TOPIC:

The following 18 presentations were made to employees of the Cape Government Railways for courageous conduct.


Date of incident: c. 1901
Location of incident: De Aar
Number presented: 1 (?)

Silver watch, to:

An unnamed Australian Engine Driver

For "courageous behaviour when his train was stuck up by Boers" (Muswellbrook Chronicle, 25/01/1902).

A railway engine driver at De Aar, South Africa, who was presented with a watch for courageous behaviour when his train was stuck up by Boers, informed General Settle that he came from Australia and intended returning there, but "meant to see this show through first".

Muswellbrook Chronicle, 25/01/1902

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Date of incident: 23/02/1901
Location of incident: Fish River Station
Number presented: 3

Silver watches, suitably inscribed, to:

Cape Government Railways (Traffic Department) –
Foreman P. [?] G. VAN WIJK

Cape Government Railways –
Ganger A. FERRIER
Sub-Ganger H.W. WILSON

Presentation of watch to Ganger Ferrier made on 21/03/1902.

Note on medal roll (for Foreman VAN WIJK): "Awarded silver watch for bravery upon the occasion of Fish River Station being attacked by enemy on 23.2.01".

Note on medal roll (for Ganger FERRIER): "Special services rendered upon the occasion of the attack by the Boers on Fish River Station on 23/12/01 [sic] for which he was publicly presented with a silver watch (with suitable inscription) on the 21st March /02".

WO 100/279, 17/06/1903
WO 100/279, 07/10/1904

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Date incident: 13/04/1901
Location of incident: Kendrew
Number presented: 2

Silver watches & chains, suitably inscribed, and a bonus of £10 each, to:

Cape Government Railways –
Engine Driver William McKENZIE

Cape Government Railways (Traffic Department) –
Guard E. VAN NIEKERK

Watch inscribed: "Presented by the Cape Government to Driver McKenzie for his courageous conduct at Kendrew, April 13th, 1901, whereby the 76 Up train and passengers were saved from falling into the hands of the enemy".

Citation for McKENZIE watch: "For gallant and courageous behaviour in successfully avoiding the enemy and getting your train away from the station [at Kendrew, on the Port Elizabeth - Graaff-Reinett line] in safety".

Presentation of McKENZIE watch made by Mr T.R. Price, General Manager, Cape Government Railways, on 11/06/1901.

Note on medal roll (for Driver McKENZIE): "Wounded at Kendrew on 13/4/01 when 76 Up was held up by Boers".

Citation on medal roll (for Guard VAN NIEKERK): "Awarded silver watch and bonus of £10 for courageous conduct in connection with attack on 76 Up train at Kendrew Station on 13/4/01".

Evening Telegraph, 31/07/1901
Evening Telegraph, 31/10/1901
Dundee Courier 01/11/1901
WO 100/279, 07/10/1904
WO 100/279, 25/01/1905

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Date of incident: 04/05/1901
Location of incident: ?
Number presented: 1

Silver watch, and bonus of £10, to:

Cape Government Railways (Traffic Department) –
Guard T.C. LEWIS

Note on medal roll: "Performed good service on the occasion of 21 Down train being fired on, and derailed by Boers on 4/5/01 and was awarded a watch and bonus of £10 for gallant conduct".

WO 100/279, 07/10/1904

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Date of incident: 21/07/1901
Location of incident: Ganna Siding
Number presented: 3

Silver watches, to:

Cape Government Railways –
Engine Driver JOHNSON
Fireman H.F. RABOLINI [Raboline]
Guard J.H.H. TROLLIP

For "splendid services given by the recipients in July last, when the enemy made an attack upon a train at Ganna Siding".

Watches inscribed: ''Presented to [J. H. H. Trollip] by the C.G.R., in recognition of bravery displayed on the occasion of an attack by the Boer forces on his train at Ganna Siding, 21st July, 1901."

Watches to Johnson and Rabolini presented by Sir Henry Settle at De Aar, on 05/12/1901
Watch to Trollip presented by Mrs Bedggood during New Year's Day sports, at Beaufort West.

Nottingham Evening Post, 09/12/1901
Perth Daily News, 07/021902
Maryborough Chronicle, 15/04/1902.

