Ladysmith's 20 VCs

[themonsstar]

I pick up this book the other-day, it covers the 20 Victoria Cross's awarded for the defence and relief of Ladysmith 1899-1900, their engagements, locations and memorials.

The book is a private publication by the author, Charles Aikenhead.

[mack]

hiya roy.
amongst the contents is an award to a unit,what does it say about that,i dont know of any such award,the only VC awarded other than to an individual,was to the USA unknown soldier

mack

[tonyrod]

check this out,it could help,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanna%27s_Post

In the case of a gallant and daring act being performed by a squadron, ship's company
or a detached body of men (such as marines) in which all men are deemed equally brave
and deserving of the Victoria Cross then a ballot is drawn. The officers select one
officer, the NCOs select one individual and the private soldiers or seamen select two
individuals.[32] In all 46 awards have been awarded by ballot with 29 of the awards during
the Indian Mutiny. Four further awards were granted to Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
at Korn Spruit on 31 March 1900 during the Second Boer War. The final ballot awards for
the Army were the six awards to the Lancashire Fusiliers at W Beach during the landing at
Gallipoli  on 25 April 1915 although three of the awards were not gazetted until 1917.
The final seven ballot awards were the only naval ballot awards with three awards to two
Q-Ships in 1917 and four awards for the Zeebrugge Raid  in 1918. The provision for awards
by ballot is still included in the Victoria Cross warrant but there have been no further
such awards since 1918.

[themonsstar]

The front cover is showing  Pitt & Scott VCs with other Manchester Regt medal awards.

I will have a look after for you Mack

[Robert Bonner]

The two VCs referred to were to Captain Charles Mullins and Lieutenant Robert Johnstone of the Imperial Light Horse for their actions at the battle of Elandslaagte 21 October 1899.
According to the author the two VCs were awarded to the Regiment which is an unusual honour but with precedent in the Indian Mutiny.  The Adjutant had recorded I was told to make enquiries in the Regiment to find out to whom they should be given.  We no doubt selected the right men but they were in fact bestowed on the Regiment.

The photograph on the front cover shows Pitts and Scott of the Manchesters, together with award winners from other regiments, following the presentation of the VCs and other gallantry medals in 1900.

[mack]

thanks robert.
i have been studying the VCs for over 25yrs,but i never knew about this award

mack

[ladysmith]

I'd like to know who the author claims are the 20 VC recipients for the defence and relief of Ladysmith as I can only trace 15

Defence

Wagon Hill/Caesar's Camp - Pitts, Scott, Digby-Jones, Albrecht & Masterson
Other - Norwood

Relief

Colenso - Roberts, Reed, Schofield, Nurse, Babtie, Congreve & Ravenhill

Tugela Heights - Mansel-Jones & Inkson

The battle of Elandslaagte comes under neither the defence nor relief of Ladysmith (taking place before either started) so these are outside the scope of the book's title and subject matter but even including the awards to Mullins, Johnstone, Robertson and Meiklejohn the total is still only 19. I may have overlooked others but I don't think so.

[tonyrod]

