County: County Durham
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 23/11/1901
Number issued: 1
Gold albert and medal, to:
8061 Corporal James Frederick Beavon
Presentation made by Colonel Ropner, M.P., on behalf of members of the Portrack Conservative Club, Stockton.
HONOURING A STOCKTON VOLUNTEER.
PRESENTATION AT PORTRACK CLUB.
STIRRING SPEECH BY COLONEL ROPNER, M.P.
There was a large gathering on Saturday night at the Portrack Club, Stockton, when a presentation was made by the members of the club to Corporal J.F. BEAVON, of the 1st V.B.D.L.I., who spent about 16 months in South Africa with the first active service company of the battalion, returning home last Whitsuntide. The presentation consisted of a gold albert with a medal attached. On one side of the medal was inscribed, “South Africa, 1900-1”, and on the other, “Corporal J.F. Beavon, presented from Portrack Conservative Club”. Colonel Ropner, M.P., presided, and was supported by Captain L. Ropner, Mr D.C. Watson, Corporal J.F. BEAVON, and Messrs T. Parkinson, W. Stainsby, Squire Stamp, G. Burns, R. Barrett, C. Jones, H. Harper, R. Smith, W. Roper, T. Lazenby, E. Fairless, G. Harrison, J. Beavon, sen., T. Dinsdale, J. Hall, hon. secretary, and others.
Colonel Ropner, M.P., who had a very cordial reception, said the main object of their gathering was to welcome back to their midst Corporal J.F. BEAVON. (Hear, hear). There was one fact with regard to the war which ought not be lost sight of, although the Radical party tried to efface it from our memory. It was, and it would always remain the case that this war was brought about deliberately by the Transvaal Oligarchy under Mr Kruger, with the full intention, as had been proved over and over again, of driving us out of South Africa. That was a fact that could not be too often repeated, because we were apt to forget how we got into this war. It was said at one time by the Radical party that it was only a question of the representation of the Uitlanders, but that, we knew, was perfectly untrue. (Hear, hear). We now knew that the Boers had been preparing for years for this war, and that they brought it about deliberately. Therefore, what more could we do than defend ourselves when they invaded our colony of Natal. (Hear, hear). There was nothing else left for us to do. (Hear, hear). It was really wonderful that in spite of this war having dragged on for more than two years, the people of this country had never wavered for a single moment. (Hear, hear). The heart of the country today was with the Government, as it was two years ago, and the public supported the Government as strongly and as firmly as ever they did in their work of prosecuting the war until it should be brought to a successful issue. (Hear, hear). It was most surprising that there should have been no wavering, and it was certainly a testimony to the Government that they had gauged the position of affairs correctly. This unfortunate war was still dragging on. Why? Mainly because the Boers still hoped and imagined that the party which had been supporting them in this country – the Little Englanders and Pro-Boers – would some day get the upper hand in England, and would give them back their independence. The Government was blamed for not having made peace. In order to make peace it required two parties, and all the Boer leaders had told us distinctly that they were fighting for their independence, and nothing less would satisfy them. Were we ready, after having spent not only so much treasure, but so much blood, and after fighting for two years for our supremacy in South Africa, to go cap in hand to the Boers and say we were prepared to give them back their independence? (Never). Surely never. (Applause). The war was still going on. But could it be called a war, after all? There was now no Boer army, in a sense, in the field, and there were simply guerilla bands, which were hiding in the mountains, and which only came out when they thought they could snipe and murder our soldiers, because it was nothing else. He admitted that this kind of fighting was likely to go on for a long time. He thought what were left of the Boers were simply desperadoes, who possibly were making a livelihood out of fighting, because, surely, they must see that it was impossible for them to make sufficient headway to get this country to submit to any dictation from them. Whatever might happen, he thought the people of this country were determined that no peace should be made until the Boers were ready to admit our supremacy. (Applause). If they once admitted that, and peace was made on that basis, and if they showed themselves deserving by the way in which they lived hereafter peacefully with our own countrymen in South Africa, we would, when we thought the time had come, give them representation on our Council Boards in South Africa, and we would be ready to give them the same liberty, justice, and equality which we claimed for ourselves in that country. (Applause). He thought the time would come, although it seemed far distant, when the Boers in the Transvaal, the Orange River Colony, and in the Cape would live peacefully with us, as they were now doing in Natal, and the time would come when they would admit that under our lenient rule they would have far more liberty than they ever had under Mr Kruger or Mr Steyn. (Applause). He hoped all present would live to see the fruits of the war, and would be ready to testify that it was fought for substantial objects. He thought the Boers would also be prepared to admit in after years that it was certainly the very best thing which could have happened to them. (Applause).
Proceeding, he referred to the concentration camps, expressing the opinion from what had been published in the papers recently, no one need be surprised at the death-rate in them. If the people had not been brought into these camps, they would possibly have died of hunger in their own homes, because they had no one to provide for them. We took pity on them, but, having so many to provide for at a moment’s notice, it was impossible to provide those sanitary measures which were absolutely required when people were congregated together in large masses. In addition to all these difficulties, which had now been substantially overcome, the ignorance of the Boers themselves had largely and mainly contributed to the large death-rate in the camps. It was almost inconceivable to read of the objections they had to sanitary regulations, and to read of the remedies the women gave their children for fevers and measles. Was it surprising that children treated in such a way should die? They would not follow the advice of our doctors. They were accustomed to live in such a dirty and filthy state themselves that it was impossible, when they were stricken with fever or measles, to expect that they could be cured so easily as people who lived under cleanly conditions. They scarcely knew what it meant to use soap. (Laughter). It was a luxury to them. Apart from all these conditions, he asked if there was such another case in history where a nation had provided food and lodging for the women and children of the men fighting against that nation. (Never). He claimed that instead of acting as barbarians, we had proved ourselves to be the most kindly disposed people towards an enemy which had ever existed or would ever exist. (Applause).
Coming to the subject of the presentation, he said Corporal BEAVON was one of the band of heroes who went out to fight our battles when men were required. (Applause). Up to the time the Volunteers were called upon, it was said by many that they were simply playing at soldiering. Now they had proved their real worth. The 1st Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry was called upon to furnish its quota to the company required. Although the strength of the regiment was something like 800, more than half of them volunteered to go to the front. (Applause). The difficulty was whom to choose to send. He was delighted that Corporal BEAVON was one of the best of the men who volunteered, and had been sent out to show the mettle of which the Volunteers were made. (Applause). Colonel Woodland, who commanded them in South Africa, told him that he found them to be most reliable, and, on many occasions, he sent them to the place which was most dangerous, because he wished to pay them the compliment of letting them feel they were trusted equally with the rest of the regiment. (Hear, hear). Corporal BEAVON would always have the pleasure of remembering that he was one of the few who had the fotune to go out from Stockton to the front, and, in the names of the members of the club, he had great pleasure in making the presentation to him. (Applause).
Corporal BEAVON, in a brief and manly, straightforward reply, said he hardly knew how to thank them for their kind present, and he took it as a further compliment that it was made by Colonel Ropner, M.P. He was sure their work in South Africa had been appreciated, and that was everything. (Applause). They did all that they volunteered for, and all that was expected of them. (Applause).
Captain L. Ropner also spoke, and promised to give the club a new Union Jack, in place of the present one, which has done service for many years.
On the proposition of Mr D.C. Watson, a vote of thanks was passed to Colonel Ropner for his kindness in making the presentation.
