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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill (Civ: Surg: F. J. Engelbach.) officially engraved naming, note incorrect second initial

Civil Surgeon Frederick George Engelbach, attached to the Volunteer Ambulance, was killed in action at Nooitgedacht on 13 December 1900, shot through the forehead whilst bravely tending to the wounded under a hail of the enemy’s bullets.

‘Dr F. G. Engelbach
Local Doctor

Frederick George Engelbach qualified as Doctor and Surgeon at St Bartholomew's in London in 1866, then came to Moretonhampstead. He lived at Cookshayes in Court Street, and practised first independently, then with Dr Collyns in Cross Street, then as senior partner with Dr J. S. F. Clark.

At that time he was also Medical Attendant to the Convalescent Home and to the Birch Tor and Vitifer mines. In 1898 he moved to London.

Captain of Volunteers

He entered very thoroughly into the life of the town and was instrumental in brightening the lives of the workers in many ways. In 1896 he raised the local company for the Volunteer Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment and was appointed Captain. Always throwing himself heart and soul into whatever he undertook, he spent his hard-earned holiday at Southsea, in order to pass the school of instruction and thoroughly fit himself for his position.

Army Surgeon

When the Boer War broke out he volunteered for service and was appointed Civil Surgeon by the War Office. He arrived in time to accompany General French in his famous ride to Kimberley. Always close to the front, he then accompanied the army in its march to Bloemfontein and then to Pretoria. He also went to Foundeberg at the time of the surrender of Prinsloo and was present at the battle of Diamond Hill. His last letters stated that he was at Riefontein and that a Boer attack was not improbable. The death of Surgeon Engelbach of the Yeomanry hospital was a typically brave one. Tending the wounded under heavy fire he was shot through the palm of the left hand and had just made a grim joke about now being handicapped in his work when, in standing up to dress his wound, he was killed by a bullet through the forehead. At Nooitgedacht he met the death he would have wished, killed while assisting his wounded under a hail of the enemy’s bullets.’

(From obituaries in The Lancet [1901, I, 211] and The British Medical Journal [1901, I, 311]).

Dr Engelbach has a memorial in St Andrew’s Church, where there is also an episcopal chair that he himself made.

The following inscriptions are in St Andrew's Church, Moretonhampstead, Devon:

‘To the glory of God and in memory of FREDERICK GEORGE ENGELBACH for 10 years Medical Practitioner in this town and first Commanding Officer of G. Co. (Moretonhampstead) 5th V.B.D.R. who was killed whilst succouring the wounded at the battle of Nooitgedacht, South Africa, Dec. 13th 1900.
Erected by the inhabitants and other friends, December 1901.’

‘This chair was carved and presented to the Parish Church of Moretonhampstead, Sth. Devon, by Dr. F. G. ENGELBACH who for 10 years practised in the district and worshipped in this church, finally laying down his life in South Africa whilst attending the wounded under fire on 13th December 1900.’

Sold with copied research including medal roll entry [F. G. Engelbach on roll but initials F. J. on Memorial to Men of Devon, Exeter Cathedral] which notes in the remarks column, ‘Original Unit 2nd Cavalry Brigade. Killed in action at Nooitgedacht Dec: 13th 1900.’ He was attached to the Volunteer Ambulance when killed and was mentioned in despatches by Field-Marshal Earl Roberts (London Gazette 10 September 1901) for his services.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (F. Penny, Surgeon) engraved naming, lacquered

Francis Penny, ‘formerly House Surgeon at the North Devon Infirmary, has received speedy promotion since he took the appointment of civil surgeon in the South African Field Force twelve months ago. In a letter to a friend at Barnstaple, Mr. Penny says: “I was coming home this month but have now been taken on as senior medical officer of Steinaeker’s Horse, so shall not be home for a year or so, as I hear it is to be a permanent corps, even after the War is over. I am to rig up in all the trappings and decorations of a captain in His Majesty’s Army, with the special tabs of the Medical Corps.” Captain Penny has latterly been stationed at Kaapsche Hoop (where, he says, he dug up enough gold to make a ring), but is now transferred to Komati Poort.’ (The North Devon Journal, 6 February 1902 refers).

State clasps listed in WO100/226p28. Service with No 20 General Hospital. Date clasps on WO100/226p104.

Picture courtesy of Spink

East and West Africa 1887 (1) 1897-98 (Asst. C. Surgeon D. J. M. Conacher, G.C. Constby:) officially impressed naming;
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Paardeberg, South Africa 1901 (D. J. Menzies-Conacher. Surgeon.) officially engraved naming

Duncan John Menzies-Conacher was born in Scotland in 1873 and qualified as a Surgeon at Edinburgh University. He served as Assistant Chief Surgeon with the Gold Coast Constabulary during operations in West Africa from 1897-98. He was Civil Surgeon attached to 3rd (Highland) Brigade Field Hospital in South Africa from 13 January 1900. He was taken prisoner when a convoy of 50 wagons, proceeding from Rhenoster to Heilbron, under Lieutenant Corballis, Reserve of Officers, with 160 men of the Highland Brigade, surrendered at Zwavel Krans, near Heilbron, on 4 June 1900.

‘On the 13th June Civil Surgeon Connacher (sic), who had been taken prisoner with the convoy, was returned to us by President Steyn, and told us its story. He said that the convoy, with an escort of 160 infantry, had left the railway near Roodevaal on the evening of the 2nd June, and had trekked (with one long halt) till eight on the following morning; then, after halting till one in the afternoon, had marched till five, when it had outspanned to the north of the Elands Spruit, near Zwaal Krantz (i.e., nine miles from the railway and fourteen from Heilbron on the Prospect-Heilbron road). There, seeing that there were Boers to the right and front, the commanding officer had sent runners to Heilbron and Vredefort for help, and had extended the men and dug rifle-pits.

They were not molested during the night, but at seven o'clock on the morning of the 4th the Boers sent in a message under a white flag calling on the officer commanding the party to surrender. As the enemy was 4,000 strong, with several guns, he agreed to do this, only stipulating that the mails which he was bringing for the division should be forwarded to Heilbron. This condition was not fulfilled, as the mails were all burnt. Surgeon Connacher said that before leaving Roodevaal the Commandant and the officer commanding the convoy had discussed my telegram to the effect that I considered that the proposed escort was inadequate.’ (The Work of the Ninth Division refers).

When the proceedings of the Court of Enquiry on Lieutenant Corballis were received at the War Office and had been reviewed, it was decided by the then Commander-in-Chief that, in view of his conduct in the matter, Lieutenant Corballis should receive neither the South African Medal nor the war gratuity.

Surgeon Menzies-Conacher, meanwhile, was left sick at Reitz on 7 July 1900, and returned to England later that year on termination of his engagement.

Married at Holy Trinity, Brompton in September 1913, by 1915 he was living with his wife at 19 Thurloe Place, London. Menzies-Conacher died on 8 June 1917 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery.

The pair to Surgeon Menzies-Conacher sold for a hammer price of GBP 1,100. Total GBP 1,364. R 31,520. AUD 2,550. NZD 2,740. CAD 2,250. USD 1,670. EUR 1,550