TOPIC:

Tonkin Koppie


Picture courtesy of www.karoobattlefields.com/philippolis

Evening all


Although there are two Schwartz's on the nominal roll, one a Charles and this one to Julius, I am sure this is the Schwartz who is listed as wounded at Philippolis.

The Times report as well as the SAFF Casualty list both omit the initial, but a careful check of the medal roll to Nesbitt's Horse clears it up.
The roll to Nesbitt's Horse is made up of various troops, detachments and sections, with each roll being completed at various places. The name list from the Times has 7 of the 9 casualties on the roll signed in Colesburg 13 June 1902 so one can presume that these members from the "Colesburg" troop were those involved during the siege. Charles Schwartz appears on the roll signed in Somerset East 18 March 1902 and only qualified for a Cape Colony bar, no Orange Free State bar as expected for this action. The other two appear on other sections but it is reasonable to assume they transferred to these sections after the siege and were no longer part of the "Colesburg" section when that roll was compiled.

Trooper Oscar Porch was not killed during the siege but near Philippolis on the 23rd October 1900.

3 of the 9 medals are noted as being returned (Chalmers, Porch, Moore) and one being completely scored out (Slater)

If anyone has any further ideas to clarify the confusion I would be very appreciative.

Regards
Jon

Evening All

Further to my previous post on Nesbitt's Horse and their role during the siege at Philippolis I found a first hansd account that puts it into perspective.
Also, I was confused by the SAFF casualty roll and their date of November when clearly the siege took place from 18th - 24th October, thus Trooper O. Porsh was indeed killed during the siege.


Regards
Jon

Hi All, Attached please find a photo of a very youthful looking Trooper George Water Hill, Number ??? Who fibbed his age to join Nesbitts Horse in Grahams Town, (he lived in Salem at the time) He was one of the 34 Nesbitt Horse under Lieut Hannah, who galloped to Phillipolis to relieve the siege. He ended up on Tomkin's Kopje for a few days. While the shooting went on, one shot went very close to his head, as he turned to say to his mate next to him, "that was close", the bullet had hit his mate straight between the eyes. His mate was Oscar Porch, whose grave is a few hundred metres away in the Phillipolis grave yard. Grand dad recounted that he never looked over the rocks again.
While going over the Kopje a few year's ago, I picked up a spent cartridge, with head stamp "K" for Kynoch, British for sure. GDad had been guarding the bridge at Norval's Pont before.
Can anyone give more info about my GDad's enlistment details?

Photo.......

Walter

The details in the nominal roll on this website and another online resource for your grandfather show no details as to dates of service or indeed service number. The medal roll is similar with Tpr W.G. Hill earning the Cape Colony and Orange Free State clasps. The medal was returned 05/09.


Regards
Jon