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The Boer War DCM group to L Cpl Redman is shown here: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...-war?start=354#81341

Picture courtesy of Warwick and Warwick

QSA (2) Cape Colony, OFS (4973 Pte A. Beadles 17th Lancers

Warwick and Warwick say 'With 2 copied rolls, also issued South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps'

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

Sudan (3276 Pte. A. Johnson. 21/L’crs.);
QSA (4) Cape Colony, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen (5134 Pte. A. Johnson. 17/Lcrs.);
KSA (2) (5134 Pte. A. Johnson. 17th Lancers);
Khedive’s Sudan (1) Khartoum (3941 Pte. T. Long 21st Lcrs)

Provenance: J B Hayward & Son, 1972; DMD Services, May 1992.

Confirmed on all rolls as a ‘charger’ in Roy Dutton’s Forgotten Heroes: The Charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman.

The group to Private Johnson sold for a hammer price yesterday of GBP 4,000. Totals: GBP 5,152. R 112,070. AUD 9,180. NZD 10,000. CAD 8,310. USD 6,170. EUR 5,630

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

SAGS (1) 1879 (2nd Lieut. C. J. Anstruther Thomson 17th D.C.O. Lancers);
QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (Major C. J. Anstruther. 17 Lcrs.).

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles James Anstruther-Thomson was born in Meerut, India, on 15 December 1859, the son of LieutenantColonel William Adam Anstruther-Thomson, 9th Bengal Cavalry (who had fought in the Scinde Campaign and had served as A.D.C. to Sir Charles Napier), and Isabella Elizabeth Anstruther-Thomson (née Steel). After passing out from the Royal Military College, he received a commission as Second Lieutenant with the 17th Lancers on 11 May 1878, and the following year saw service in South Africa during the Zulu War.

In a letter home to his mother (published online) titled ‘Umslatoore River’, believed to be dated 3 July 1879, he wrote: ‘Colonel Wood has gone on & will I suppose finish the war alone as Lord Chelmsford is feeling in the most beastly way. Wood is only 3 miles on but he is not likely to wait for us.... I suppose the death of the Prince Imperial has caused no end of excitement at home, much more than out here. I have seen 2 fights & in one Frith was shot dead. They advanced to the foot of the mountain & as no guns or infantry were sent they could not go any further & had to retire. I was a scout to Lord Chelmsford & saw it from a long way off... We attacked them & they ran away & very few were killed... Our spies say Ketchwayo can’t get an army together but we have not seen any regular army yet so I expect we shall have some fun soon... I see Colonel Crealock pretty often but have not spoken to him yet. They say it is entirely owing to him that all these disasters have occurred, in fact Isandhlwana would not have occurred if it had not been for him… Tuesday - I have just seen Ulundi from the top of the hill, it is a tremendous big kraal for it must be 30 miles from here. We saw a lot of Zulus this morning & I believe there were a lot more behind the hill. There is a large army collected so I suppose this war will be at an end for he only wants one more licking & then he will shut up altogether & his people will kill him... We have joined Wood and he is not so keen on going on alone now that he hears so many Zulus are about”.

His second letter was titled “Magnibonium (Entonjaneni)”, dated 18 July, stating: ‘This is a plan of the fight while it was going on and before we charged. The whole Zulu nation was there & all their swell generals & Ketchwayo was looking on with his bodyguard in a kraal. In all there were 25,000 men there but 8,000 never came into action, the number we killed was larger than they reported at first as they were scattered all over the place & lots were killed shooting at us afterwards. Poor Edgell was killed shot through the mouth in the charge & Jenkins was hit in the mouth or rather on the chin but is much better now... everyone seems to think our charge was a great affair so I suppose you have heard of it already... the charge was made at a canter, we burnt all his best kraals... the curious thing All lots are subject to a Buyer’s Premium of 20% on the hammer price plus VAT as appropriate. See our Conditions of Business for further details. was the Zulus had chosen exactly the same place for the fight & made their dispositions accordingly & if we had not attacked them they meant to have starved us out by surrounding the camp until we crossed the river and fought them in the open as they thought we had no chance against them... Everyone is very glad Lord Chelmsford beat them& Sir G.W. & the other column had nothing to do with it & they are awfully angry with Crealock for not having been up before... The idea was Lord Chelmsford’s own & he did it in opposition to Sir G.W. who said by a message ‘I strongly oppose your plan’ so he was well sold at any rate... there are places one can look for miles & never see a kraal or even a tree for one hardly ever sees the enemy unless there are 5 or 6 hundred about. Lord William Beresford has been out here... I believe he will get a V.C for saving the life of a Sergeant in a reconnaissance they made the day before the battle... Colonel Crealock made a sketch of our charge which they say was very good... The Colonel got a tremendous crack on the back from a spent bullet but he went on all day…’