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Date of incident: 08/08/1901
Location of incident: Bethesda Road Station
Number presented: 3

Silver keyless watches, to:

Cape Government Railways (Traffic Department) –
Engine Driver George SCOTT
Engine Driver J. SHILLINGLAW
Guard William CHAPMAN

Inscribed: "Presented by the Cape Colonial Government to [Guard William Chapman] for courageous conduct in connection with attack on military special train by Boers, near Bethesda Road Station, 8th August, 1901".

Presented to Mr William Chapman of the Anchor Inn, Bishop Stortford.

Note on medal roll (for Drivers SCOTT & SHILLINGLAW): "Remarkable coolness & courage while working train fired on by Boers near Bethesda Road, 8.8.01. For this [they] received recognition at the hands of the Government".

Chelmsford Chronicle, 04/07/1902
WO 100/279, 25/01/1905

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Date of incident: 13/09/1901
Location of incident: Sterkstroom to Queentown
Number presented: 1

Silver watch, to:

Cape Government Railways –
Fireman J. MILLER

Inscribed: "Cape Government Railways / Presented to / Fireman J. Miller / IN RECOGNITION / of his volunteering & running through / with a light engine from Sterkstroom / to Queenstown on the 13th Sept 1901 / when that part of the country was / practically in the hands of the enemy / 'IT WAS A DARING & MOST VALUABLE SERVICE'".

This watch appears to be a presentation from the Cape Government Railways, whereas the others listed are from the Cape Government.

Miller example sold through Spink, 20/10/1999

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Date of incident: 01/02/1902
Location of incident: Marlow / Baroda
Number presented: 4

Silver keyless watches, to:

Cape Government Railways (Traffic Department) –
Station-master George Henry DAW
Engine Driver R. HAMPTON
Guard R. LEE
Fireman J. LEITH

Note on medal roll (for Station-master DAW): "Awarded silver watch for courageous conduct in connection with burning of train by Boers near Baroda on 1/2/02".

Note on medal roll (for Guard LEE): "Awarded silver watch for courageous conduct in connection with burning of train by Boers near Marlow on 1/2/02".

Note on medal roll (for Driver HAMPTON & Fireman LEITH): "Working train fired on, captured, and burnt by Boers at 188 1/2 miles, 1.2.02 and received recognition from Government for coolness and courage shewn on that occasion".

"They [the Boers] started the engine at full speed, hoping it would crash into and wreck the armoured train. The guard and the driver and myself were awarded silver watches". Between them, these three men managed to halt the engine just outside the station, thus preventing a collision (Western Times, 29/05/1936).

Western Times, 29/05/1936
WO 100/279, 07/10/1904
WO 100/279, 25/01/1905

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Hi Neville,
Pleased to report that I have the QSA to Ganger A. Ferrier won at City Coins #71 last November.
Sadly, I do not have the watch that was presented to him.
Many thanks for showing the other 16 men who were also presented with a pocket watch with inscription of their brave deeds.
A bonus of £10 would have been a small fortune way back then.
Cheers Steve

Hi Neville,

When doing some research on the Cape Government Railways, I have come across a couple of stories which relate to the heroic deeds of a few of the men that you have listed above. The first article is about Engine-driver W. Johnson and Fireman Rabolini and the second article relates to a Guard Trollip.


A recent mail from South Africa has brought a remarkable instances of the services of non-combatants. For proving a case there is nothing like the old fashioned plan of producing evidence. So we shall give the narrative in the words of the letter is which it is conveyed. On December 5 a parade was held at De Aar for the purpose of presenting watches to two men employed by the Cape Government Railways.  Sir Henry Settle, who gave the watches, said : — "I have ordered this parade to do honour to two brave men, Engine-driver W. Johnson and Fireman Rabolini, who behaved themselves in such a manly and courageous spirit when their train was held by the Boers at Ganna Siding at 2 a.m. on July 21, 1901. They are not soldiers, but on that morning they did work of which any soldier may justly be proud. The circumstances were as follows: — On that morning all went well until the arrival of the train at Ganna Siding. After passing through the siding the engine struck something and rolled very badly; Driver Johnson heard rifle fire, and thinking it was from the Boers, he put on extra steam to run through. After going 50 yards the vacuum gave out and stopped the train. Johnson jumped down and ran to warn the troops in the train, and also the guard, that the Boers were about. The Boers rushed at the driver and guard and made them prisoners, threatening to shoot them if they ran away from that point. Johnson crept along to his engine, but found the fire too heavy; he went into a sluit, crawled along on his stomach, suddenly jumped up and rushed to his engine. All this time he was under fire. When he reached his engine he was again made prisoner, Scheepers being present. The latter ordered him to uncouple his engine, go full steam ahead, and then jump off, leaving the engine to steam into Kron River by itself. This he refused to do, and Scheepers threatened to shoot him. He told Scheeners that such an act would mean killing innocent people should the engine come into contact with another train. He also told him that the engine could not be moved as it was full of water. This was entirely due to the presence of mind of Fireman Rabolini, who had turned on the injector with that object. Scheepers would not believe him, and he was taken on the veldt and two guards placed over him. He was there till 3.30 a.m., when he crept away, and seeing an armoured train coming along, he ran and warned them where the Boers were and told them to 'let the Boers have it.' He then got on the armoured train himself, and took a rifle, and did his best with the other soldiers."


