. Highladrs;)
QSA (1) CC (83 Serjt. A Nicholl C.T. Highrs;)
KSA (2) (83 Serjt: A Nicholl. C.T. Highrs;)
BWM (2nd C/W.O. A. Nicholl. S.A.M.C.)
AVM (Bil) (2nd C/W.O. A. Nicholl S.A.M.C.)
Col. Aux. Forces LS Medal GC (2090. Rifmn A. Nicholl 10th Inf. (Wit. Rifles))
Coronation Medal 1902.

Nicholl served with the Cape Town Highlanders from 1893-1906, with the Kimberley Regiment in 1906, with the Cape Town Highlanders in 1907, with the P.W.O. Cape Peninsula Rifles 1907-1909 and with the Witwatersrand Rifles 1909-1913.

The Cape Town Highlanders, raised in 1885, were mobilised on 16 October 1899 and served in the Cape Colony guarding the Cape to Kimberley railway and various towns.

During WWI Nicholl attested in 1916 for service in East Africa with the S.A.M.C. and he served there until May 1918.

Nicholl was one of nine representatives of the Cape Town Highlanders present at the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.

Provenance: City Coins Postal Medal Auction 58 lot 53.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (2) Cape Colony, South Africa 1902 (1988 Pte. P. Stanley. C.T. Hdrs.)

Patrick Stanley.

CC confirmed on WO100/241p105. SA02 confirmed on WO100/241p207.

The roll mentions service in the CinCBG but I cannot see this (despite there being 6 Stanleys on the nominal roll)

Picture courtesy of DNW

Last seen back in 2019: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/singleclaspqs...olony?start=60#62552

CGHGSM (1) Bechuanaland (435 Pte. G. W. Rowley. C.T. Highdrs.);
QSA (1) Cape Colony (Lieut. G. W. Rowley. Cape Tn: Highrs:);
KSA (2) (Lt. G. W. Rowley, Cape Tn: Hdrs:);
British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (Lt. G. W. Rowley.)

George William Rowley was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, on 12 October 1876. He served as a Private in the Cape Town Highlanders in Bechuanaland in 1897, and as a Lieutenant in the same unit during the Second Boer War in South Africa 1899-1902. He resigned his commission after the cessation of hostilities, sometime between August and December 1902. However, he did attend a parade of those members of the Cape Town Highlanders to whom, on 26 March 1904, Queen’s and King’s South Africa medals were presented. on 20 December 1915 he attested as Private into the 9th South African Infantry (Sportsmen’s) Battalion. He was discharged as a Corporal to a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Cape Corps on 28 May 1917, becoming Lieutenant in August 1917. He was appointed Press Photographer with 2nd Bn. Cape Corps in May 1918, and served briefly with the Cape Cyclist Corps, October to December 1918. He was finally discharged on 4 March 1919.

Prior to being commissioned, Rowley was granted a month’s recuperation leave from 28 February 1917, later extended for a further month. The use of the term ‘recuperation’ would seem to imply that he had either been wounded or that he had suffered an illness that necessitated his repatriation to South Africa.