TOPIC:

Interested Forum members
.......... which were: Jowaki Expedition, 1877-78 (medal)
Afghan War, 1877-78 (medal)
Naga Hills Expedition, 1879-80 (clasp).
IL.

Interesting to note that the QSA was issued in 1906, the year of Lieutenant Henderson's death.
If claimed or received by the family after he died, this might explain how the medal became separated from the other three.

22764 TROOPER WILLIAM ALBERT CRASS: COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S BODYGUARD

William Albert Crass was born in Wickhambrook, Suffolk, England in the year 1864.

Census 1891 finds him living at Lodsbridge Mill House, Halfway Bridge, Lodsworth, Midhurst, Sussex, England along with his elder brother James M who was two years his senior. They both plied the trade of Miller master.

At some point shortly afterwards, William found his way to South Africa to seek his fortune.

He attested to the Commander-in-Chief's Bodyguard at Pietermaritzburg on 26th November 1900, serving with the unit until 25th May 1901 when he was discharged at Johannesburg. At his attestation he stated that his occupation was that of Miller, continuing to ply his skills in his new homeland.
His military service during the conflict continued with his enlistment to the Molteno Town Guard as Private No. 68.
It was with the Molteno outfit that he suffered his only recorded war wound, albeit accidentally at Molteno on 14th October 1901 (Palmer (1999) p.156) and (Hayward (1982) p. 108 of the relevant date section).


Queen's South Africa medal awarded to 23764 Tpr. W. A. Crass bearing clasps Cape Colony/Orange Free State/Transvaal and South Africa 1901


Impressed naming to rim


Naming style of C-I-C Bodyguard

It would appear that William remained in South Africa after the cessation of hostilities, as he married Florence Straw on 20th May 1908 in Queenstown, Cape Province.

Another very nice addition to your collections, Steve.

22368 TRANSPORT SERGEANT WILLIAM BENJAMIN WOODS: COMMANDER IN CHIEF'S BODYGUARD AND IMPERIAL YEOMANRY SCOUTS


QSA to Woods which has had a hard life! Very polished and repair to suspension claw.


Naming to Sergeant W.B. Woods. A pity it wasn't impressed to his full rank of Transport Sergeant.


Impressed naming to the Bodyguard.

William Benjamin Woods' military career during the Anglo Boer War began with the Imperial Yeomanry Scouts with the regimental number 6009 on 15 th March 1900 when he attested at Cape Town on formation of this unit.
He would have been a vital member of the unit as his rank of Farrier Sergeant denotes his skills as one of the fellows who shoed the horses of this mounted regiment.

ROODEVAL DISASTER 07/06/1900
Less than three months after attesting to the Imperial Yeomanry Scouts, Woods found himself in the grim battle for survival at Roodeval Station where a Boer Commando under the skilful generalship of General Christian De Wet attacked a British force who were garrisoned there in the early morning of 7th June 1900.
The British force comprised a company of the Derbyshire Regiment, Railway Pioneer Regiment, Army Post Office Corps, a handful of Shropshire Light Infantry, a medical man from the New South Wales Army Medical Corps and a number of men of the Imperial Yeomanry Scouts.
De West's intentions were to overcome the small garrison and purloin the huge amounts of provisions dumped at the station by the imperial forces, which included no less than 2000 bags of mail to be moved up country for distribution to Tommy Atkins.
Being forewarned of the possibility of a Boer attack, the garrison made an impressive fortification using bales of cotton,blankets and mailbags. These entrenchments enabled them to withstand the assault by De Wet's men in a gallant defence for six hours before their ammunition was expended and the realisation that any further attempt at defence would be suicidal once Boer reinforcements also joined in the fray. Surrender to De Wet was the only option. Following the capitulation of the defenders, the Boers set about looting all they could from this huge resource and burnt all they could not carry.
The butcher's bill was a grim one with 36 men killed in action, 104 wounded and 486 taken prisoner, of which Sergeant Woods was one. The Derbyshire Regiment suffered particularly badly.
From what I can gather, the majority of the men captured in this action were released on 25th June 1900.

Palmer (1999) gives 6009 W. B. Wood as his name omitting the letter 's' from the end of his surname. Hayward (1982) also does the same.

The Imperial Yeomanry Scouts were disbanded following the Roodeval incident, no doubt due to the gravity of losing so much stores and morale boosting letters from home to the men at the front. The casualty figures previously mentioned would have been a bitter pill to swallow.

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S BODYGUARD
Forum member Sturgy has posted a detailed biography of one of his QSA recipient's, a certain Arthur Earp-Jones who was also an Imperial Yeomanry Scout, taken prisoner at Roodeval and later joined the Commander-in-Chief's Bodyguard as 25237. William Benjamin Woods also took this path attesting to the Bodyguard at Cape Town on 26th November 1900 with the regimental number 22368. His rank given as Transport Sergeant. Therefore, his equestrian experience was continued with his new regiment. This is a rank not often found in many units, and it is a shame (from a collector's point of view) that it is not impressed to the rim of his QSA!
Nonetheless a very interesting medal to a man of the Bodyguard who was a surviving veteran of the Roodeval disaster.

He was discharged from the Commander-in-Chief's Bodyguard at Cape Town on 25th May 1901.

I am aware of the booklet dealing with the Imperial Yeomanry Scouts available from Mostly Unsung in Australia and look forward to reading it to gain more information on Woods and the unit in which he bravely served.

Many thanks to Sturgy (Arthur Earp-Jones) and Rory (Chapman of the APOC) for your excellent posts which gave background to the events at Roodeval.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

BSACM Rhodesia 1896 (0) (Troopr. C. W. Perkins. M.R.F.);
QSA (6) Relief of Mafeking, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1901, unofficial rivets between fifth and sixth clasps (Lieut: C. N. Perkins, C. in C. Bodygd.) engraved naming, mounted as worn with the QSA first, and housed in a fitted leather case.

Cyril Warton Norwood Perkins, the son of the Reverend T. N. Perkins, Vicar of Newlyn, Cornwall, served initially as a Trooper, Matabele Relief Force, and subsequently as a Trooper in the 1st Imperial Light Horse during the Boer War (the medal rolls for which show entitlement to all the clasps except for the Orange Free State clasp, which was probably issued in error). He was awarded the 1901 date clasp as a Lieutenant in the Commander in Chief’s Bodyguard.

ILH attestation, PMB, 22 October 1899.