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How great to see these - thank you

Hi there

Great to see all this information about my Great Grandfather and so see his medals - what a treat. I would love to know where to find more information and if I can be of any help with photos and things please let me know.

Look forward to getting to grips with all the new information in due course

Sacha

Sacha
It is really great to hear from a relative of David Lockhart MAXWELL,DSO, ILH! I became the custodian of his medal group quite a few years ago and was able to add more detail to his ABW activities as described earlier. I have tried to add a portrait (or even a pic) of this very gallant Gentleman to this site; however I have been unable to find one. Can you help with that? Later today (local time) I will dig out your GGFs folder and advise you as to what other info I have.
Best regards
IL.

Sacha
I had a quick look just now and most of the info that came with the Maxwell DSO group was printed out from ancestry. The info includes a Medical Board finding and inward correspondence. There is also some supporting info about your GGFs service during WW1; theatres entered, units Commanded, Mentions in Despatches, etc. I would imagine that access to ancestry would allow you to delve into it. My principal interest in gaining custody of the Maxwell, DSO group was his service between 1899-1902 - and I was able to discover a deal more than I expected.
As a matter of interest, you might care to look up the contribution the ILH made to the battle of Elandsgate, during the Defence of Ladysmith (Gun Hill and Wagon Hill),and the Relief of Mafeking.
You must be proud of your GGF
IL.

Thank you IL for all that information

I am on Ancestry but I have not come across his medical board report; it was rumoured that he had been so badly injured in ABW that he did not fight at all in WW1 but obviously this is not the case so it came as quite a surprise.

I can help you with some photographs, I have ones from 1914 and much later as an old man back in Natal at Dargavel his farm there. I may have others but need to look at them more closely to see what is what. I have no information for him pre 1914 really just snippets from Frank's biography and the book 'I Am Ready'.

Yes, I am impressed by what he did, but as I said 90% of this is all new to me, my father and aunt as David was quite old by the time they got to meet him as he lived in Sth Af and aged about 10 war stories from years ago were not spoken about.

I am delighted that his medals are with someone who appreciates them; I don't know who sold them, possibly Alice initially or my grandmother having a clear out after grandfather died because she had no need of them, I don't believe my father or aunt ever had them though.

Thank you for your help

Sacha

PS what part of the world are you in?

Extract from Diary of FAM Jan 3rd 1901:

Left Braamfontein and reached Potchefstroom 2pm. Went off to hospital and found old David very flushed and weak voiced, but cheery in a big tent to himself. I had a long buck with him and hard how it happened; he appears to have behaved with extraordinary gallantry, as of course he would. He was wounded through right chest above breast and out of shoulder, and had three other bullets about his kit - bled copiously for some 20hrs, hence his weakness. Has not much pain, but suffers from want of appetite and sleep, nerves of two fingers dead, same as Pat's. Dr thinks lung was missed.

4th Jan

Intended to leave this morning, but as David can't read I thought I would stay and buck to him. .....Dr says could travel to Johannesburg but David funks the jolting.
David's wound entirely due to a young idiot in the 23rd Fusiliers who asked to be allowed to go out with him to see how patrols were managed. D's advance guard was fired on at close range, and D ordered Hughes to go with a message somewhere else; he did not do it, but rushed from one anthem to another, shooting; D, not noticing this, got his men away- then found no Hughes, so had to ride all the way back into the thick of it again to bring the ass out - was wounded while doing this, then, while wounded, he helped a dismounted man out of the firing and finally tumbled off almost spent at a farm, sending his men home. A Dutch woman did what little she could, but apparently that was not much. Two Boers (Germans) came in and wished him 'Happy New Year' and said it was a pity he had to die, bagged his glasses and revolver, and wanted to take his spurs but David said they might leave him those to be buried in, to which they generously agreed. He was taken to Potchstroom next morning. Hughes subsequently got himself captured and a corporal badly wounded'.

His diary from start of 1900 was stolen after Saana's Post