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Noted in the latest Dixon's catalogue:

QSA (4) Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Relief of Mafeking, Transvaal (22393 Sergeant J. Kerr, Commander in Chiefs' Bodyguard.)

Killed Klip Drift 7.2.1902.

James Kerr, 254 Sergeant, Southern Rhodesia Volunteers killed whilst serving with the Special Contingent Cape Police, Commander in Chiefs Bodyguard, Rank Sergeant, number 32393.

Also 1st Brabant's Horse and Kimberley Horse.

£850.

QSA to Major William Goddard of the bodyguard sold at Clevedon today for £1000+fees.
Formerly a Captain in Brabant's Horse, his medal had the clasp WEPENER.

27412 TROOPER FRANK GREEN: COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S BODYGUARD




QUEENS SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL

CLASPS: NATAL/ORANGE FREE STATE/TRANSVAAL/SOUTH AFRICA 1901

CONDITION: NVF. SILVER TONE.

Frank Green began his military service in the Anglo Boer War in the rank of Orderly (no service number given with this unit) with the Imperial Hospital Corps. The Medal Roll for IHC confirms his entitlement to the clasp NATAL, which is not often seen on a QSA to the Bodyguard.
Green's QSA arrived with the Record of Service issued by the Bodyguard.
This document tells us that he served with the IHC for a period of nine months until disbanded. He was 25 years old at attestation, English and a Cook by trade.
He signed up as a single man at Durban on 19th December 1900 giving his mother as next of kin as follows:
Mrs. M. A. Green, Muthley Villa, St.Leonard's, Surrey.
Lieutenant J.A.Fish was the Recruiting Officer present.

The other three clasps would have been gained with the Bodyguard as confirmed on the unit's Medal Roll.
Green was discharged from the unit at Johannesburg on 20th June 1901.

26731-TROOPER NORMAN LEWIS HAWKYARD: COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S BODYGUARD



QUEENS SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL
CLASPS: CAPE COLONY/TRANSVAAL/SA1901

CONDITION: NEF. NICE GREY PATINA WITH ORIGINAL LENGTH OF RIBBON.

I acquired the QSA to Trooper Hawkyard at the beginning of 2020 from one of the UK's main medal dealers, Liverpool Medals who described Hawkyard having been killed in action at Aliwal North. However, prior to purchase I also noted the excellent advice of Meurig Jones in one of his online publications (many thanks) that this was not in fact the case. (Caveat emptor.)
With this cautionary advice in mind, I did a little research into Hawkyard and found an interesting backstory despite no records of major actions or derring-do! A discounted price sealed the deal and so I made the purchase.
Please read on for Norman's story.

Norman Lewis Hawkyard was born in Southport, Lancashire during 1879 possibly on 30th July, and baptized by the Church of England at Holy Trinity in Southport in the Diocese of Liverpool on 16th September 1879. The officiating minister was a W.H.Marsden.
His parents are named as William GriffithsHawkyard who is described as a gentleman and his mother Eleanor.

The 1881 Census finds Norman,now a 1 year old, residing at 63 Leyland Road, North Meols, Ormskirk, Lancashire, along with his father (33 years of age) whose occupation was that of a Commission Agent, mother (35), sisters Ethel 8 ,Hannah (3) and a General Domestic Servant by the name of Ann Sutton (16).

Norman's father must have been a man of significant means as the young fellow was educated at the fee paying Rossall School in Southport. The Rossall Register records the family address as 17 Walmer Road, Birkdale, Southport, a desirable address in those days.
Rossall School is still fully in use to the present day and was known as the "Eton of the North" such was it's reputation for educational excellence. Suffice to say that Norman was groomed for the life of a gentleman.

In 1894, tragedy struck the family when his father William GriffithsHawkyard died while working in China at the Shanghai Bank. Subsequent censuses in 1901 and 1911 find his widow Eleanor living at 32 Duke Street, Southport, Ormskirk on her own means and employing a servant. Therefore, the family were well provided for .

As a 19 year old young man seeking his fortune abroad, Norman sailed from Southampton on 30th April 1898 aboard the 3112 tonne "Guelph" bound for the Cape.
He was described as being single, and I do not know whether he made the journey alone or whether he had companions among the other 133 passengers on board.
After sailing for 49 days the ship arrived in port at Cape Town.

His first military service was with the Cape Mounted Riflemen with service number 3347 from 29th April 1899 to 15th June 1900.
WO100/241, the Medal Roll for the CMR shows entitlement to the clasp Cape Colony. The Remarks column states 'worthless character'. Indeed Norman was charged no less than seven times for being drunk during his fourteen months with the unit!

Following this inauspicious beginning to a military career, he next joined the Herschel Native Police with the rank of Corporal and no service number given. Herschel is a small town in Cape Colony to the east of Wittebergen.
I can find no record of his discharge from the HNP, .

Hawkyard attested to the Commander- in -Chiefs Bodyguard with service number 26371 at Aliwal North on 12th January 1901. This was to be an all too short involvement as Trooper Hawkyard died of enteric fever at Charlestown on 6th May 1901 (Watt 2000 & Hayward 1982).
He is interred at Newcastle Cemetery 2 and commemorated on the black stone memorial number 1 along with fellow soldier of the bodyguard 25254 Trooper J.Kennard also struck down by disease.



Please see the above image of the beautifully carved memorial to the Old Rossallians who fell during the South African War. It is located inside the chapel at Rossall School and bears the name of Norman Hawkyard amongst others.
The memorial was described in a recent PhD thesis by a gentleman by the surname of Buggins and analyses the order of naming of the ranks on our memorials using Hawkyard as an example.

CONTROVERSY!
Both the Nominal Roll and the Medal Roll for the bodyguard report that 26371 Trooper N.L.Hawkyard was killed in action at Aliwal North on 6th May 1901.
However, as Meurig has stated, there were no commando activities within the area at that time. The Times reported his death from disease (both Watt & Hayward support this) at the time and the memorial at Newcastle is inscribed as follows would suggest that he died in hospital.
"IN MEMORY OF THE BRITISH OFFICERS AND MEN WHO DIED IN NO.1 STATIONARY HOSPITAL AT CHARLESTOWN BETWEEN AUGUST 1899 AND JULY 1902. WHO NOW LIE BURIED HERE AT NEWCASTLE
"THEY SHALL REMEMBER ME IN FAR COUNTRIES"
ZACH10:9

Old Rossallian ,Trooper Norman Lewis Hawkyard died of disease in South Africa aged just 21 years old.

A very interesting account which demonstrates how mistakes can stilll be made today, 120 years after the conflict.

I looked for a CinCBG attestation paper for him but could not locate one. Did you find one?