County: Berwickshire
Issued on: Return
Dates of presentations: 03/12/1900 (medals), 01/07/1902 (watches)
Number issued: 4 (+ 2 watches)
Gold medals & double alberts / silver watches & gold alberts, to:
03/12/1900 presentation (gold medals)
7035 Private Thomas WALLACE
01/07/1902 presentation (silver watches)
2nd Volunteer Active Service Company, King's Own Scottish Borderers ["F" Company, 2nd V.B.K.O.S.B.] –
7277 Private Robert Dickson YOUNG
Presentation made by Mrs Hope (wife of Col. Hope, C.O., 2nd V.B., K.O.S.B.), in the Market Square, Earlston.
"It is intended, we understand, to present the two Earlston Service Men with mementos of their campaigning in South Africa, as was done in the case of the Earlston members of the First Volunteer Service Company".
The two men of the second company received silver watches instead of gold medals.
EARLSTON.
DR MAIR, OF EARLSTON, ON KRUGER.
On Monday evening the four Volunteers were entertained to a public dinner in the Corn Exchange. Colonel Hope of Cowdenknowes presided over a company of 100 persons, while Surgeon-Lieutenant Young and Lieutenant G.K. Hyslop acted as croupiers. After dinner, between seventy and eighty ladies were admitted to witness the presentation of commemorative gold medals and gold alberts to the four Service Men, which took place after the usual loyal toasts had been disposed of. In making the presentation the Chairman remarked that the medal would be a memento of their service, and a token of gratitude on the part of their fellow-citizens for their patriotic services. (Cheers).
In proposing the toast, “The four Volunteers from the front”, the Chairman spoke of the readiness of many more in the Earlston Company to do battle for their country, besides those four who were privileged in being sent to South Africa and in serving under such a noble leader as Lord Roberts, under whom he himself had had the happiness of serving (Colonel Hope took part in the great march from Cabul to Candahar). They had had many privations to endure, the fatigue of long marches, sometimes scanty supplies of food, exposure to storms of rain and dust, and worst, in the shape of one of the plagues of Egypt. Their experience would, however, be of great benefit to them and to their comrades of the Volunteers. Private Charles SMITH and Private George ROBERTSON replied, the one to the Chairman’s remarks on presenting the medals, and the other to the toast. They returned thanks for their magnificent reception and the handsome presents bestowed on them, expressed a hope that they would be able to live up to the high estimation in which they were held by their friends, and their readiness to offer their services again if ever they were required. (Loud cheers).
The Very Rev. Dr Mair gave the toast of the “Homes of the four Volunteers”. Mr W.W. Robertson, Blinkbonny, the father of Private G. ROBERTSON, replied. A large number of other toasts were honoured. Lieutenant Stoddart, Greenlaw, gave an account of the doings of the Volunteers in South Africa. In the course of the evening songs were sung by Messrs Milne, Burden, Lochhead, R.W. Smith, and A. Bone, jun., and the Earlston orchestral party discoursed excellent music at intervals. Mr Henry Wallace accompanied the singers on the piano. Before dinner there was a display of fireworks, which was shorn of some of its brilliancy by a heavy fall of rain.
PRESENTATION TO ACTIVE SERVICE VOLUNTEERS AT EARLSTON.
On Tuesday evening, Privates Robert D. YOUNG, and James MALTMAN, of the Earlston Company of Volunteers, were each presented with a silver watch and gold albert, subscribed for by their comrades and friends in the town, as a memento of their services in South Africa. The presentation was made at a full dress parade of the Company in the Market Square. Colonel Hope, the officer commanding the 2nd V.B., K.O.S.B., addressed Privates YOUNG and MALTMAN as follows: – “I have great pleasure in being present at the parade this evening to welcome you home in name of your brother volunteers and other inhabitants of Earlston. You went out when your services were called for and you have you have had your full share of active duty and have had the great satisfaction of seeing the war out to the end, the war being really finished before you left Cape Town. I am sure the experience you have had in the war will do you a great deal of good and make you better volunteers. Your comrades are all pleased of you and will envy the medal and ribbon which you will wear. We all hope that it will be a long time before another chance of obtaining this honour is upon them. Two-and-a-half years is a long enough war. We have got we wanted in going to war; we have vindicated the honour of the country and instead of the Boers being our bitter enemies they are now likely to become our staunch friends and good citizens of the British Empire. Captain Brownlie is very sorry he could not be present at the parade this evening and asked me to take his place and to offer you in name of F (Earlston) Company the presents they have got for you, and I will ask Mrs Hope to put them in your hands. Mrs Hope accordingly presented the watches to Privates YOUNG and MALTMAN. The Colonel expressed the wish that the watches would be useful to them and that they would be long spared to use them. The following is the inscription on each watch: – Presented to No. 2520 Pte. James Maltman, No. 2081 Pte. Robert D. Young, by the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the F Company, 2nd V.B., K.O.S.B., and the inhabitants of Earlston on their return from the South African war, 23rd June, 1902. The Adjutant of the Battalion, Major Sinclair-Wemyss, was present at the parade, as were also a great number of townspeople.