A Collection of Queen’s South Africa Medals to Colonial Units

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (113 Tpr: A. E. Odell. Harrismith Vol: L.H.) rank, initials, and first part of surname officially corrected, nearly extremely fine £40-50

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Queen’s South Africa Medals to Colonial Units.

View
Collection

The Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse was established in January 1901 and was placed under the command of Captain H. Hawkins. It comprised some 100 members, most of whom were English-speaking inhabitants of the town of Harrismith. The unit performed duties in the town and also supplied guides and scouts for Imperial troops in the area. It was noted that while the unit was away from home most of the shops in the town remained closed owing to the fact that many of the shop assistants belonged it.

The only incident worthy of note in which the Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse (H.V.L.H.) was involved occurred on 28 July 1901. A report was received that some 80 Boers, under Commandant F Jacobsz, had occupied hilly country on the farm Saaihoek in the district of Witzieshoek. Some 600 Yeomanry and the H.V.L.H., sent out from Harrismith, came across 40 Boers all of whom, while evading possible capture, occupied some of the surrounding hills. Jacobsz and the remaining Boers then arrived on the scene. While the H.V.L.H. began to retire, a group of Yeomanry was ambushed on a ridge. In this action 3 were killed and 5 wounded while 32 were captured. On the Boer side there was only one casualty, Jacobsz, who was severely wounded. The Boers allowed the British to take their dead and wounded back to Harrismith. The remainder were held captive until escorted to Basutoland. From there they trudged back to Harrismith, arriving a week later.

Apart from this incident nothing of significance took place in the vicinity of Harrismith. Only once did the Boers come to the town when they drove off 32 head of cattle. During the course of the war, no members of the unit were killed, wounded or captured.