After the Zulu War he spent several years in the East Indies, being promoted to Captain on 6 November 1886. He married Olivia Slade at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, on 28 July 1894.

He served for a time as Adjutant with the 17th Lancers c.1895-6, and was present in South Africa during the Boer War as A.D.C. to Major General T. A. Cooke, after which he was promoted to Major.

He retired to Bicknoller, Somerset, and later died at Edinburgh on 7 June 1948, at the age of 88.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

Sudan (3399 P’te J. Hewitt 21/L’crs) note initial ‘J’ but as per medal roll;
QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen (5130 Pte. A. Hewitt. 17/Lcrs.);
KSA (2) (5130 Pte. A. J. Hewitt. 17th Lancers.);
Khedive’s Sudan (1) Khartoum (3399 Pte. A. Hewitt 21st Lcrs.)

Confirmed on all rolls as a ‘charger’ in Roy Dutton’s Forgotten Heroes: The Charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman.

The following article with a portrait of Hewitt wearing his four medals was copied from an unknown source and is also reproduced in the above publication:

‘In the cavalry, transfers are of a more frequent occurrence than in the infantry, and we often find mounted men who have served in three or four different corps. It is thus that Mr. A. Hewitt has the Soudan medals, although the 17th Lancers were not in that campaign. He enlisted for the 21st Hussars in 1892, and went to India the following year. After some time they went to Egypt and were ordered to take part in Lord Kitchener’s advance against the Khalifa.

Mr. Hewitt has been good enough to describe the Omdurman charge from his personal point of view, and we cannot do better than quote his own story. “During the charge,” he said, “I sat firm and tight in my saddle, with lance in hand, getting a pierce in when and where I could, using the weapon to the best advantage. We were in a fine line, and worked up to a good speed before the shock; fit to take anything in front, so it would have taken something rather solid to stop us. My horse, No. 2, of ‘B’ Squadron, a grey Arab, which I rode that day, got a nasty sword-cut in the fetlock, but I managed to come through safely, though many of our poor fellows were not so fortunate.

“Upon drawing rein after the charge we saw the havoc we had made of the Dervishes. Capt. Kenna, who was afterwards awarded the V.C., asked for volunteers to pick out our dead and wounded from the battle-ground. Some of our poor chaps were cut about terribly, some with arms or legs off, others with heads split open. We laid out all the dead in a row. That is the time when a man feels for his comrades, more than I can express on paper.”

After the entry into Khartoum the Lancers were ordered down country. Mr. Hewitt, en route, contracted enteric fever, and after some time in hospital was invalided home. Shortly after he was transferred to the Army Reserve, on the expiration of his colour service.

Seven months later the South African war recalled the Reservists to the colours, and Mr. Hewitt joined the 17th Lancers for service in the Transvaal. He went out on the “Victorian” and on arrival at Bloemfontein took part in the general advance under Lord Roberts to Pretoria. He was present at the actions of Diamond Hill, Wittebergen and Johannesburg. as well as several smaller affairs. On one occasion a Boer bullet splintered his lance and bruised his arm, otherwise he was fortunate enough to come through without any ill results. Upon the declaration of peace Mr. Hewitt was discharged.’

Arthur James Hewitt was born in the Parish of St Peter’s, Ramsgate, Kent, and enlisted into the 21st Hussars at Canterbury on 6 January 1892, aged 18 years 4 month, a brickmaker by trade. He served overseas in India from September 1893 to October 1896, then moved to Egypt until May 1899, during which time he took part in the Soudan campaign of 1898, including the battle of Omdurman. Invalided to the U.K., he was discharged to the Army Reserve in June 1899. Recalled in December 1899, he served with the 17th Lancers in South Africa (No. 5130), he was discharged at Ballincollig on 31 March 1902.