Medals and awards

 

 

 

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South Yorkshire Times, 13th December 1901

 

A Swinton Soldier Honoured.

DRUIDS’ PRESENTATION.

The members of the Village Pride (Swinton) Lodge of the Order of Druids, Sheffield Equalised District, met on Saturday evening to do honour to Bro. George FENNELL, who has seen a good deal of active service in the South African war. He was a reservist of the 1st York and Lancaster Regiment, with nine months of his time still to be served when the war broke out in October 1899. He was among the first to respond to the call and set sail on the Majestic in November 1899, landing at Cape Town about December 16th. He served under General Buller, and was in the terrible fighting at Spion Kop, where he was wounded. He returned home in September of this year, having served nearly two years. He arrived at Southampton on September 13th. The fellow-members of the Village Pride Lodge felt they could do no other but acknowledge his services in some tangible manner, and at the same time show their appreciation of him as a Druid and a soldier. By means of a subscription they raised sufficient to enable them to obtain a handsome gold watch chain, to which is attached a gold medal setting for the name, date, and reason for the presentation.

Before the ceremony a tea was held in the Swinton Bridge Boards Schools, at which a large number of the members, several with their wives and families attended. The catering was carried out in an efficient manner by the Misses Crowther. After tea Mr A. Wilde presided.

……. Mr J. Baker, who, though suffering from indisposition, had attended, in order to keep his promise, also spoke. He was pleased to see that the Order to which Bro. Fennell belonged respected him as a man who had dared to brave danger and go forth to meet his country’s foe. After alluding in feeling terms to the hardships that Private Fennell, along with the rest of his comrades, had had to suffer on the field of war, Mr Baker proceeded to speak of the Fennell family, with members of which he is personally acquainted, and he said they were as good and as honourable a family as there was in the district. (Loud applause). In conclusion, Mr Baker urged all those not yet members of a friendly society to join at once, and so in later years, in times of sickness, reap the benefits.

The Chairman here interposed with a short speech, in which he alluded in feeling terms to the anxiety of the mothers, wives, and relations that were left behind by our soldiers who go out to fight. There were indications in the audience that these observations touched the hearts of several listeners.

Bro. C.H. Elliott made the presentation. He was proud, he said, to meet one of their brethren who had come back from South Africa. There was no one in the room, he was certain, but wished this most lamentable war was brought to a conclusion, and he was sure there was not one in the room who was not convinced that it was not a just war on the part of the country. When Mr Kruger launched that most impudent and defiant manifesto this country had no other resource, after trying every other means possible, than to meet him with his own weapons. (Hear, hear). One gratifying feature about the war (and there were not many) was that it proved that this country had not lost its backbone, that Englishmen had still the stamina they always had, that they were still as strong and self-reliant as their forefathers who built up their great nation. The testimonial to Bro. Fennell showed that while he was marching and counter-marching in South Africa his brethren at home were thinking of him.

Bro. George FENNELL made a brief response, in the course of which he expressed his hearty thanks. He assured the meeting that he was proud of the present, and would wear it for the sake of those who had given it him.