Gentlemen,
What is it about this clasp that people find so attractive, I often struggle to understand why it was even conceived, let alone actually made and awarded.
I was interested to read in Rory's recent thread on his Durban Light Infantry recipient, of the initial success at Talana of the British Army, whilst that was certainly how it was presented in the contemporary press, from my way of thinking, it was nothing short of an absolute catastrophe.
You are left with the complete disparity between enemy casualties and those of the British Army in numerical terms, although, of course, this came down upon the shoulders of Penn Symons and Yule, but, it is very important to remember they themselves were acting under orders, notwithstanding, the former was certainly profligate with his men.
There is no doubt of the courage of the Army on the day, the rank and file were quite magnificent, as were their officers, Major Boultbee, Captain Weldon, Captain Pechell, Lieutenant Taylor, Lieutenant Hambro and the obvious two very senior casualties that were Lieutenant Colonel Gunning and Colonel Sherston, the former, in command of the 1st Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps was killed in the last rush to assault the summit, he called out to his men "remember you are Riflemen" the latter was actually James Yule's Brigade Major and a nephew of Lord Roberts himself, they led from the front.
When ever the 20th of October 1899 is mentioned to me, I end up with this awful image of complete and utter carnage in my mind, the incompetence of the command of the British Army, the loss of those rather ugly papers to the enemy, very embarrassing indeed, given their content.
Then the long list of casualties, in particular, poor Captain Weldon and his little terrier "Rose" who remained at his side for some time after he had been killed, Rose was rescued by his men and will be forever, a Dublin Fusilier.
As a medal collector, the Natal Field Force has been of interest since about the age of seven, I still remember buying my first "Talana" a nineteen year old roman catholic lad from London, who had enlisted into the "Rifles" before the war, he was invalided out after the siege of Ladysmith, I still have it today and on the rare occasion when so ever I might walk down "the Strand" I always think about him, to the point that I almost say a little prayer for him.
So a victory and a clasp, well those brave Riflemen and Dublin Fusiliers certainly deserved no less, but I still feel it was a catastrophe, I'd be interested to know what other people think?
