Hi David
Thanks for the info on Rifleman Jackson DCM, RB Mtd. Inf, it’s narrowed down considerably what he was doing and where – as I said to Simon, I’m hopefull of a detailed citation in the London Gazette of what he did to win the DCM although severely wounded – it must have been something exceptional.
As a matter of interest, I also have in my collection, the QSA awarded to
Captain Charles Blewitt, the RB officer killed im the Stirling account you detailed.
CAPTAIN CHARLES OAKES BATES BLEWITT
1st Battalion Rifle Brigade
attch. Colonel Gough’s 24th Mounted Infantry
Queen’s South Africa Medal 1898-1902 clasps, Cape Colony, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901.
Severely wounded in action 5th February 1900 Vaalkrantz
Killed in action 17th September 1901 - Blood River Poort
Charles Blewitt was born on the 28th July 1875, the son of Major-General Charles Blewitt and educated at Wellington College. From there he passed through the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant The Rifle Brigade London Gazette 17th July 1896
He was present with the 1st Battalion at the battles of Colenso and at Vaalkrantz where he was severely wounded on the 5th February 1900
He was invalided to England and on recovery from his wounds, returned to South Africa a year ater, on 25th February 1901 but was again invalided home as unfit. Determined to join the fight he again returned to South Africa where he joined Colonel Gough’s 24th Mounted Infantry Column on 25th July 1901
He was killed when Colonel Gough disasterously ordered three Companies of the Mounted Infantry to charge a party of Boers but in doing so was drawn into a trap and his column badly cut up.
Blood River Poort 17th Sept. 1901
Having been made aware of Boer Commander Bothas plans, Gough's 24th Mounted Infantry made a 500-mile move by train from Kroonstad in the Orange Free State to Dundee in Natal. Gough received intelligence that Botha and 700 Boers were nearby. Colonel Gough led his Mounted Infantry from Dundee to De Jaeger's Drift, a ford on the Buffalo River. Dismissing the intelligence report as exaggerated, he led three companies on a reconnaissance across the river. Through his field glasses, he spotted 300 Boers who dismounted at a farm near Blood River Poort. Leaving his colleague Lieutenant-Colonel H. K. Stewart with 450 MI in the rear, Gough moved forward into a plain in the early afternoon, planning to surprise the Boers at the farm. Unknown to Gough, Botha was moving around his right flank with 700 me
Botha's mounted attack completely swamped Gough's outnumbered force. Lieutenant Llewellyn Price-Davies of the King's Royal Rifle Corps won the Victoria Cross for valiantly defending the field guns.
Gough was captured, escaped, captured again and finally escaped on foot in the darkness. On the British side, Captain Blewitt and three other officers were killed together with 19 other ranks. Two officers and 19 men wounded, and 6 officers and 235 men captured. According to Boer policy, the captured were stripped of their weapons and any useful gear, and most of their clothing, and were allowed to walk to the nearest British post. The Boers seized two field guns, 180 rifles and a large quantity of small arms ammunition. The 200 captured horses turned out to be in poor condition and of little use to the raiders. Boer losses were light.
Charles Blewitt is commemorated on an elaborate bronze plaque in St. Cuthbert's Church, Church Road, Great Glen, Harborough
Leicestershire
Inscription reads…IN MEMORY OF/ A DEAR FRIEND AND GALLENT COMMRADE/ CHARLES OAKES BATES BLEWITT/ CAPTAIN, RIFLE BRIGADE/ WHO FELL IN ACTION AT BLOOD RIVER POORT/ SOUTH AFRICA 17th SEPt 1901/ AGED 26 YEARS./ SON OF MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES BLEWITT/ LATE COMMANDING THIS REGt DISTRICT/ ERECTED BY HIS COMRADES IN GOUGH'S BAT./ WITH WHOM HE WAS SER
I also have a splendid portrait photograph of him but I’m still unsure as to how to submit it.
Les Nicoll
PS There’s another Blewitt in Noonans current sale - Killed in action.
KRRC - Could be related
