County: Argyll
Issued on: Return
Dates of presentations: 20/05/1901, aft. 26/04/1902, 13/09/1902
Number issued: 23
Gold Maltese cross badges, to:
20/05/1901 presentation
1st Volunteer Active Service Company, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders ["D" Company, 5th V.B. A.&S.H.] –
7334 Lance-Corporal Alexander SCRIMGEOUR (returned to S. Africa as 8733 Sgt. Scrimgeour, 3rd V.A.S.C.)
7324 Private W. HAY (absent - serving with 1st Scottish Horse)
7335 Private Hugh STEWART
7336 Private Archibald WALKER
Presentation made by Provost James Tannock on the pier, Dunoon.
April 1902 presentation
2nd Volunteer Active Service Company, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders ["D" Company, 5th V.B. A.&S.H.] –
???? Ptivate W. ALLAN [W.M. Allan] (no record found - possibly 8505 Pte A.M. Allan)
8573 Private J. CAMPBELL
8475 Private Harold C. DINGLEY
8476 Private A. McLAREN
8572 Private J. McCRAE [McRae]
8477 Private J. MILLAR (invalided)
8571 Private J. MILLS [John Mills?]
8478 Private John PORTER
8479 Private G. ROBERTSON [Gilbert Robertson?]
"Provost Tannoch [Tannock] intimated that the Town Council would make the same presentation to these men as they had done to those of the first service section" (Daily Record, 28/04/1902).
The Scotsman (09/02/1901) states that 9 Dunoon men left with the 2nd V.A.S.C; the Daily Record (28/04/1902) states that 7 Dunoon men returned on 26/04/1902.
13/09/1902 presentation
3rd Volunteer Active Service Company, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders ["D" Company, 5th V.B. A.&S.H.] –
8733 Sergeant Alexander SCRIMGEOUR (2nd tour – did he receive a 2nd badge?)
8724 Lance-Corporal Alexander CAMERON
8725 Private Peter CURRIE
8723 Private Arthur G.L. DINGLEY
8721 Private Alexander MELVILLE
8722 Private Thomas G. SWEET
and 4 unnamed volunteers.
As sequential numbers appear to have been allocated to individual companies, it seems likely that the remaining four were:
8728 Lance-Sergeant J. McDONALD
8720 Private J. McDONALD
8726 Private N. McDONALD
8727 Private D. SINCLAIR
Presentation made by Provost James Tannock at the Castle Gardens, Dunoon.
The Greenock Telegraph, 27/01/1902, states that "Dunoon has supplied ten" men for service with the 3rd V.A.S.C.
KNOWN EXAMPLES HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN
Type 1 (April 1902).
Obverse inscribed with the civic arms of Dunoon, and: "DUNOON PIER / LIFE PASS".
Reverse: "SOUTH AFRICAN WAR / PRESENTED TO / [PTE JOHN PORTER] / DUNOON VOLUNTEER / April 1902".
Type 2 (August 1902).
Obverse inscribed with the civic arms of Dunoon, and: "DUNOON PIER / LIFE PASS".
Reverse: "SOUTH AFRICAN WAR / PRESENTED TO / [PTE A MELVILLE] / DUNOON VOLUNTEER / Augt 1902".
The badges were in the form of Maltese crosses, being "free passes to the pier for life", and were given to "a number of local volunteers".
On 26/04/1902, Provost Tannock noted that "of the 23 Volunteers sent out from Dunoon to the front not a single death had occurred".
Porter example in the Constantine Collection.
Glasgow Herald, 18/01/1900
The Scotsman, 09/02/1901
Greenock Telegraph, 27/01/1902
Constantine Collection
Great Western Auctions, 21/03/2020
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The Scotsman, 21st May 1901
THE ARGYLLSHIRE MEN.
The Argyllshire section, consisting of Captain Macarthur and ten men, arrived in Dunoon last night about half-past six, and were accorded a most enthusiastic reception by the townspeople, several thousand of whom awaited the arrival of the Caledonian steamer Duchess of Rothesay. The men were received at the pier by Colonel Campbell of Inverneill, commanding the battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Macinness of Glendarnel, Captain Gore, adjutant, Major Paterson of the Dunoon Company, Major Black of the Ballachulish Company, Provost Tannock, and the Magistrates and Town Councillors of the burgh, while the local Volunteer companies formed a square opposite the gangway. The combined pipe bands played “Highland Laddie” as the service men stepped on to the pier amid the deafening cheers of the assembled multitude. The Colonel having welcomed the men back to their companies, Provost Tannock in name of the town presented each of the three Dunoon men with a gold badge in the form of a Maltese cross, which he said would enable them to pass over the pier free of charge for all time coming. A procession was then formed, and the Volunteers marched from the pier to the Town Hall, where a public reception took place. Captain Macarthur in replying to the toast of the active service company, spoke in the highest terms of the conduct and bravery of the Argyllshire section, who, he said, thoroughly deserved all the great things said about them. Additional interest was given to the proceedings at this stage by the captain amid cheers presenting to Colonel Campbell, on behalf of the battalion, an Orange Free State flag, captured by the section at Dewetsdorp. The first time the flag was unfurled was at the recent swearing in of Mr Steyn as President of the Orange Free State at Jagersfontein. The flag was taken by the Seaforths, who happened to be in the neighbourhood of Jagersfontein at the time, but it was recaptured by De Wet, and ultimately fell into the hands of the service section of the Argyll and Sutherlands at Dewetsdorp. The flag, which is riddled with bullets, attracted a good deal of attention.
Daily Record, 28th April 1902
The seven of the Dunoon Volunteers who arrived home on Saturday evening were accorded a most enthusiastic welcome by the townspeople. The approach of the steamer conveying the men was heralded by the firing of the cannon in front of Dunoon Castle, and as the khaki-clad warriors stepped across the gangway they were welcomed by Provost Tannoch [Tannock], Major Paterson, Captain Bennett, the Rev. Mr Howie, Parish Councillor Maguire, and other leading townsmen.
After a few words of greeting had been spoken by the Provost, the men were marched through the town to the Drill Hall amid great cheering, the town being en fete on the occasion.
On their arrival at the Drill Hall refreshments were served, after which Major Paterson, on behalf of the Volunteers, accorded the comrades a hearty welcome. Provost Tannoch [Tannock] intimated that the Town Council would make the same presentation to these men as they had done to those of the first service section – present them with a life pass over Dunoon Pier. He stated that of the 23 Volunteers sent out from Dunoon to the front not a single death had occurred.
The Scotsman, 15th September 1902
ON Saturday night, at the Castle Gardens, Dunoon, a number of local Volunteers recently returned from South Africa were presented with gold medals by Provost Tannock, these forming free passes to the pier for life.
Volunteer Service Gazette, 15th February 1901 (departure of 2nd Volunteer Active Service Company)
Aberdeen Press & Journal, 13th September 1901 (list of Volunteers who received their QSA's from the Duke of Argyll at Oban, on 11/09/1901)
Greenock Telegraph, 8th February 1902 (composition of the 3rd V.A.S.C.)
Left to right: Stewart, Walker, Scrimgeour and May (Dunoon Herald, 19th January 1900; with thanks to
BereniceUK)
