County: Forfarshire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 18/05/1901
Number issued: 6
Gold appendages/badges, to:
The medals bore the Montrose coat-of-arms and were inscribed: "SOUTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN / 1900-1901".
Supplied by Mr J.S. Walker, jeweller, High Street, Montrose.
Privates Falconer, Forbes, Nicoll, Scott and Sutherland
RECEPTION OF VOLUNTEERS.
DISTRICT VOLUNTEERS RECEPTION.
PRESENTATION OF MEDALS AT MONTROSE.
Not for many years has the Burgh Hall of Montrose been so crowded as it was on Saturday evening, when a public meeting was held for the purpose of presenting gold appendages to Captain MILLAR, Private FALCONER, and Private NICOL as a recognition of their gallant services in South Africa. There were on the platform Captain and Mrs MILLAR, Privates FALCONER and NICOL, representatives of the Town Council, and volunteer officers, amongst whom were noticed the Rev. J. Niblock Stuart, the Rev. T.S. Connolly, Bailies Foreman, Boyek, and Ford; Messrs J. Mitchell, J. Petrie, John Heckford, J.W. Murison, J. Cameron; D.S. Wills, town clerk; W. Smith, town chamberlain; ex-Bailie Alexander, Captain R.R. Balfour, Lieutenant Sim, Lieut. Johnstone, and Mr William Sturrock.
On the appearance of the volunteers on the platform the audience cheered loud and long. The proceedings were opened by the singing of the 100th Psalm, after which the Rev. J. Niblock Stuart, minister of the First Charge of the Parish Church, offered up a prayer of thanksgiving.
Provost Melvin referred with pride to the deeds of the volunteers in South Africa and to the share which the Montrose men had taken in the movement. They all felt honoured when Captain MILLAR was chosen as leader of the Volunteer Company, which he gallantly led. He and his comrades went to the front as soldiers of the Queen, and now they had returned as soldiers of the King. They were associated with a regiment which bore a glorious record. Now that Captain MILLAR and his comrade volunteers had returned they saw what Montrose thought of them. Montrose people were proud to meet them and were proud of what they had done. (Applause). They all knew that Captain MILLAR had nothing to seek in South Africa, and he did not expect to settle down there. It was his patriotic feelings that prompted him to go and do what he could for the country he loved. (Applause). As for the other volunteers, they had no wives to leave behind. (A voice – “What about the girls they left behind?” Laughter and applause). He hoped to see the volunteers wearing the African Medal by and by, and he was sure they would be prouder of that than anything that could be given them. However, Montrose had done its little best, and he was commissioned by the Corporation of the burgh to present the medals as a small token of the esteem they had for them and out of gratitude for the way in which they had conducted themselves in South Africa as good citizens of the burgh and soldiers of their native country. (Applause). He then presented the seven medals to Captain MILLAR, asking him to convey one to each of the volunteers who had left Montrose last year.
The medals bore the Montrose coat-of-arms, and also the following inscription: – “South African Campaign, 1900-1901”. Succeeding the presentation ceremony, the bands played “See the Conquering Hero Comes”.
On Captain MILLAR coming forward to respond, the audience rose to their feet and continued cheering for some time. He said he and his comrades were deeply grateful for all that had been done to welcome them home. The mementoes which had been presented would be cherished by the volunteers and also by their descendants. (Cheers). He thanked them for the extremely warm and, he ought to say, glorious reception with which they had met the previous night. The only regret he and his volunteer comrades felt in coming home was that they had left South Africa before the war was over, and they had left their friends behind to fight it out. After receiving these gifts and experiencing the reception which they had had, he began to feel that if they had remained any longer in South Africa, and if the relieving company had not taken their place, they would have unjustifiably prevented their relieving volunteers from getting experience which they had gained, and from making the many friends who would treat them in the same kind manner as they (the returned volunteers) had been treated. (Cheers). The volunteer company which he had the honour to command was, as Provost Melvin justifiably remarked, attached to one of the most glorious regiments the British army possessed. (Applause). He for one never knew what a soldier’s life, his trials, and his virtues were until he saw the Black Watch in the field. (Applause). It was a great lesson to see a soldier willingly share everything he had, and even to give up his own life for his comrades. In the Black Watch there were many reservists and many of the regulars still serving in the field. Several hundreds of them had been looking forward to returning home just as much as he believed those present did.
The audience, with the band’s accompaniment, at the conclusion of the speech sang “God Save the King”, and cheers were given for Captain MILLAR and Provost Melvin.
