TOPIC:

Mike

Your mans names were "Jarvis, Charles Elijah" 1176 Sgt 29/11/1900 07/02/1903

He earned the KSA which was posted to his wife in 1909. I can only see the TVL clasp on the roll for him. His QSA was sent to an address in Malta

Regards

Rory

Forum members
IL has been remiss in contributing to this topic of late: here is an interesting trio to Sgt-Capt. Alfred Cosgrove, Cape Mounted Rifles.





(1) BSAC Medal (Matabeleland 1893 rev) engraved to "Sergt. A. Cosgrove C.M.R."
(2) QSA clasps CC/Wepener/Tv/Witte engraved to "Capt. A.Cosgrove, Cape M.R."
(3) KSA with 01/02 clasps impressed as in (2).
(also shown is a portrait endorsed "Major Alfred Cosgrove - Cape Mounted Rifles").

Alfred Cosgrove served as No.0108, Sgt., Cape MR and was seconded as Sub.Lt. to the Bechuanaland Border Police during the 1893 campaign. Growing tension between the BSACo and the Matabele had required the BBP to be reinforced - and the secondment of some thirty seven hard-bitten CMR lads were doubtless very welcome. The BBP was part of a combined force entering Matabeleland from the South. The progress of the campaign may be followed in Chris Ash's "The IF Man" or else in the pages of "The Wars of the Nineties" (a very scarce work). Indeed, the current edition of BBM gives a good round up of events. I feel that Acting Sub Lt. Cosgrove would have earned his medal.
Sgt Cosgrove was clearly a man marked for promotion. Hie entry in "Services of Boer War Officers" shows his service in Cape Colony (South of the Orange River) between 1899 and 1900, in the OFS between 2/00 and 5/00 (including the defence of Wepener), in the Transvaal (West of Pretoria) between 8/00 and 11/00 and ORC (including Wittebergen 1-29 July) between 5/00 and 8/00.
Stirling heaps a great deal of praise upon the Cape MR for the duration of the ABW; specifically that it "had a large proportion of officers who had lived long enough to acquire a little of the serpent's wisdom" in dealing with the Boers. During the Wepener siege, the Cape MR (427 all-ranks) occupied the extreme left rear of the position - the weakest part and was attacked heavily by the enemy . Cape MR casualties in the siege were 96 all-ranks; over 22% of the unit's posted strength.
Accounts of the Wepener siege are not all that common; the manuscript diary of L/Cpl. Luke Gormley (Royal Scots M.I.) is at hand - and it contains many entries regarding the Cape MR. One such entry describes the Cape MR mounting a bayonet charge to repulse an enemy "almost in the trenches". A more formal account is found in the work "The Kaffrarian Rifles, 1876-1986" by F.L.Coleman. Interestingly, that author attributes the overall heavy Cape MR casualties as partly being due to the rocky nature of the ground of their defensive position - and partly because of their own folly in failing to dig proper trenches! Perhaps unit rivalry had something to do with that comment. It does seem a trifle uncharitable!
Doubtless, djb will be able to flesh out the defence (and relief) of Wepener far better than IL has been able to do. I am certain that many forum members await his "Wepener Account and Medal Roll" with the greatest of interest. To conclude this post, it should be noted that that IL has been the temporary custodian of the Cosgrove trio for about a decade now; the trio and rather nice portrait were mounted in a wooden, glazed frame - and air freight did for the glazing in the form of a large crack.
Framed or unframed, the Cosgrove trio is firmly on IL's favourites list.
Regards to all who have read this far.
IL.

IL

Cosgrove enlisted into the CMR on the 23rd November 1881 in England at the age of 24 years.

Regards
Adrian

Adrian
Thanks for that. The research I was able to have done on Cosgrove was quite limited.
Regards
IL.

Forum members
Here is another contribution to this very interesting topic:
(1) QSA clasps Cape Colony/Wepener/Wittebergen impressed to "812 Corpl. E.Duckett, Kaffn: Rifles"
(2) KSA clasps 1901/02 impressed as above
(3) Bronze 1902 Coronation medal (rev. 26June1902), unnamed and bearing traces of metal polish!

