TOPIC:

G Lemon

Civilian, Foreign Military Attaches – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal (Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Relief of Ladysmith, Driefontein, Johannesburg) to Civilian G. LEMON.

To chronicle the exploits of the Mysterious Mr Lemon one has to walk in the footsteps of the Foreign Military Attaches that he served so diligently. Little is otherwise known of him on a personal level.

When the Boer war broke out on 11 October 1899 the Foreign Office granted permission for one officer from each “friendly” power to act as an observer in South Africa. Initially those countries represented were Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Russia and the United States.


The Foreign Military Attaches and Staff - Lemon is very likely one of the men in the photo

On 8th November six attaches embarked on the SS Bavarian at Liverpool. For security reasons they were instructed to wear British khaki uniforms bearing their national insignis and badges of rank. Each attaché was accompanied by a groom provided by the British Army, and a privately hired servant.

As anyone will tell you, an army marches on its stomach and Military Attaches are no different – they too need to be well-fed and nourished and it was in this capacity that Lemon served out his war – as a Cook in the Officers’ Mess to the Foreign Attaches. What is not known is whether or not he was one of the servants or factotums that came out with them or, whether he was employed locally.

Immediately on arrival in South Africa on 28 November, the attaches requested permission to join General Sir Revers Buller in Natal. Buller procrastinated with his decision until mid-December, finally allowing them only as far as Estcourt. Once in Natal they were joined by the Spanish, Japanese and Turkish representatives.


Map detailing where Lemon went to earn his clasps

The battle of Colenso, Buller’s first of many attempts to relieve Ladysmith, took place on 15th December and there is every possibility that the Attaches were with him when the disastrous attack took place.

The Newcastle Daily Chronicle of 29 December 1899 reported that,

“Firing has been resumed at Ladysmith today. Our naval guns again shelled the trenches at Colenso which the Boers are still strengthening. Sir Redvers Buller with the Foreign Attaches, visited the outposts. Bodies of cavalry, each with a battery of artillery, were sent out this morning and made slight detours east and west of the camp.

They came into touch with the Boer patrols and exchanged a few shots…”

The Western Morning News of 17 January 1900 reported that,

“Chieveley Camp, 23rd December - All the foreign attaches returned here from the front yesterday, they are proceeding to Cape Town tomorrow by the Harlech Castle, where they will join the headquarters staff,”

With the advent of Christmas Day, Lemon would have been sure to concoct a delightful repast for his attaches. One that would, in any event fortify them for the days ahead before they set sail.

On January 20th the group arrived in Cape Town where the new commander of the forces, Lord Roberts, allowed them to accompany his headquarters to the front. The Westminster Gazette of 13 February 1900 reporting under the heading “Foreign Attaches at the Front,” that,

“An Exchange telegram from Cape Town this morning says: “The Foreign Attaches have gone to join Lord Roberts at Modder River. Colonel Ivor Herbert, representing Lord Roberts, saw them off. The party was loudly cheered.”

Having joined Roberts’ they were with him through Cronje’s surrender at Paardeberg and onto the capture of Bloemfontein in March 1900, the battles of Diamond Hill and Johannesburg, and with him on 5 June when, together with his staff, they entered Pretoria at the head of British troops. The Halesworth Times of 3 July 1900 reported that,

“General Hunter’s vanguard reached Johannesburg on Saturday and proceeded next day to Heidelberg. The foreign Military attaches who were with Lord Roberts are returning to Cape Town, whence they will proceed homeward.”



With the war considered to be nearly at an end the attaches left South Africa and were thus deprived of first-hand insights into the guerilla phase of the war. With that Lemon’s services would no longer have been required and his presence was dispensed with. The clasps on the medal he received, exactly mirror where the attaches had been. Perhaps not uniquely but few could have boasted about being present in both the Natal and then Western theatres of the war, culminating in the fall of both capitals – Bloemfontein and Pretoria.

What became of G Lemon is a matter of conjecture.

Acknowledgements:
- Newspaper reports as above
- Ancestry for Medal Roll

An interesting medal Rory.
Nicely engraved for a civilian medal aswell.
Cheers Steve