County: Monmouthshire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 30/05/1901
Number issued: 5
Gold medals, suitably inscribed, to:
CWMBRAN.
The return on Tuesday evening of the local members of the Active Service Company, viz., Corporal Leonard H. SKETCH, Privates C.H. BUTCHER, John BUTCHER, and John LYONS, was naturally looked forward to with unbounded enthusiasm in Cwmbran and district. A telegram had been received by Major Murphy during the day informing him the time the men would arrive. Long before the 6.25 train came in, hundreds of people had assembled in the vicinity of the station, and as the train steamed into the station the crowd cheered again and again whilst the men alighted on to the platform. After they had been received by their relatives and friends, a procession was formed headed by the Cwmbran Brass Band. The procession proceeded through Half-way, Forge Hammer Road, to the homes of the men, where they were again heartily cheered by an enthusiastic throng.
Private J. ALLSOPP, who was to have returned with his comrades, has been detained at Netley Hospital, he having been taken ill immediately after the arrival of the Idaho at Southampton on Monday.
THE CWMBRAN CONTINGENT FETED.
The local volunteers from Cwmbran, who recently returned from the front as part of the Newport contingent, were feted in their native town on Thursday evening. A monstre demonstration and dinner had been arranged in their honour, but in consequence of the inclement weather the demonstration had to be indefinitely postponed. The dinner, however, took place as arranged in the Drill Hall, Cwmbran, when about 150 persons, including the five returned volunteers: Corporal L. SKETCH, Privates J. BUTCHER, C. BUTCHER, R. HURLEY, and J. LYONS sat down to an excellent repast. Private W.J. ALLSOP, who is also one of the returned volunteers, was not present, being at Netley Hospital. The hall had been tastefully decorated, and presented a very attractive appearance. Major W.E.C. Murphy presided. The good things having been done ample justice to, the remainder of the evening was spent in a convivial manner, an excellent toast list being gone through.
During the evening each of the five returned volunteers in attendance was presented with a handsome gold medal, inscribed as follows –
“Presented by Cwmbran friends for service in South Africa, 1901”. “From Cwmbran friends (name of recipient)”.
The presentation was made by Major W.E.C. Murphy in the course of an appropriate speech, and the men suitably responded.
