County: Lanarkshire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 07/06/1901
Number issued: 5 or 7
Gold medals, to:
7849 Private George DON [Donn]
Volunteer Active Service Company, Highland Light Infantry –
8249 Private Charles STEVENSON (remained in South Africa - did he receive a medal?)
Privates Horrocks and Stevenson remained in South Africam, obtaining civil employment in the mining industry. A letter from Horrocks & Stevenson, dated 15/03/1901, thanks the subscribers of the Bothwell Fund for £6 12s, which had been forwarded to them by Lieutenant-Colonel Ralston. Was this money that would otherwise have been spent on gold medals on their return?
HONOURING THE LOCAL SERVICE MEN.
The officers and men of E (Bothwell) Company, V.B.S.R., entertained, on Friday evening, in the Clyde Hotel, the four service men – Sergeant WOOD, Lance-Corporal INGLIS, and Privates CRICHTON and DONN – who recently returned from South Africa after 17 months’ service. Lieutenant-Colonel Ralston presided, and amongst others present were – the guests of the evening, Major Kennedy, Captain Loudon, [etc.] …….
……. After an excellent supper, the Chairman intimated several apologies for absence. Having given the loyal and patriotic toasts, which were enthusiastically pledged, the Chairman proposed the “Health of the Four Active Service Men”, and said it was just 17 months ago since they assembled in the hall on the other side of the road to bid farewell to the Bothwell men who were going to the front. They bade farewell to six Volunteers; that night four of then were present. Two had remained in South Africa, and had got very good situations. When they were bidding farewell to the Volunteers 17 months ago, it was a joyful, as well as a melancholy, occasion. They were bidding farewell to young lads – young village lads – and they did not know if they would ever return. They were met that night on a more joyful occasion – to welcome them home safe and sound. It afforded him not only pleasure but gratification at seeing their guests looking so well. They had had letters from their captain, and since he had come home, he (the Captain) had nothing but praise to utter when he spoke of those belonging to the Bothwell company. With reference to the two that were left behind [Privates C. STEVENSON and R. HORROCKS], they belonged to the H.L.I., under Captain Morton – an officer whom he knew well. …….
……. He (the Chairman) might say of these two men that Captain Morton wrote in the highest praise. He said they were two of the best men in the company, and that Bothwell ought to be proud of them. As regarded their own men now. There were four of them went out and four had returned. With the exception of Private DONN, who took enteric fever, and was very ill, and had to be invalided home, the men kept excellent health the whole time. Captain Young had informed him that these four men were always willing to work – he had no more willing workers in his company. He did not think a more useful quartette could have been sent to South Africa – two of the men were stone masons, one a butcher, and the other a clerk. As regards Sergeant WOOD, he had charge of the party. He had not only charge of the four men present with them that night, but during the time he was in Africa he had charge of a section of the men belonging to the regiment. Every one spoke in the highest praise of what he had done. Not only was he nimble with the needle, but when it came to sterner work he was equal to the best of them. Lance-Corporal INGLIS, when he left, was only a Private. He was not long in South Africa when his musical ability was discovered and he was given the bugle. He acted in that capacity for a little time. However, there was little bugling to do, and as a bugler was entitled to one penny per day extra pay, he got the offer either of getting the extra pay or a stripe. He preferred the stripe, even though it dropped his pay by a penny per day. (Applause). Lance-Corporal INGLIS had said that he was glad he took the stripe, because it was nothing but bugling from morning till night coming home. (Laughter). Private DONN, who was a mason, did yeoman work when it came [to] building. It was when it came to building bridges, and that sort of work, that the members of this regiment shone. The members of their regiment were all recruited from the one class. They were not a smart regiment- (A voice – “Question”) – smart regiment in the sense of the word. They were not considered as a crack regiment, but the last year had shown the regiment up in its true colours. He had no idea that the men in his regiment were made of such stuff. …….
……. He had forgotten to say that Sergeant WOOD took 28 men up country and brought 22 down to the coast. Two of the six were left behind, two joined the Scottish Horse, one died, and Private DONN had been invalided home. That state of matters spoke volumes for Sergeant WOOD in the fact that so many got back safe and sound. There was another Bothwell lad, Private BANNATYNE, at the front. He had been so enamoured with the life, that he had got a commission in the regular army. He was sure that those who know him would allow that he was justly entitled to such promotion. It was certainly a big jump from private to officer in the regular army – he understood it was the artillery – the highest branch of the service – that he had been promoted to. …….
……. He then called upon the company to drink the health of the service men.
The toast having been duly pledged, and the chorus of “They are jolly good fellows” heartily sung, Sergeant WOOD, amid great cheering, in name of his comrades, thanked the company for the hearty welcome and toast. He said they would never forget the kindness which they had shown them while they were at the front. They went out to South Africa to do their best, and, he hoped, their conduct had met with the approval of their friends. They were aware that they were not without their faults, but in all their actions they had endeavoured to uphold the dignity and honour of the regiment to which they belonged. (Loud applause).
The Chairman subsequently presented a handsome gold medal of beautiful design to each of the service men, in name of the inhabitants and subscribers. He hoped they would all long be spared to wear it, and every time they looked at it they would remember their experiences in South Africa and the little attention – because it was very little – paid to them by their fellow-townsmen. (Applause).
