County: Derbyshire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 20/07/1901
Number issued: 1
Gold badge of the Derby Castle Fields Cycling Club, to:
THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS’ UNION.
ENTERTAINED BY MR GRETTON AT MELBOURNE.
On Saturday afternoon Mr John Gretton, M.P., the president of the Deby and District Centre of the N.C.U., invited the whole of the members of the various clubs affiliated to meet him at Melbourne. Nearly 700 cyclists of either sex accepted the invitation, and the affair proved an eminently successful one. …….
……. It was his [Mr Gretton’s] duty – and a very pleasurable duty – to be the instrument on their behalf in making two interesting presentations. One was to Trooper PITMAN, of the Imperial Yeomanry – a very gallant young man, and a member of the Derby Rovers’ Cycling Club – whose action in South Africa had been the talk of the nation. Trooper PITMAN, it will be remembered, was with Lieut. Power on the occasion when he was called upon by the Boers to surrender unconditionally, and when the gallant lieutenant returned the note with “No quarter, no surrender”, written in pencil on the back of it, Trooper PITMAN, under a triple cross fire, rode from the hard-pressed band of Derbyshire men to the main camp, and was thus the means of bringing up reinforcements. In handing him the badge of the Rovers’ Cycling Club in gold, the member for South Derbyshire said – “You are going to have a medal from the King soon, and I am sure you will thoroughly deserve it”. (Cheers). Trooper JERRAM, of the Derby Castle Fields Club, was also presented with the badge of the club in gold, and Mr Gretton said that, although the recipient had not made such a name for himself as had his companion, yet he had no doubt, had the opportunity arisen, his courage would have been displayed in equally brilliant manner. He had gone through considerable fighting, and during his sojourn in South Africa had taken part in no less than 76 engagements. (Cheers).
