Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Q.S.A. awarded to Lieutenant J. R. Divino, 91st (Sharpshooters) Company, 23rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, mentioned in despatches for the ‘Victoria Cross’ action at Tafelkop, 20 December 1901

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State (Lieut. J. R. Divino, Imp. Yeo.) nearly extremely fine £250-300

J. R. Divino served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps (London Scottish). Was appointed a Lieutenant in the Imperial Yeomanry on 14 March 1901.

Captain C. L. Gaussen and Lieutenant Divino were officers of the 91st (Sharpshooters) Company 23rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. The two officers commanded a small detachment escorting Colonel Damant, his staff and two guns and a maxim. On 21 December 1901 at Tafelkop, Orange Free State, the party came under attack. In a heroic defence, all but two of the gunners were killed, the men manning the maxim were all killed and all but one officer (Divino) and one man of the 91st Company I.Y. were hit and all the officers of the staff were hit. The total number of men lost was approximately 75 (ref. Conan Doyle: The Great Boer War). For his great bravery in action, Shoeing-Smith Alfred Ernest Ind, R.H.A. was awarded the Victoria Cross. Gaussen (who was killed) and Divino, together with eight of their men were mentioned in despatches. Lieutenant Divino retired from the Army on 29 September 1902. With copied research.