TOPIC:

An exceptionally fine Boer War ‘Casualty’ pair awarded to Private A. MacKay, Imperial Yeomanry, who was captured at Zwartzkopjefontein on 20 April 1900, released, and then witnessed extensive action at De La Reys Farm in December 1900 - which he documented in a fascinating letter to his nephew soon thereafter

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, unofficial rivets (and glue) between state and date clasps (535 Pte. A. MacKay, 9th. Coy. 3rd. Imp: Yeo:); Yorkshire Tribute Medal 1900-1901(Type 1), 3rd Battalion, South Africa 1900-1901 (535 A. Mackay) mounted for wear, good very fine (2)

Andrew MacKay was born in Skipton, Yorkshire, in 1866. A draper employed by the firm Baxter & MacKay, he attested at Sheffield for the Imperial Yeomanry on 8 January 1900 and served in South Africa from 28 January 1900 to 9 June 1901. Serving with the 9th (Yorkshire Hussars) Company, 3rd Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry, MacKay was captured by the Boers on 20 April 1900. His Army Service Record adds that he was wounded on 21 April 1900, with a contemporary newspaper report stating: ‘he was shot through the arm’. Sent to hospital in Waterval, MacKay was one of three thousand prisoners released on 6 June 1900 by a squadron of the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) commanded by Captain F. S. Maude.

Recovered from his wound, MacKay returned to the fight as part of a column tasked with reinforcing Colonel Money at Ottoshoop. A copied letter dated 12 December 1900, from the recipient to his nephew, George, describes what happened:
‘We were the advance guard and that day I was Orderly for Captain Wombwell who was leading us. We didn’t get very far before we were into action and had to retire as the fire was too hot for us and we had no cover... Eventually we moved them out [from a very strong entrenched position on a high Kopje] but they cleared out into another Kopje about a mile in front of us and gave us a right royal salute from their Mausers. We got our guns, Pom Poms and Maxims into action which cleared them out over two hours shelling and rifle fire. They must have lost heavy as our Gunners had got the range to a few yards...

Next day we started at 4 a.m. and had not proceeded far before we were in action again and fought all the way within a couple of miles from here. We managed to kill General Lerner that day which I think will have a great effect on the Boers. 16 came in today and gave up their arms. The Boers fought well and came right out into the open, it is the first time that I have seen them do it but I think they are hungry and intended having the convoy but we kept them at bay.’

Proceeding to Litchenburg, MacKay faced peril once again - but not in consequence of bullet or shell, rather the burrowing habits of the native fauna. Tasked with an opportunist pursuit of the ‘wily Boer’, he was fortunate not to come to harm:

‘We got the order to gallop and we kept it up for about ten miles, many a poor fellow come a cropper as the ground was so very uneven and full of holes made by a small animal about the size of a squirrel (meerkat) but they burrow a hole much larger than a rabbit. I was one of the lucky ones as I managed to keep my horse on his feet but I have had many a nasty fall out here. When we got within 2 miles of the Laager, we could see them flying all over the veldt so we had to use the spurs to try and cut them off. When we got within about a thousand of them they gave us a right royal salute from their mausers...’

Returned to England with his Squadron, MacKay re-enlisted with the 120th Company, Imperial Yeomanry, and returned to South Africa from 8 February 1902 to 10 July 1902. He later married and lived in Skipton, and it was here in his home town that he died in June 1926 after purposefully drinking a mug of tea laced with prussic acid (cyanide).

Hello azyeoman,

I have sent you a pm regarding the Yorkshire Tribute to John Crust sold on Ebay today.
Link

Happy New Year
Paul