County: Aberdeenshire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 10/05/1901
Number issued: 2
Gold curb alberts & medals, suitably inscribed, to:
INTERESTING PRESENTATIONS AT KEMNAY.
Colour-Sergeant CAMPBELL and Private RENNIE, who on their arrival from the front last Saturday received such an enthusiastic reception from volunteers and citizens, were still further honoured on Friday. The volunteers, headed by the pipe and drum band, reached the residence of Sergeant CAMPBELL to meet the heroes, who, clad in khaki, marched in front of the volunteers to the Public Hall. On the platform in addition to the heroes of the evening were Chaplain Hood Smith, Surgeon-Lieutenant Henry, Captain Johnstone, and Sergeant Lewis Findlater, a veteran volunteer who received the long service medal some time ago. Captain Johnstone, who was chairman of the meeting, after making a few appropriate remarks, called upon Chaplain Hood Smith to address the audience.
Mr Smith then remarked that the present demonstration was the outcome of an irrepressible desire to show admiration for the gallant part the volunteers had played in the campaign. Colour-Sergeant CAMPBELL specially distinguished himself at Doornkop where three officers had been rendered “hors de combat”. With great presence of mind and true soldierly instinct, Sergeant CAMPBELL stepped into the breach, and bravely led the charge, which resulted in the defeat of the Boers. At this engagements Private RENNIE was wounded, though happily not seriously. To show that Sergeant Campbell was the same “jolly good fellow” wherever he went, Mr Smith stated that he was by his comrades at Worcester made the recipient of a gold watch. Then came the main part of the proceedings, namely, the presentation by the chaplain of a gold albert and medal pendant to Sergeant R.G. CAMPBELL, and a gold albert and medal pendant to Private RENNIE. Each pendant, in addition to the name of the recipient, bore the following inscription, “4th V.B.G.H. From the people of Kemnay. Boer War 1900-01”.
Sergeant CAMPBELL said he would rather face the Boers than the brilliant audience before him. He thanked them all heartily for their magnificent gift. He had had a fair share of fighting – enough, in fact, for a lifetime. Still, if called upon again to fight his country’s battles he would gladly do so. The British reverses announced in the papers were often greatly exaggerated. The column to which he belonged never suffered any reverse.
Private RENNIE, in a word, thanked all who had contributed towards his present, and said that if again called upon to fight, he also was ready.