List of Second Boer War Victoria Cross recipients
*posthumous award

name                    Unit          Date of action    Place of action                    
Herman Albrecht Imperial Light Horse     6 January 1900    Ladysmith,
Alfred Atkinson Yorkshire Regiment     18 February 1900    Battle of Paardeberg,
William Babtie    Royal Army Medical Corps 15 December 1899    Battle of Colenso,
John Barry    Royal Irish Regiment    7 January 1901    Monument Hill, South Africa
William Bees    Sherwood Foresters    30 September 1901    Moedwil,
Harry Beet    Derbyshire Regiment    22 April 1900    Wakkerstroom,
Frederick Bell    West Australian Mounted Infantry    16 May 1901    Transvaal,
John Bisdee    Tasmanian Colonial Forces    1 September 1900    Transvaal,
Frederick Bradley Royal Field Artillery    26 September 1901    Itala,
Edward Brown    14th Hussars    13 October 1900    Geluk, South Africa
John Clements    Rimington's Guides    24 February 1901    Strijdenburg,
Hampden Cockburn Royal Canadian Dragoons    7 November 1900    Komati River,
Walter Congreve Rifle Brigade    15 December 1899    Battle of Colenso,
Gustavus Coulson King's Own Scottish Borderers    18 May 1901*    Lambrechtfontein,
Harry Crandon    18th Royal Hussars    4 July 1901    Springbok Laagte,
Thomas Crean    Imperial Light Horse    18 December 1901    Tygerkloof Spruit,
Albert Curtis    East Surrey Regiment    23 February 1900    Onderbank Spruit,
Robert Digby-Jones Royal Engineers    6 January 1900    Ladysmith,
Henry Douglas    Royal Army Medical Corps    11 December 1899 Magersfontein,
Alexis Doxat    Imperial Yeomanry    20 October 1900 Zeerust,
Frederic Dugdale 5th Lancers            3 March 1901    Derby,
Alfred Durrant    Rifle Brigade    27 August 1900    Bergendal,
Henry Engleheart 10th Hussars    13 March 1900    Bloemfontein,
William English Scottish Horse    3 July 1901    Vlakfontein,
Donald Farmer    Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders 13 December 1900 Nooitgedacht,
James Firth    Duke of Wellington's Regiment    24 February 1900 Arundel near Colesberg,
Charles Fitzclarence    Royal Fusiliers    14 October 1899 Mafeking,
Horace Glasock    Royal Horse Artillery    31 March 1900    Korn Spruit,
William Gordon    Gordon Highlanders    11 July 1900    Krugersdorp,
Harry Hampton    King's (Liverpool) Regiment    21 August 1900    Van Wyk's Vlei,
William Hardham 4th New Zealand Contingent 28 January 1901 Naauwpoort,
William Heaton    King's (Liverpool) Regiment    23 August 1900    Geluk, South Africa
Edward Holland    Royal Canadian Dragoons    7 November 1900    Komati River,
William House    Royal Berkshire Regiment    2 August 1900    Mosilikatse Nek,
Neville Howse    New South Wales Army Medical Corps    24 July 1900    Vredefort,
Alfred Ind    Royal Horse Artillery    20 December 1901    Tafelkop,
Edgar Inkson    Royal Army Medical Corps    24 February 1900    Colenso,
Robert Johnston Imperial Light Horse    21 October 1899 Battle of Elandslaagte,
Charles Kennedy Highland Light Infantry    22 November 1900 Dewetsdorp,
Frank Kirby    Royal Engineers    2 June 1900    Delagoa Bay Railway,
Henry Knight    King's (Liverpool) Regiment    21 August 1900    Van Wyk's Vlei,
Brian Lawrence    17th Lancers    7 August 1900    Essenbosch Farm,
Isaac Lodge    Royal Horse Artillery    31 March 1900    Korn Spruit,
John MacKay Gordon Highlanders    20 May 1900    Johannesburg,
Conwyn Mansel-Jones West Yorkshire Regiment    27 February 1900 Tugela,
Horace Martineau Protecorate Regiment    26 December 1899 Mafeking,
Arthur Martin-Leake South African Constabulary    8 February 1902 Vlakfontein,
James Masterson Devonshire Regiment    6 January 1900    Ladysmith,
Francis Maxwell Robert's Light Horse    31 March 1900    Korn Spruit,
Leslie Maygar    5th Victorian Mounted Rifles    23 November 1901 Geelhoutboom,
Matthew Meiklejohn Gordon Highlanders    21 October 1899    Battle of Elandslaagte,
John Milbanke    10th Hussars    5 January 1900    Colesberg, South Africa
Charles Mullins Imperial Light Horse    21 October 1899    Battle of Elandslaagte,
William Nickerson Royal Army Medical Corps    20 April 1900    Wakkerstroom,
John Norwood    5th Dragoon Guards    30 October 1899    Ladysmith,
George Nurse    Royal Field Artillery    15 December 1899    Battle of Colenso,
Charles Parker    Royal Horse Artillery    31 March 1900    Korn Spruit,
Francis Parsons Essex Regiment          18 February 1900    Battle of Paardeberg,
Edmund Phipps-Hornby    Royal Horse Artillery    31 March 1900    Korn Spruit,
------------------------------------------------------------------------
James Pitts    Manchester Regiment    6 January 1900    Caesar's Camp,
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Llewelyn Price-Davies    King's R R Corps 17 September 1901 Blood River Poort,
Horace Ramsden    Protectorate Regiment    26 December 1899    Mafeking,
George Ravenhill Royal Scots Fusiliers    15 December 1899    Battle of Colenso,
Hamilton Reed    Royal Field Artillery    15 December 1899    Battle of Colenso,
Arthur Richardson Lord Strathcona's Horse 5 July 1900    Wolwespruit,
Frederick Roberts King's Royal Rifle Corps 15 December 1899 Battle of Colenso, *
William Robertson Gordon Highlanders    21 October 1899    Battle of Elandslaagte,
James Rogers    South African Constabulary 15 June 1901    Thaba Nchu,
Harry Schofield Royal Field Artillery    15 December 1899    Battle of Colenso,
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Scott    Manchester Regiment    6 January 1900    Caesar's Camp,
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Shaul    Highland Light Infantry 11 December 1899    Magersfontein,
Ernest Towse    Gordon Highlanders    11 December 1899    Magersfontein,
William Traynor West Yorkshire Regiment 6 February 1901 Bothwell Camp,
Richard Turner    Royal Canadian Dragoons 7 November 1900 Komati River,
Charles Ward    King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry    26 June 1900    Lindley,
Guy Wylly    Tasmanian Colonial Forces    1 September 1900    Warm Bad,
Alexander Young    Cape Police    13 August 1901    Ruiterskraal,
David Younger    Gordon Highlanders    11 July 1900    Krugersdorp,

