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1621 Serjt. A. Crutchley, S. Lanc. Regt. PoW Pieters Hill 27/2/1900

Group of three to: Sergeant A.E. Crutchley, South Lancashire Regiment consisting of a Queen’s South Africa Medal, clasps “Cape Colony”, “Tugela Heights”, “Orange Free State”, “Relief of Ladysmith”, “Transvaal” and “Laing’s Nek” (1621 Serjt A. Crutchley, S. Lanc. Regt) a King’s South Africa Medal, clasps “South Africa 1901" and “South Africa 1902" (1621 Sergt, S. Lanc Reft) and an Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, EVII (1621 Serjt A.E. Crutchley, S. Lanc. Regt). 



Sergeant Crutchley was listed in the Times casualty list of 9 March 1900 as having been taken prisoner by the Boers at Pieters Hill on 27 February 1900. In the Times of 11 July 1900, he was listed as being released at Pretoria on 6 June 1900.

Ambrose Crutchley was awarded his EVII LSGC in April 1904 (Army Order 75). There were 58 total EVII LSGCs to the S. Lancs.

John
Of all your Boer War PoW medals that you have shown, I like this group the best! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Regards
Brett

Very nice group, one I would be proud of in my collection
Well done on your new acquisition and I echo Bretts comments.

Regards
Paul

azyeoman wrote: 1621 Serjt. A. Crutchley, S. Lanc. Regt. PoW Pieters Hill 27/2/1900

Group of three to: Sergeant A.E. Crutchley, South Lancashire Regiment consisting of a Queen’s South Africa Medal, clasps “Cape Colony”, “Tugela Heights”, “Orange Free State”, “Relief of Ladysmith”, “Transvaal” and “Laing’s Nek” (1621 Serjt A. Crutchley, S. Lanc. Regt) a King’s South Africa Medal, clasps “South Africa 1901" and “South Africa 1902" (1621 Sergt, S. Lanc Reft) and an Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, EVII (1621 Serjt A.E. Crutchley, S. Lanc. Regt). 



Sergeant Crutchley was listed in the Times casualty list of 9 March 1900 as having been taken prisoner by the Boers at Pieters Hill on 27 February 1900. In the Times of 11 July 1900, he was listed as being released at Pretoria on 6 June 1900.

Interesting group this - I had a long hard look at this on Saturday.

According to the rolls and service papers Crutchley is only entitled to OFS, T, RoL. Both are quite clear.

The NFF casualty roll agrees with The Times he was PoW 27-02 on Pieter's Hill (Tugela Heights) - why no TH clasp on the roll or service papers?

Given the Tugela Heights were a severe loss for the Boers which resulted in a pell-mell retreat north of Ladysmith, I find it interesting that Crutchley was POW on the last day of the battle and the Boers bothered to take him with them and send him to Pretoria. I need check my casualty roll for British PoWs on this day, but I am doing a major update to the web site right now.

To qualify for Laing's Nek he would have to been on the fighting strength between 2-9 June. He was released 6 June, it is possible to get from Pretoria to Laing's Nek in time, but were the prisoners reunited with their parent units so quickly? I don't know. But why no LN clasp on the roll or service papers.

I would be interested in the rivets.

There is a story here, hopefully he wrote a letter home detailing his war experience.

Regards
Meurig

Ambrose Crutchley was certainly an interesting gentleman, he joined as a boy, I too would like to see those rivets, his papers are very clear, his LSGC was awarded in 1904, I find it interesting that his subsequent post war service was with the 3rd Battalion as a member of their permanent staff, so many opportunities to wear his medals.

It is perhaps more likely that Crutchley was captured on 22 February during the attack on Wynne's Hills, where the S Lancs were heavily engaged, and where confusion reigned at times. If he was indeed captured during this early battle on the Tugela Heights, he could well have been taken to the rear of the Boers line and sent off northwards. Given the time taken to complete the capture of the Tugela Heights, and the heavy casualties suffered by the British during the prolonged battle, mistakes in their records were inevitable.

Regards
Brett