Medals and awards

HONOURING LLANDRINDOD WARRIORS.

PUBLIC DINNER AND PRESENTATION.

A public dinner to the Yeomanry, Volunteers, and Reservists of the town of Llandrindod who have been engaged in the war was given in their honour at the Rock Hotel on Monday evening. A town’s meeting was called a few weeks ago, at which it was decided to hold this dinner and collect subscriptions for the purpose of presenting the men with some memento in honour of their services. On Monday they were each presented with a silver medal, and a further presentation will be made to them later on.

In the absence of Mr T. Heighway (chairman of the Urban District Council, who had been announced to preside, but who was unable to do so, owing to indisposition), Mr C. Venables Llewelyn presided. Altogether there were about 100 present. The special guests of the evening were Trooper J.P. SWETTENHAM and Trooper C.H. WILLIAMS (Imperial Yeomanry), Corporal J.W. JONES, Privates T. JONES and R. LLOYD (Reservists), and Private W.J. LLOYD (Volunteer Service Corps).

……. Loud cheers having been given for the heroes, the Chairman, amidst loud applause presented each of the men with a silver medal in recognition of their services, and congratulated Trooper SWETTENHAM on the appointment he had just received.

Corporal JONES thanked those present for the splendid way he had been received.

Private T. JONES, in reply, considered it his duty to volunteer to go out with the 1st Dorset Regiment. He thanked them.

Private R. LLOYD said he was no public speaker. There was no chance for him; he had to go out – (laughter). He thanked them.

Private W.J. LLOYD also returned thanks. He said there were many things people at home did not understand; if they went out there they perhaps would. They could not understand that perhaps six men could keep a regiment at bay owing to some of the positions. For every one man on the Boer side we wanted five or six. He had been asked what he thought about the generals. From a military point of view they could not be improved upon, but perhaps there was one fault – and that was leniency to a cowardly and treacherous foe – (applause). He did not mean to say the whole Boer force was like that, because there were some good men amongst them; men they might be proud to call a foe. But they had not been fighting the Boers; they had been fighting men who had been trained in all the continental military schools; in fact every nationality had been fighting against them. If the Boers could have their way, the war would have been over long ago. It was the mercenaries who were the cause of all the trouble.

Trooper J.P. SWETTENHAM, in a bright response, thanked them for their kindness to him on the present occasion, and also previous to his embarkation. He spoke a high word of admiration of the conduct of the soldiers. He considered it was the duty of every single young man to go forth for the country in the hour of need, and protect that flag whose motto was justice and liberty. He had seen the soldiers walk unflinchingly for many miles, with scarcely any food or boots, and he had never heard a complaint. But he had heard them curse, not because of the hardships, but cursing some of their own fellow countrymen – those pro-Boers who had encouraged the enemy. The first question the Boers asked when taken prisoners was “How is it going to be at the next General Election?” There were certain men in England – Conservatives and Radicals – who were in their favour, and the Boers consider if they were returned to power they would get their independence as they had before. Trooper SWETTENHAM, in conclusion, alluded to the sorrow that prevailed amongst the troops when the news of Queen Victoria’s death reached them. The death sent a pang through the hearts of those men who had been accustomed to look upon death as an everyday occurrence.

Trooper WILLIAMS made a humorous response, and referred to the praise bestowed upon the Shropshire Yeomanry by Lord Methuen. He heartily thanked them for their kindness on all occasions.