TOPIC:

James,
many thanks for your reply - I shall make a note that he have his medal)s)? as 6751 received the Private J Patterson received the QSA clasps Cape Colony, Wittebergen, and the KSA both clasps. Additionally there are the following entries in the HLI Chronicles:
06751 PATTERSON J May 1878 Born in the parish of Barony, Glasgow
29/11/1898 Attested for H.L.I. at the age of 20, formerly a labourer
Next of kin listed as his father, James Paterson, 41 William Street,
Glasgow, and his sister Isabella
07/04/99 In draft to join 1st Btn.
QSA bars Cape Colony/Wittebergen (Tpr.)
[Depot] 28/11/1906 Discharged to Army Reserve
Hope this is of some help
all the best
Tom

I have been trying to find service records for my great grandfather Walter Richmond, but so far only know that he was in the Highland light infantry and served in India, South Africa and ww1. Would welcome any info you may have.

Tom,
what follows is what I have - Walter Richmond enlisted as W Gemmell about 1889 - the details are primarily taken from the Regimental magazine "The HLI Chronicle". He was mentioned at the battle of Magersfontein on 11th December 1899 and in Lord Kitchener's despatch of 10/09/1901. He was also taken prisoner by the Boers at Swalkrantz on 04/06/1900 and was later released.
He was entitled to the Indian General Service Medal with bar for Punjab Frontier 1897/98, the Queen's South Africa with clasps for Cape Colony/Orange Free State/Transvaal, the King's South Africa medal with clasps South Africa 1901/South Africa 1902, 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal (last three for World War One). I collect medals to the HLI for the Boer War and actually have 5 of his 6 medals in my collection - the only one I don't have is the Queen South Africa Medal. Do you know where that is?
take care
Tom


03426 GEMMELL W 1892 Pte. 2nd Btn. (D Co).
01/95 Awarded 3rd Class Army School Cert.
01/96 Granted Good Conduct Pay @ 2d.
07/97 Changed name to
RICHMOND Walter
London Gazette 16/03/1900 Magersfontein – Private Richmond excellent service and
setting a good example to his comrades.
Chronicle July 1900 Private W. Richmond was noticeable for the good service he
did during the fight
Chronicle July and October 1901 A Prisoner with the Boers
No. 9 General Hospital
Bloemfontein
1st October 1900
Colonel Kelham called on me at the above named hospital this morning and asked me to write my experiences during the time I was in captivity with the Boers. As I did not keep a diary I do not think I can enumerate every incident that took place, but I will try and relate as best I can everything that I remember.
We set out on the 2nd of June from Roodeval Station with a convoy for the Highland Brigade. We had 56 wagons altogether, 50 of which contained provisions, forage and mails, the remaining 6 containing small arm and big gun ammunition. The escort comprised details of the Highland Brigade – Argyll, Seaforth, Black Watch, and Highland Light Infantry. The Highland Light Infantry formed the rear guard, a duty they were fulfilling when we were captured.
When we left Roodeval it would be, to the best of my opinion, about half past five in the afternoon, and we marched on till ten o’clock and started off again, taking what we had to eat as we marched along. We continued to march on till ten o’clock same morning, when we halted for the purpose of giving the oxen and mules water and allowing them to graze. We “inspanned” again at two in the afternoon and started off. The leading part of the convoy would halt for the night about eight o’clock, but owing to breakdowns and crossing a bad drift, I should think it would be about two or three in the morning before the whole of the convoy got in. I was told then that we were eight miles to the west of Heilbron, and that the Boers were to our front, and had taken up position between us and the Highland Brigade. We did not lie down that night, having to do guard over the convoy.
When daylight broke a dispatch bearer from the Boer camp rode in under the white flag with a message to the officer in charge of the convoy. The message read to the effect that we were surrounded by the enemy 1,200 strong, with 5 guns, under Commandant De Wet, and that as he (De Wet) knew the number of wagons we had and the strength of the escort, he asked us to surrender without shedding any blood. Now whether De Wet was taking a humanitarian view of the case, or whether it was a matter of fact on his part, I cannot say, but I know that Lord Methuen was not very far away at the time, and I am inclined to think he did not want to apprise any of our troops by firing on us. The officer in charge of the convoy ordered the white flag to be hoisted, and the Boers rushed at and gathered round us like ants round an ant-heap, the whole of their faces beaming with delight at our capture.
