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From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

Naroegas, 23 May 1901

“Yesterday at Naroegas 2½ hours north this Patrol of 60 Border Scouts were attacked at 9am by 94 Rebels. Engagement lasted until 3pm when enemy retired and ceased firing… Rebel losses 15 dead counted. 5 known to be wounded. Commandant Jan Nel severely (wounded and) left behind. One Jacobs rebel from Kakamas brought in. Others left behind. Jooste of Kakamas also prisoner. Many rebel horses killed. 1 saddle, 2 horses, arms and ammunition (explosive) brought in. Explosive ammunition freely used by rebels. Our losses one man wounded. By accident 7 horses killed. Officers and men of Border Scouts fought with great bravery.”

Telegram: Acting Resident Magistrate, Kenhardt, to Lex (Law Department) Cape Town, 24/05/1901.

“Shortly after he (Conroy) took command, he decided to attack Kenhardt. While he was making ready for this with about 170 men al Dwaalgees, 12 miles north-west of Kenhardt, he learnt that an English patrol was waiting for him at Naroegas on the Keimoes road. P. Gresse and Christiaan Emmenis went to investigate and observed about six saddled horses on the farm. Without further scouting of the terrain, Conroy sent 28 horsemen to catch the ‘kakies’. While they were riding unsuspiciously in the ‘sandloop’ (sandy riverbed) to the farm they were unexpectedly put under a murderous crossfire from the ridges by the Basters of Captain Ramsbottom and Lieutenant McCloud. Those who could sought shelter behind meagre rocks and bushes outside the ‘sandloop’, where they had to endure the accurate fire of the Border Scouts for the whole day in the scorching heat.

Only when it became dark could Henry Wickens risk taking a report to Conroy at Dwaalgees. Reinforcements were hastily sent to the scene of the disaster, but the coloureds had already left the ridges and were on their way to Kenhardt. Almost all the horses fell in the battle. A number of burghers (Emmenis and Willem Walton) were dead. Jacobus Bonthuys and Kootjie Knouwds were seriously wounded but escaped with the help of friends and could join the commando later. H L Jacobs who was wounded in the foot and A.C. Jooste who surrendered to the enemy were taken as prisoners to Kenhardt. The claim that wounded Boers were killed with stones after the battle cannot be substantiated.”
Translated extract from History of Kenhardt compiled by W A Burger in 1952.

QSA (1) CC (344 Tpr. R. van der Colff. Orpen’s Horse);
KSA (2) (539 Serjt. R. van der Colff. Border Scouts)

Robert van der Colff enlisted in Orpen’s Horse on 11 May 1900. On 31 January 1901 he transferred to the Border Scouts. His involvement in the Naroegas skirmish is confirmed in a lengthy Afrikaans account of the action by Jesse Strauss. He mentions, inter alia, “Robert van de Colff stood up on the flats of his feet while firing at the Boers”.

Van der Colff was subsequently mentioned in despatches by Kitchener (LG 29 July 1902, p4857): one can speculate that this was coupled to the fight with Conroy.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (1) Cape Colony (12 Corpl: W. Harrison. Orpen's Horse.)

192 TROOPER JOHN McEVOY

William John McEvoy, to give our trooper his full name, embarked upon his military career during the Anglo Boer War by attesting to Orpen's Light Horse at Upington on 13th February 1900. This corps was raised in order to deter any disaffected folk of Dutch descent from joining the Boer War effort by their presence, and to take on the invading commandos which would make incursions into the lower Orange River and the extreme west of the Cape Colony.
The majority of recruits signed on for six months, but many cheerfully served with the corps for a full twelve months.
The attestation document that John McEvoy signed gave his age as 32, religious denomination as Roman Catholic. He was an Irishman who entered nothing in the trade section of the form. His next of kin was his mother who resided in County Carlow, back in Ireland.
Though I can find nothing to substantiate this, I believe that he may have been one of the men to have 'cheerfully' served in Orpen's Horse for a full twelve months with the regimental number 192, as his next attestation came to Nesbitt's Horse on 1st March 1901 as Trooper 1304, so the dates would certainly fit.

As with many men who either thrived when within the thrill of active service, defence of new homeland or taking the attestation money by necessity, John then attested to Dennison's Scouts on 19th November 1901, serving until disbandment of the unit on 24th March 1902. Fortunately, his attestation document to Dennison's Scouts remains extant and tells us that 39625 Trooper John McEvoy was a policeman by profession, aged 35, 5'8" in height, 150lbs in weight, chest 37", of fresh complexion, blue eyed and light haired. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs. B. McEvoy of Bagnalstown, County Carlow, Ireland.
His discharge date is given as 24the March 1902 on the disbandment of the unit.

Once discharged from Dennison's Scouts, he attested to the Kimberley Light Horse on the 31st March 1902.
The form records his service number as 234 and 41932, and that he served with the Griqualand West Light Horse as a sergeant as part of KLH. Nothing much to add to his personal details other than that he was single and confirmation of his service with the police force, Orpen's Horse, Nesbitt's Horse and Dennison's Scouts.


Queen's South Africa medal awarded to 192 Trooper William John McEvoy.


Impressed naming to the rim.





William John McEvoy saw service with multiple units and certainly would have seen plenty of action chasing the Boer commando around that region of the theatre of war. He appears to have escaped any harm as I find no casualty record for him.

159 CORPORAL JAMES TURNER

James Turner attested to Orpen's Horse on the 27th January 1900 and was discharged on the 5th May 1900.
This relatively short period of service could possibly be attributed to his service in the rank of Trooper with no service number with Sir Charles Warren's Scouts.
Were Warren's Scouts raised in the latter part of the conventional operations of war once it was realised that reconnaissance and local knowledge were an essential part of the tactics to beat their wily foe?
Medal Roll WO100/278 for Warren's Scouts confirms that Turner was entitled to the clasp CAPE COLONY from his service with Orpen's, so I assume that his service with OH came first.


Queen's South Africa medal awarded to 159 Corporal James Turner of Orpen's Horse.


Impressed naming and regimental detail.





It would appear that James Turners' local knowledge was put to good use in Warren's Scouts.

Moranthorse
Regarding Warren's Scouts, the only reference I could find to them was a few words under the heading "Duke of Edinburgh's Own Vol Rifles" in Stirling's The Colonials in South Africa. There, "a small body called Warren's Scouts" was part of a force operating in Cape Colony, North of the Orange River in April 1900 to regain control over the district after the rebellion by "rebel dutch" and "some Boers". I suggest you to consult the relevant chapter in Stirling (available to read on David's site) to see the complex composition of Warren's force during that operation.
Regards
IL.

IL,
That brief description under D.E.O.V.R. for Warren's Scouts sheds more light on Turner's soldiering.
WS were indeed a tiny contingent consisting of just thirty men on the Nominal Roll.
Cheers Steve