[themonsstar]

Ladysmith's 20 VC's from the book.
   
1-21st  October 1899      Battle of Elandslaagte   
Captain Matthew Meiklejohn & Sergeant-Major William Roberton 2nd Battalion The Gordon Highlanders.

2-21st  October 1899      Battle of Elandslaagte   
Captain Charles Mullins & Lieutenant Robert Johnstone Imperial Light Horse.

3-30st  October 1899     Battle of Ladysmith   
2nd Lieutenant John Norwood   5th Dragoon Guard.

4-15th  December 1899   Battle of Colenso   
Captain Harry Schoefield, Royal Field Artillery, Captain Walter Congreve, The Rifle Brigade, Lieutenant The Hon Frederick Roberts*, Kings Roval Rifle Corps
Corporal George Nurse, 66 Battery Royal Field Artillery.

5-15th  December 1899   Battle of Colenso   
Captain Hamilton Lyster Reed, Royal Field Artillery
Major William Babtie, Royal Army Medical Corps, Private George Ravenhill, 2nd Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers.

6-6th  January 1900       Battle of Wagon Hill   
Lieutenant Robert Digby-Jones Royal Engineers, Trooper Herman Albrecht Imperial Light Horese.

7-6th  January 1900      Battle of Wagon Hill   
Lieutenant James Masterson, 1st Bn the Devonshire Regiment

8-6th  January 1900       Battle of Caesar's Camp   
Privates Robert Scott and James Pitts, Ist Bn The Manchester Regiment.

9-23st  February 1900   Assault on Wynne'a Hill, Battle of Tugela Heights
Private Edward Curtis, 2nd Bn the East Surrey Regiment

10-24th  February 1900   Assault on Hart's Hill, Battle of Tugela Heights  
Lieutenant Edgar Inkson, Royal Army Medical Corps

11-27th  February 1900   Assault on Terrace Hill, BattleTugela Heights    
Captain Conwyn Mansel-Jones, The West Yorkshire Regiment.


* Lieutenant The Hon Frederick Roberts 1st Posthumous award

[ladysmith]

Thanks for the list of the VCs in the book. I missed out Curtis, probably because the online reference I checked gave the place of the action as Onderbank Spruit whereas it should be Onderbroek Spruit (Tugela Heights).

However, I still maintain that the Elandslaagte VCs are outside the scope of the book's title. Perhaps the author mght have included Bradley's VC won at Itala and entitled it 'Natal's 21 VCs' or similar.