After handing over our arms (which occupied about an hour), we were ordered to get on to the wagons and proceed to the main laager. When we got in there we got something to eat in the shape of “bully” beef and biscuits from our own (now De Wet’s) convoy. We had just been served out with our rations when De Wet rode up to us. I took a proper look at him. Mounted as he was, I should think he was about 5ft 7in in height, stout of build, and wearing a very resolute appearance. I am inclined to think he is a disciplinarian, because he warned his Burghers, under severe punishment, not to take anything of a private character from us. On another occasion, when the Burghers were getting a bit too close to the wagons, he shouted a couple of words to them in Dutch, and they scampered away as if their tails had been cut off.
I do not think it was De Wet’s fault the mail getting destroyed, because he promised to give them to us next morning. However, we did not get them. Some of the Burghers broke into them during the night, and next day we were handed over to another Commandant, whose name I do not know. We were on the march four days, being handed over from one small commando to another, until Commandant Potgeiter took us over. We were along with him a good number of days, during which he proved himself the most amiable of persons. He treated us with the greatest kindness, and allowed us to ride on the wagons, or walk, as we liked. He also allowed us to go to farms and buy what we could. Of course we were never allowed to go to a farm that was far out of the way. At Vrede we were joined by the Irish Imperial and Duke of Cambridge’s Own Yeomanry Regiments, who had been captured at Lindley four days previous to us.
Ten miles on the other side of Vrede Commandant Potgeiter handed us over to a small commando, who took us to Klip River, and handed us over to the Transvaalers. The treatment we received from the Free Staters was very good, but the treatment we got from the Transvaalers was of a very different kind. We were now beginning to realize that we were prisoners.
From Klip River we were taken to Standerton, the first town in the Transvaal, and a very nice place, situated on the Vaal River. We arrived there in the afternoon and stayed all night, proceeding the following day on our march to Machadodorp. We were taken prisoners on the 4th of June, and arrived at Machadodorp on the 27th of June. On our arrival at Machadodorp we entrained for Nooitgaacht, which was to be our destination, and arrived there at eight o’clock same night. We detrained immediately, and marched in an easterly direction for about 200 yards, when we were conducted into a barbed wire enclosure. This was to be our prison, and here we made the acquaintance of the Irish Fusiliers and Gloucesters who had been taken prisoners at the beginning of the war.
We did not get anything to eat that night, but the following day we were served out with 2 pannikins of mealie meal, 1 ½ pannikins of flour, 1 pannikin if peas, 1 pannikin of sugar, and about 2 oz of coffee. When we got this we were told to be very economic as it was our week’s rations. I afterwards learned that we were to be supplied with 4 ounces of fresh meat weekly. This order, however, was never strictly adhered to, it sometimes being a fortnight or perhaps more before we got any. Our daily routine of diet consisted of mealie meal porridge followed by a drink of coffee for breakfast, rice (sometimes peas) for dinner, and “jappalys” (small scones which we baked ourselves) and coffee for our “tea”, the whole not making an over sumptuous bill of fare.
I forgot to mention that De Wet allowed us to keep two regimental blankets, and each detachment got a limited supply of blankets, Tam-o’-Shanters, socks, etc, from the Red Cross Society. As I have said, the supply was limited, so we had to draw for them. I was among the more fortunate, drawing a blanket and a pair of socks, consequently I was not badly off for bedding.
We used to mess two or three men together so that we might make the rations last longer, and at night we used to sleep in dugouts made in the ground and covered over with blankets. Generally two or three slept together, according to the size of the dugout. A stream of water ran through the enclosure (our prison), and the Boers allowed us a supply of soap, so that we managed to keep ourselves tolerably clean. We got five shillings a man from some fund, the name of which I do not know, but the Duke of Cambridge’s Own Yeomanry declined to accept of it, and magnanimously handed it over to their fellow prisoners, telling them to get up sports and make prize money with it.
