TOPIC:

How could he have been a defender holed up in Ladysmith AND be wounded at Colenso on that date?

Yes....very difficult to be in 2 places at the same time....

Just to add to the mystery. Interestingly on the 6th of January 1900 there were 6 other casualties recorded on the same date as 4053 Bates at Colenso.

Lieutenant R C Machlachlan
2nd Lieutenant C E Harrison
3187 Carter
6348 Underhill
4111 Williams
7579 Parker

All 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade and all awarded the Defence of Ladysmith clasp.

Thanks Dave,

My gut feeling is that he was wounded at the Battle of Caesar's Camp in Ladysmith (6 January 1900); not Colenso.

I suspect the casualty roll has the location incorrect which would make it a tad more valuable.

According to the medal roll he was invalid home and confirms the DoL clasp.

PS: I have no affiliation with the medal nor vendor & I'm not trying to talk it up...just trying to solve an anomaly.

Bates is shown in the Rifle Brigade Chronicle as wounded at Caesar's Camp during the Wagon Hill battle on 6/1/1900.

The Natal Field Force casualty roll wrongly lists him as wounded at Colenso. This is just one of countless errors in it. Men who were casualties in the Tugela Heights battles are frequently shown as killed/wounded in Ladysmith. Many are wrongly shown as casualties at Spearman's Camp on 20th and 21st January 1900 when the actions were at Venter's Spruit and Tabanyama respectively. Others are shown as Spion Kop casualties on the same dates. Similarly, casualties shown at Potgieter's Drift on 5th February 1900 were actually at Vaal Krantz or the diversionary attack at Brakfontein. Both Spearman's and Potgieter's were the British base camps and many casualties were wrongly logged as being in those locations despite there being no fighting there.

One very well known dealer recently had for sale a QSA to such a casualty shown as Spearman's Camp and, despite apparently realising Spearman's was the British base camp, presumptively claimed he was most likely shot by a sniper. He was actually wounded at Venter's Spruit.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (2) Defence of Ladysmith, Belfast (5688 Pte. F. E. Martin, Rifle Brigade);
[ KSA (2) ]

Frank Edward Martin. Born in 1880. Service papers extant.

QSA listed on WO100/210p174. KSA listed on WO100/348p152.

FMP only identifies the KSA: