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Queens South Africa Medal 1899-1902. Silver issue, with 3 x clasps 'Natal', 'Orange Free State' & 'Transvaal' (3996 Pte. W. Lewis Gloucestershire)

Private Walter Lewis, is confirmed being a Prisoner of War when he was captured by the Boer enemy on, 30 October 1899, at Nicholson's Nek (Farquhar's Farm), South Africa. Lewis’ QSA medal & all 3 x clasps are verified per the campaign medal roll of 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment (ref WO 100/183), which was compiled and signed at Colombo, Ceylon Colony, on, 7 June 1901.

Lewis was also tried & convicted for 'Striking his Superior Officer' and received 84 days imprisonment with 'Hard Labor' on 16 September 1893.

Walter Lewis, son of, George Lewis (Postman) & Ann Lewis (nee Pincott) was a native of, Chalford, Gloucestershire, England, where he was born circa 1873. He enlisted in the British Army, at, Cirencester, England, on 13 June 1893, when he was 20 years & 8 months old. His next of kin was his mother, Ann Kirby (she had re-married), who was residing at, Chalford Hill near Duke of York Inn, near Stroud, Gloucestershire. Prior to enlisting, he was employed as a 'Laborer', and had served in the, 4th (Militia) Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. Lewis was posted to his local infantry regiment, to serve with 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. Lewis was contracted to serve seven (7) x years with 'The Colors', and five (5) x years on the Army Reserve. Lewis' overseas service was as follows:
- Malta: 01/11/1893 - 20/11/1895
- Egypt: 21/11/1895 - 05/02/1897
- India: 06/11/1897 - 23/09/1899
- South Africa: 24/09/1899 - 23/08/1900
- Ceylon: 24/08/1900 - 29/12/1902

Walter Lewis took his discharge from the British Army on 12 June 1906
Walter Lewis’ Regular Army service papers of are accessible at The National Archives.

Hi azyeoman
For your records, attestation and army reserve papers.














Dave......

Interestingly, I am researching one of Walter's comrades.

4609 Pte. Henry  Barthelemy Prince, 1st Battalion Gloucestershire: Regiment. ( H Company)
QSA 3 clasps, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal, mounted as worn, suspension re-affixed, unofficial rivets.

Private Prince was present at the action which took place at Nicholson's Nek. He was reported missing and later taken prisoner at Farquhars farm on the 30th October 1899. He was later released on the 5th September 1900
 at Nooitgedacht (16 km east of Waterval Onder on the Delagoa Bay railway line) having been forced to march east from the main Prisoner camp at Waterval.

A brief overview of the Nicholson's Nek action.


The British force consisted of six companies from the Royal Irish Fusiliers (520 men), five and a half from the Gloucestershire Regiment (450 men) and No. 10 Mountain Battery (140 men), all commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Frank Carleton. Their supplies were carried on the backs of well over one hundred mules, being led by the soldiers. It would be the mules that would wreck the expedition.

Carleton’s force did not get moving until late on 29 October. By two in the morning on 30 October, Carleton decided that it was too late to continue on to Nicholson’s Nek, and decided to camp on Tchrengula Hill, a steep hill to the side of the trail. During the attempt to climb Tchrengula Hill, the mules stampeded, taking with them all of the water, the heliographs, most of the ammunition and enough parts of the artillery to make all of it useless.

The British force was now in a very vulnerable position, and really should have retreated back to Ladysmith. Instead, Carleton decided to remain on Tchrengula Hill. Over the next two hours he managed to get most of his men onto the top of the hill. However, the British chose to camp on the southern, slightly lower, end of the hill, leaving the higher northern end unguarded. The British line was poorly laid out, making it hard for the two wings to communicate, but the soldiers worked to create a reasonably strong line of stone ‘sangers’ or breastworks.

Meanwhile, the Boers had been alerted to the British presence by the noise of the mules. Around 500 men took up place at the north end of Tchrengula Hill, and at dawn opened fire on the British position. This was the empty battlefield that the British were so bad at dealing with at this stage. The Boer riflemen were scattered amongst the rocks on the top of the hill, almost invisible, and refusing to present a target for disciplined British musketry. Boer casualties were reported as four dead and five wounded, while the British suffered 38 dead and 105 wounded. Other Boer forces were already on neighbouring hilltops, from where they were able to fire into the sides of the British force.

The battle ended in chaos. One part of the British line misinterpreted an attempt to warn them of a flanking attack as an order to pull back, and abandoned the line of sangers, which the Boers quickly seized. The Gloucestershire Regiment had taken the brunt of the fighting so far. Just after noon, Captain Stuart Duncan, apparently convinced that his isolated detachment was alone on the hill, raised the white flag. Where this differed from the Boer action at Elandslaagte was that when Carleton saw the Boer’s rise to accept the surrender, he decided that he had no choice but to accept the white flag and surrender the rest of this force. The Royal Irish Fusiliers, who had yet to be heavily engaged, were enraged by this decision, but had to accept it. In contrast, when part of his force had raised the white flag at Elandslaagte, General Kock had responded by leading a counterattack in person. The two sides still had a very different conception of the use of the white flag.

Carleton’s decision to surrender was almost certainly correct. From his position on Tchrengula Hill he could see back to Ladysmith, where White’s main attack had also failed. His own ammunition was running short. Retreat would have been impossible. However, the result was the biggest surrender of British troops since the Napoleonic Wars. Close to one thousand British soldiers entered captivity after the battle.

The battle was a confusing affair for the British as isolated groups of soldiers, mainly from the Gloucestershire Regiment struggled to get to grips with the enemy and even abandoned positions in confusion, which the Boers gratefully took advantage of.

Captain Stuart Duncan of the Gloucestershire Regiment, was in command of his isolated company, which was taking heavy loses and he became convinced that he was fighting alone so ordered the white flag to be raised. When Lieutenant Colonel Carleton saw the Boers rise to accept the surrender he felt compelled to order the cease fire.

Hi Dave, Thanks for the info. Yes, find my Past is great for service records etc. It was an interesting battle and there are a lot of medals to PoWs out there to research. It’s fun. Lewis is my third one; I’ve got a QSA to 4010 Dr R Ellet, Gloucesters and a QSA & KSA pair to 4404 Pte. E. Connolly, 1 RIR who were both captured along with Lewis and your man. I’m sure you’ve read it, but the account of their captivity under the Gloucester Regt. Section of this site is exceptionally interesting. Thanks for all the info and good luck researching your man.
Cheers, John