We had our sports, and they lasted a week, the Highland Brigade details managing to get into the final of the tug-of-war. They were pulled over however by the Gloucesters, after a most exciting struggle. Sergeant Milne Brown of the D.C.O. acted throughout as Master of Ceremonies, performing the said duty in a very capable manner.
We used to have concerts at night, at which were sung such ditties as “We’ll hang Paul Kruger on a sour apple tree”, and “Who killed Oom Paul?” always concluding with “God Save the Queen”. Our concerts always had the patronage of some of the Boer Commandants. A Colour Sergeant of the irish Fusiliers got hold of a set of bagpipes at Waterval, and he brought them up to our prison and handed them over to Piper Harley of the Seaforths, who used to play us occasionally round the enclosure at night. The Irish Fusiliers used to get into some heated discussions with the Boers, the gallant Irishmen always winding up the argument with “Be jabbers, Buller will be here tomorrow, and he’ll make yez dance with the hawks”, or “There’s little Baden Powell, and by me sowl he’ll make yez howl”, and other such remarks as would convulse us with laughter.
No doubt you will wonder how we managed to live on the meager ration allowance. Well, some of us had money when we were captured, others less fortunate had none. Those who had money could purchase a loaf for the very considerable sum of two shillings and sixpence, and those who had no money had to do as best they could with their rations. I had a few shillings (Kruger coins), which I spent in a couple of days, consequently I was often compelled to think of the inner man. This state of affairs continued until about three or four weeks before we were released, when matters began getting worse. The Boer supplies were being exhausted, consequently we had to suffer. Sometimes when we should have got flour we did not get any. Other times when we were entitled to rice or sugar they had none to give us, and we were despairing lest we should die of starvation, when, on the 24th of August, we heard big guns firing, and our drooping spirits began to rise once more.
On the 27th August the Burghers began coming into camp from Machadodorp, Waterval Boven, and Waterval Under. We suspected then that our troops were bringing pressure to bear on them. On the 29th they took away the officers from us, and on the 30th they came to take away the D.C.O., but they only managed to get about 30 of them, as the rest of them mixed themselves up with us, and they could not tell which was Yeomanry and who Regulars. About an hour after they had taken what they could get of the Yeomanry they cam back to us and told us we were going to be released and sent to the British lines, but we would not believe them, as they had told us so many lies before. It was not long, however, when we were visited by a number of Commandants, coming one after the other, chief among whom were Botha, Viljoen, and Schroeder. After being visited by such distinguished military lights we were told to pack up at once and fall in outside the enclosure. We had a suspicion then that after all we might be going to be released, so we packed up as hastily as we could and fell in. Commandant Voljoen then rode up and addressed us. He said we were going to our own camp, and he hoped we would behave ourselves on the way, and not loot anything. He also hoped the time was not distant when we would be shaking hands as brothers, and not be running about, as we were at present, seeking each other’s life.
We then marched off for Waterval Under, being guided part of the way by two Boers. The route taken was along the railway and over a hill, the distance being about nine or ten miles altogether. When at the foot of the hill and about three miles from the nearest British camp, we were met by a Surgeon Major of the R.A.M.C., and he told us that general French’s camp was just over the hill, and to make for his ground at once. It was well on in the night before some got in, and others did not get in till next morning.
When we got into camp our brother Tommys had a good laugh at our appearance. Some of us were dressed like ragged civilians, others half civilian half soldier, and such like. However, we were well treated, getting biscuits, cheese, jam, and a ration of rum. The day following our arrival we were marched to Waterval Boven, and remained there two days, when we entrained for Pretoria. On our arrival at Pretoria we were fitted out with everything new in order that we might join our respective Regiments.
No. 3426, Pte. Walter Richmond
“H” Company, 1st Highland Light Infantry
London Gazette 10/09/1901 (Lord Roberts) Mentioned in Despatches