TOPIC:

BOER WAR YEOMANRY, NATAL 1906 OFFICER GROUP POW DURING GALLANT STAND AT REITZ 1901
QSA, CLASPS CC, OFS.‘8243 PTE F PHILLPOTT OF 31ST COY, 9TH IMPL YEO’, NATAL , CLASP 1906 ‘LT F PHILLPOTT, NATAL RANGERS. Along with the medals is a scarce Montgomery Imperial Yeomanry and Commander in Chief’s Bodyguard Badge
Frank Phillpott, a 21 year old clerk, joined the 31st Coy, 9th Imperial Yeomanry (Montgomery Yeomanry) on 8 Jan 1900 and served with them in South Africa from 14 March 1900 to 17 Nov 1900. Joining the Commander in Chief’s Bodyguard on the same day, he served with this unit until 16 May 1901. Phillpott was captured at Reitz on 3rd Jan 1901 when General Botha ambushed 120 members of the Bodyguard, killing 18, wounding 33 and capturing most of the rest during a desperate action against far superior Boer Forces. Its not clear how long he was prisoner, but he seems then have gone home and then reenlisted in 119th Company Imperial Yeomanry (Younghusband's Horse) on 11 Dec 1901 and served for a second time in South Africa from 8th Feb 1902 until the end of hostilities, attaining the rank of OR Sergeant.

Post Boer war Phillpott joined the Natal Rangers with whom he served during the Zulu Rebellion in 1906. The Natal Rangers served throughout the campaign including at the battle of Mome Gorge.

Entitled to SA 01/02 clasps which were issued separately to the QSA in June 1904, those were to be slipped onto the ribbon and have been lost. He was not entitled to the KSA medal.

John

That is an interesting pair of medals "worthy of further research". Thank you for showing it. I thought he might have settled in Natal, but, even if he did, there is nothing in the Pietermaritzburg Archives to confirm it.

Regards
Brett

Hi Brett,

Any ideas on how to do further research on this pair?

Cheers,
John

John
I will check later for Phillpott's name on the records of other SA Archives Repositories, since he might have settled in a province other than Natal. Our computer was recently abused by a not-too-knowledgeable repairman, and we are still trying to repair the damage.
Regards
Brett

I would certainly take a very careful look throughout WO126/31-34 at Kew if they were mine, although, to be quite honest, that, in itself, may be little more fruitful than anything in WO128.