TOPIC:

A new I.Y added to my collection, details in link below.
www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...clasp-added-rhodesia




Paul

Good morning Paul,
I think I have made clear my own thoughts on the Imperial Yeomanry and I have been very deliberate in not buying them in the past, with the exception of Lovat's Scouts.

That being said I rather like the Sharpshooters, it was one of the better IY to have come into existance as a direct result of "Black Week" you can just picture the scene as the Earl of Dunraven was sat reading the newspaper at his London club at the end of that particular week.
However, I think from memory, it was actually Sir Henry Seton-Karr, who went to the War Office and told them that if you want to defeat "Jonny Boer" you will need some really good marksmen.
Sir Henry was a member of the NRA and a keen shot, himself, so the Sharpshooters came into being, after the War Office gave permission to raise them at Christmas 1899.
The Earl of Dunraven and Sir Henry go together at their London Club and formed a committee, which included Brigadier General Fletcher, who was the President of the NRA and they set about recruiting men, at first it was going to be just a single squadron, but, this soon became three battalions, the 18th, 21st and 23rd IY.

A few years ago now, I went through WO128 and WO129 at Kew and made the following observations regarding the Sharpshooters.
Men joined from all across Great Britain, but, most came from London and the home counties, many were middle class gentlemen, stoic and often, a big black moustache, sturdy fellows, members of the NRA and as you would expect very good shots.
I think from around 5000 applicants, just 1,700 were picked out to serve in their ranks, all of them hand picked after being tested on the rifle ranges.

So Paul, to conclude, I would say that you have got yourself a really good medal, their are a good few who actually ended up with a KSA too.

Kind regards Frank

Hello Frank,
Thank you very much for the detailed account of the Sharpshooters,that has given me a clearer idea of how they were formed.
I like yourself would not choose an I.Y. over say a Cavalry or Infantry unit but this one "ticked all the boxes" as they say.
A Rhodesia clasp which I needed and of course a local man, I must admit even without the Rhodesia I would have been tempted because of the locality.
Thanks again.

Paul

Frank Kelley wrote: Good morning Paul,
I think I have made clear my own thoughts on the Imperial Yeomanry and I have been very deliberate in not buying them in the past, with the exception of Lovat's Scouts.

That being said I rather like the Sharpshooters, it was one of the better IY to have come into existance as a direct result of "Black Week" you can just picture the scene as the Earl of Dunraven was sat reading the newspaper at his London club at the end of that particular week.
However, I think from memory, it was actually Sir Henry Seton-Karr, who went to the War Office and told them that if you want to defeat "Jonny Boer" you will need some really good marksmen.
Sir Henry was a member of the NRA and a keen shot, himself, so the Sharpshooters came into being, after the War Office gave permission to raise them at Christmas 1899.
The Earl of Dunraven and Sir Henry go together at their London Club and formed a committee, which included Brigadier General Fletcher, who was the President of the NRA and they set about recruiting men, at first it was going to be just a single squadron, but, this soon became three battalions, the 18th, 21st and 23rd IY.

A few years ago now, I went through WO128 and WO129 at Kew and made the following observations regarding the Sharpshooters.
Men joined from all across Great Britain, but, most came from London and the home counties, many were middle class gentlemen, stoic and often, a big black moustache, sturdy fellows, members of the NRA and as you would expect very good shots.
I think from around 5000 applicants, just 1,700 were picked out to serve in their ranks, all of them hand picked after being tested on the rifle ranges.

So Paul, to conclude, I would say that you have got yourself a really good medal, their are a good few who actually ended up with a KSA too.

Kind regards Frank

You might be interested in Harry Seton-Karr's 'A Call to Arms' (1902) which deals with the Sharpshooters. It's available in reprint. J

Hi Justin,
Thanks for that, will watch out for it on my travels.

Paul

JustinLDavies wrote: You might be interested in Harry Seton-Karr's 'A Call to Arms' (1902) which deals with the Sharpshooters. It's available in reprint. J