During the progress of the New Year's Day sports at Beaufort West, says a correspondent of the ''Cape Argus" of January 15, Guard Trollip, of the Cape Government Railways, was presented with a silver watch and a purse of gold, as some recognition of the brave conduct and presence of mind he displayed during the attack on his train last July, at Ganna Siding. The presentation took place on the sports field, just in front of the enclosure. Practically all Beaufort West looked on at the ceremony. Mr. Bedggood, the traffic manager, introduced Guard Trollip to the Area Administrator (Captain A. G. Boyle) and those present, briefly stating the facts.

Captain Boyle said: I have the honor of making a few remarks on this occasion, and feel the honor on behalf of all railway men. I remember the morning in question. I was awakened early, and the news was brought to me that the Boers had opened fire on a train they had wrecked at Ganna Siding. The story is perhaps familiar to those present. How the driver and fireman stuck to their engine, and how nine out of the thirteen brave men in the guard truck of the train were killed or wounded, but Trollip looked ahead. He knew there were other trains behind. He saved his energy, and made an arduous journey alone and on foot across a most mountainous and difficult country, and stopped the train he knew was behind him. Another train went instead; its construction was different. You all know the sort of train I mean; it is called an armored train. Another train had to go — an ambulance train— and its early arrival was due to the foresight, pluck, and endurance of Trollip. It requires a brave man to coolly think of and do these things. Trollip did them, and I am pleased, that we have to honor a brave man, and in honoring him, to honor all the brave men in the service of the railway. I know something of them, for I have worked with them now for two years. You can understand something of the horror of the position of the men who run such a gauntlet on the foot-plate of an engine, but how about being boxed up in the guard's van, where you can't see what is coming at all, and are almost powerless to act; I believe that in saying that we all of us owe a great debt of gratitude to the railway men, from the traffic managers to the firemen, I am but echoing the sentiments of my brother officers and the public at large. Mrs. Bedggood is now going to he so kind as to make the presentation, but I should like to add that Guard Trollip has six brothers fighting in this war, and that his family has been settled in this country since 1820. (Loud and prolonged applause.)

Guard Trollip then stepped forward to where Mrs. Bedggood and other ladies were standing, and received from her hands the watch and £10, £5 of which, being, like the watch, the gift of the Railway Department, the other £5 having been subscribed by the officers of the garrison. In a very neat and modest speech, Trollip thanked Mrs. Bedggood, Captain Boyle, and those present, saying that what he did was but his bounden duty, and that he was glad to hear such high opinions had been earned by the men of the railway. He was glad this recognition had come, for his comrades' sake, as well as his own. They were all "sticking to their guns." Guard Trollip was warmly greeted by many of those present at the close of his little speech, delivered with some emotion and in excellent taste, and the proceedings terminated.

The watch was inscribed as follows: — '''Presented to J. H. H. Trollip by the C.G.R., in recognition of bravery displayed on the occasion of an attack by the Boer forces on his train at Ganna Siding, 21st July, 1901."

Thank you for the above.
I have updated the basic information for the Ganna Siding incident, with the addition of Guard Trollip + the inscription on his watch.
N

I happened upon this post whilst looking for more info on a recipient whose medal I acquired at Yate today - perhaps, you esteemed gentlemen might be able to shed some more light on the incident?

The medal is to G.H. Daw, C.G.R. According to the medal roll Daw was "Awarded a silver watch for courageous conduct in connection with burning of train by Boers near Baroda? on 1/2/1902"

Regards

Rory

Rory,

Your man was a Station Forman, see attached.



Regards