Medals and awards

Welcome Social to Trooper J. SCOTT, Winchester.

A social to welcome Trooper SCOTT was held in the Victoria Hall, Winchester, on Friday night. The weather was exceedingly bad, heavy rain setting in with the night and making the streets in a terrible state. Despite the unfavourable state of the elements there was a large attendance of Winchester residents, with many people from a distance as well. Several troopers from the various Contingents were present, among the number Sergeant BOWKER, Corporal PYE, Troopers CULLEN, SLATER, DARBY, TALBOT, BURKE and MELTON. There were also present members of the Geraldine Mounted Rifles and of the Temuka Rifles. Mr W. DeRenzy presided, and apologised for the absence of Mr F.R. Flatman, Esq., M.H.R., Messrs B.R. MacDonald, D. McCaskill, Rev. J.M. Adcock and Captain Brown. Mr DeRenzy in his opening remarks referred to the pleasure they all felt in meeting to welcome Trooper SCOTT, who had been a member of the Sixth Contingent. He called upon Major J.A. Young, V.D., to welcome Trooper SCOTT in the name of the Winchester people.

Maior Young, V.D., said – Trooper SCOTT, the residents of Winchester and surrounding district have met here this evening to give you a hearty welcome back from South Africa, and I, the oldest resident in Winchester, have been asked to extend to you that welcome on their behalf, which I do most heartily. You are the second of the sons of Winchester that I have had the honour to welcome back, and we are proud of you, and also your parents, whom we all very much respect. We are sorry you were laid up in hospital with enteric fever, and that you are still suffering from its effects. I understand you have been granted two months sick furlough. We hope by that time you will be perfectly recovered. We have watched the progress of the Sixth Contingent, to which you belong, and we are proud of the noble way they have gone through danger and difficulties in defence of the flag of our Mother Country. We regret your casualties have been so heavy, as follows – 1 officer and 3 men killed in action, 1 died of his wounds, 1 drowned, 1 accidentally killed, 1 died of dysentery, 13 died of enteric fever: 21 in all. This shows that the Sixth Contingent had done their duty. We regret that you have left so many of your brave comrades in South Africa never to return again. We are glad this terrible war is over; but it will have its good results. It will show to the nations of the earth the mighty power of the British Empire; and also it will give confidence to the people of New Zealand to know they have sons enough, many of them well trained to protect the hearths and homes of this our adopted country. It must have been a grand sight after peace was declared to have seen brave men on both sides, who a few hours before, had been striving to take each other’s lives, at the sound of peace meet together like brave and noble fellows, and shake hands together. It is a grand omen for South Africa. I once more tender a hearty welcome to Trooper SCOTT and his brave comrades, and wish you all a pleasant evening. I now ask all to stand up and give three hearty cheers for Trooper SCOTT and the Sixth Contingent.

The cheers were given with right good will.

Mr W. DeRenzy, in presenting the medal, said that he had known Mr J. Scott, Trooper SCOTT’s father, for over 30 years, and had always held him in the greatest respect. He was proud of having the opportunity of presenting his son with this token of the esteem in which he was held. He referred to the anxiety of the trooper’s parents when he was in South Africa, and their pride and joy on his safe return. Mrs H.E. Smith then pinned the medal on Trooper SCOTT’s breast.

Sergeant BOWKER gave a description of the hardships the men underwent in South Africa when sleeping in the open, and going on short rations. He said that the Sixth and Seventh only met once in South Africa. The Sixth had seen service in Cape Colony, Orange Free State and the Transvaal, but the Seventh bad never been fighting in Cape Colony.

Trooper MELTON said the Sixth had a fairly rough time of it and did a great deal of trekking. He mentioned the various places that they had been at, including Oliphant’s River, where many of the men suffered from fever, and where they lost a great many horses. At Utrecht the men of two squadrons went on strike owing to not getting a supply of cloths, but after nine or ten days the cloths were found for them, and all was well.

Trooper J. SCOTT then mounted the platform and said – Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, – l have much pleasure in thanking you for the presentation and for your kindness to me this evening.

Mr J. Scott (Trooper SCOTT’s father), spoke of the pleasure it gave himself and his family at seeing so many of their friends present on such a wretched night. He said that he had known Mr DeRenzy for nearer 40 years than 30, and said that he had helped him to kill the last one of the twelve apostles – the last of the twelve bullocks first brought to the Leeston district. He thanked them all very heartily for the kind reception they had given to his son, and he specially thanked his fellow troopers for attending in such numbers.

The medal was a gold Maltese Cross with the following inscription – “Presented to Trooper J.K. Scott by the Residents of Winchester, on his return from the Transvaal War, 1902”.

The hall was then cleared for dancing to the music of Messrs Heap and Roddick. Mr Cripps acted as M.C., and refreshments were supplied by Mr J.A. McCaskill, Temuka. During the evening several songs and recitations were given, and a highly enjoyable evening was spent by all.