Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902 GRENADIER GUARDS

Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902. Clasps: Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wiittebergen. 3556. Pte. J. Weldon. 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards. In very good condition on ribbon. 

Medal Roll confirms entitlement, and is missing a King’s South Africa Medal. 

The 2nd Bn Grenadier guards left for South Africa and landed at Port Elizabeth on 15th April 1900 under the command of Colonel Lloyd, eight companies strong with 1000 men. The first contact with the Boers was at the Battle of Biddulphsburg, where some miles beyond the town of Senekal, General Rundle ordered the Bn to advance and capture a Boer Gun which was holding up the advance from the flank.The Bn advanced towards the objective through Mealie fields, in a column of companies, deployed at ten pace intervals on a frontage of 1,000 yards. They turned half right to gain cover from a lightly occupied Kopje. Unfortunately the Boers in that area opened with heavy rifle fire from hidden rifle pits in the Kopje, a veldt fire had already started due to supporting artillery fire and this added to the problem. The Commanding officer had gone to instruct the leading company to order them to alter their line of advance, having reached no 6 company, then went forward, into extremely heavy Boer fire, fell wounded from his horse.

Down on the ground in the long grass visibility was nil, the noise deafening, and a raging fire started. The companies that had received the order to change direction now attempted to attack the Kopje, by short rushes in half companies. The advance continued for 300yds until mounting casualties in officers and men made this impossible, added to this problem was the raging Veldt fire, the smoke and flames.

The leading company were almost wiped out, and the attack momentum was lost and never regained. The wind on that hot day was fanning the flames towards the wounded of the front line to where they were lying. After two hours in this inferno of bullets and flame, the order was given at 3pm to withdraw. Not all got the order so Lieutenant Quilter and a few men from No 1 Company went forward through the fire and dragged back some of the wounded in a Very Gallant Action to save their comrades.

Lord Cavan, who was present as a Captain recorded, "A valuable lesson in the extraordinary difficulty of keeping control of an extended line in action." The total losses in this agonising battle were 148, of which nearly fifty were killed or burnt to death. And was by far the worst experience of the 2nd Bn Grenadiers during the whole war.

By the end of October 1901, the 2nd Bn were in Harrismith, and operated the Eastern part of the Orange Free State, in different columns, driving in the Boers. During this period the Regiment with help from the Irish Guards, which included three officers, a quartermaster, four NCOs, and sixty seven men were sent as a strong cadre.

By  August 1902 The 2nd Bn Grenadiers were manning a line of 15 blockhouses along the railway from Harrismith to Brindisi covering eighty miles as part of the operations to round up De Wet. On 23 April 1902 De Wet came into blockhouse no 25, and De Wet and his officers were entertained in the Officers mess. A few weeks later peace was signed at Pretoria. The 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards returned home on 12th September 1902.