In addition to the illustrated QSA clasps, the Kaplan roll also adds "Transvaal". WO 100/362 confirms the KSA and marginally notes service dates of "24/10/99 to 30/6/1902". WO100/111 confirms the 1902 Coronation medal to "L/Cpl. Duckett E" and notes "iss .by WO 3/10/02".
Chapter 5 of "The Kaffrarian Rifles 1876-1986" (by F.L.Coleman - ISBN 0 620 12803 8) covers the Wepener siege in some detail That author comments that 23 officers and 370 ORs were present; the Kaplan roll
shows 38 officers and 386 ORs. Either way, the KR contributed the third largest component to the defending force. The Regimental History illustrates an interesting map showing the general layout of the siege - and an enlarged version shows specific locations of KR squadrons; although the plan found in Wilson Vol.II shows the topography better -




Reference to the enlarged map shows that two Sqns. of KR (along with 1st Brab.H) held the high ground to the NW of the defended area - and the other two KR Sqns. overlooked the Jammersberg bridge on the SE side. It is perhaps unnecessary for IL to comment that the overall positions certainly appear to be were sited for all-round defence and mutual fire support. The unit history comments that the siege was begun by an artillery shelling and sniping on the KR Sqns. holding the ground overlooking the bridge and on the 13th April, at 0130hrs, a Boer assault on the same position failed and heavy artillery fire was endured all that day. The siege ended when the very strong enemy force withdrew on 25th April. Despite the heavy loss of horses caused by enemy artillery fire, the defence had been a very creditable one. During the siege, and according to SAFF, the KR suffered twelve casualties; two Killed in action or died of wounds. Happily, Cpl. E.Duckett is not numbered amongst them.
One of IL's fondest illusions was that Cpl. Duckett attended the 1902 Coronation festivities, proudly wearing at least his QSA. Seemingly not. The Regimental history comments that "the medals for those entitled to the QSA medal had arrived in Feb, 1904". Moreover, the KSA medals to the KR were finally issued in May, 1908; further stating that "when the King's Medal was originally issued, the accompanying Order had stipulated that the award was to go only to those who had served under an Imperial Officer". Happily, representations by General Brabant and others had resulted in the decision being reversed.
IL will conclude this contribution by commenting that the KR Regimental history is quite vague concerning the unit's 1902 Coronation contingent. Of the seven names of Kaffrarian Riflemen noted in WO100/111, only three were defenders at Wepener.
Thanks to all who have read this far.
IL.

Picture courtesy of Warwick and Warwick.

1902 Coronation
QSA (4) CC Wep Witt Belf (Lt Johannesburg M.R.)
KSA (2) (Lt J’burg M.R.)
AGS 1902 (1) N. Nigeria 1903 (Lieut C.L. Wells N.N. Regt)

Charles Lionel Wells served as a Trooper with Cape Mounted Rifles and present at the Defence of Wepener. He was commissioned in the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles with whom he was dangerously wounded near Driefontein on 1st May 1901, and Mentioned in Dispatches in London Gazette dated 3rd December 1901 "For dash and judgement in attack on a position at Waterval on 10th September 1901."

He was commissioned from JMR into 3rd Bn Hampshire Regt 28/8/02 and promoted Lieut 6/4/03. He was attached to the North Nigeria Regt and saw action in the Kano-Sokoto Campaign in early 1903. He was Mentioned in Dispatches in London Gazette dated 31st July 1903 for his part in the action at Kotorokoshi which resulted in the award of the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant Wallace Wright, The Queen's Regiment. The London Gazette of 31 July 1903 reported: 'Lieut. W. D. Wright, with Lieut. C. L. Wells and 45 men of the Mounted Infantry left on the 24th, reaching Korokoshi on the 25th. He there came into contact with and was charged by the advance party of the enemy coming down the road from Kaura but routed them with the loss of 40 killed and numerous prisoners. Continuing his advance towards Rawia he was riding up to a Chief who apparently wished to surrender, when he was suddenly charged from an ambuscade by about 30 horsemen, who broke through his men but were repulsed with a loss of 5 killed. Lieut. Wright was informed by his scouts at 8 a.m. that the enemy were advancing in force. He immediately formed square round his horses held by his carriers and prisoners. The enemy in great numbers charged the square repeatedly for two hours. At 10 a.m. the enemy drew off leaving 65 horsemen dead within 30 yards of the square, 11 of them being recognised as principal chiefs of Kano... Lieut. Wright makes special mention of the assistance he received from Lieut. C. L. Wells, 3rd Hampshire Regiment, who between enemy charges, was employed in cutting down thorn bushes to form a zariba outside the square.'

He resigned his commission 30/4/07.

W&W assert the QSA rolls state entitled to Travsvaal clasp instead of Belfast clasp.

Sold DNW Apr 2001 for £2,000 and DNW Dec 2012 for £4,400. Current estimate £3,500.