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QSA 1899-1902 with Natal, Belfast and Orange Free State clasps named to: 3122. Serjt: H. H. Coxen. 18/Hrs.
KSA 1901-02, with South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 clasps named to: 3122 Serjt: H. Coxen. 18th Hussars
Army LS. & G.C., E.VII named to: 3122 S. Sjt. Mjr. H. H. Coxen. 18/Hussars.

MID in Lord Kitchener's dispatch, 8 March 1901, for his gallantry during outpost duties at Uitkyk, near Middleburg, 24 December 1900. Coxen supplied a report for the action, which was reproduced in full in the 18th Hussars in South Africa 1899-1902, by Major C. Burnett. The following is an extract of the events.

*At 7.30am on the 24th December, 1900, Lieut. Thackwell, with our patrol of thirty-two non-commissioned officers and men of 'B' Squadron, relieved 'A' Squadron, which under command of Lieut. Wood, since 2am had been holding a position near the colliery to the East of Uitkyk Station, distant about three and a half miles from Middleburg. Reaching the colliery, we dismounted and relieved the different posts, and our horses, led by the number threes, were placed under cover. We had not taken up position more than ten minutes when we saw Boers moving about amongst the trees surrounding Van Niekirk's Farm, then we saw a wagon, which, with the Boers, was making towards the railway line.

Lieut. Thackwell was occupying a position commanding the line, the ground affording little or no cover, with the exception of a few small ant heaps. Looking through my glasses I saw another party of the enemy threatening our left flank and rear, so sent Private Collier with a message to that effect to Lieut. Thackwell, meanwhile placing the five men (Privates Speigh, Slinger, Seppings, Kempster, and Jackson) and myself well extended to resist a flank attack. By this time the Mauser bullets were flying thick and fast, and we could hear Lieut. Thackwell's party hard at it as well... Then we heard three loud explosions, which we at first thought were from the guns at Oliphant's River, but soon discovered they were caused by the charges of dynamite placed under the rails, which resulted in blowing up the line. As soon as this was accomplished the Boers (who certainly numbered 130, some say 150) devoted their whole attention to us, and as they had to advance for some distance up a gentle slope they made a fair mark and we made it rather warm for them. We held on to our positions for quite an hour and three-quarters, then a shrill whistle sounded, ponies appeared as if by magic, the Boers were in the saddle in a twinkling and they rushed us, yelling like fiends as they came. Slinger, Seppings.

Kempster, and Jackson managed to reach their horses, but to tell the truth, I did not miss them until I heard them shouting to Speight and myself, for they were bringing our horses up; but I waved them back, for I saw that it would mean the whole of us being captured, as the Boers were too close upon us. Speight and I went on firing as quickly as we could, still hearing Lieut. Thackwell's party doing the same. When the Boers were within about one hundred yards of us we opened cut-offs and commenced magazine fire, the last shots ringing out when they were about ten or twelve yards away. The next second I was jerked on my feet by two burly Boers seizing my bandoleer, my carbine wrenched out of my hand, and I saw Speight had been served in the same manner. We were then marched down into a hollow towards Van Niekirk's farm by four of them and two armed Kaffir boys, the remainder pursuing the four men who had got away, but they fortunately did not succeed in wounding or capturing one of them. In about a quarter of an hour they returned, and then there was a big palaver, and very excited they seemed to get. Luckily Speight and I did not understand Dutch, or we certainly should not have been so unconcerned. Just then they were joined by a man in a white jacket, who evidently seemed to be someone in authority, although his appearance and dress would not have proclaimed it. They had a long talk with him, and we heard the name "Jansen" frequently mentioned, and angry faces were turned towards us as they pointed at us. Ultimately, we were told to go, the man in the white jacket coming a little distance with us, saying to us before leaving that we should consider ourselves lucky for his timely arrival, as the majority of the Boers were for shooting us, on account of firing until the last moment, instead of laying down our carbines and putting our hands Jp... I had rather a narrow shave myself, five bullets through my jacket, two through my pants. Not one of these touched my skin, although I was hit through the muscle of the leg below the calf, but not bad enough to go sick with, and it healed entirely in about a fortnight. In conclusion I heard from three different sources, one them being a Boer who was himself in the attack, and was captured some months afterwards, that the Boers had nine killed and nineteen wounded, five of the latter subsequently dying. "Jansen," I discovered, was one of Trichardt's leading men, and was among the killed.

Coxen advanced to squadron sergeant major, and transferred to the Yorkshire Hussars. He committed suicide when he was only 43 years old at the Bedern Yeomanry Drill Hall, York at 4pm on Thursday, 4 June 1908.

Harry Howard Coxen was born on 12 April 1865 and baptized on 14 May 1865 in Southwark at St. Mary Magdalen, Massinger Road. He was the sone of Frederick and Emily Coxen who lived at 15 Marlborough Rd. in Surrey. His father was a commercial traveler. He had a brother and a sister. He married Catherine Doyle (Kathleen) in the 4th Quarter of 1896 in Farnham, Surrey. The 1907 Electoral Register indicates that Coxen and his wife were living on Huntingdon Road. They had three children. He served in the 18th Hussars in South Africa and was one of the finest boxers in the regiment. When he left the regiment, he was attached to the Yeomanry and rose to the rank of SSM. As such, he was an instructor to the York Troop of the Yorkshire Hussars IY. According to Capt. Wickham, he got behind in his work and was very depressed as a result. Coxen said that he had not felt the same from the “wetting” he got on the Knavesmire in March and again in April. (referring to thunderstorms in which he was caught). He wrote, “I have tried my best to give satisfaction but utterly failed to please Captain Wickham.” He was found in the miniature rifle range of the drill hall by the caretaker’s little boy who wanted to clean the room. Coxen was found dead with his “face blown completely away”. Beside him was a skeleton rifle that was used for instructing the men in the mechanism of the weapon. There was a discharged cartridge in the chamber and that magazine was “shut off.” On a table nearby was an evening paper, and a letter lying beside a military cap, a pipe and two boxes of matches. There was a similar cartridge in the breast pocket of the deceased’s pocket. Mrs. Kathleen Coxen, his widow, identified the body, and Mr. J. R. Wood, the York City Coroner at the Law Courts in York passed a verdict of “Suicide whilst temporarily insane” was returned. His grave is unknown. The letter read:
June 4, 1908
Good-bye to all. I am sorry I have been a source of annoyance to everybody in the squadron. I wish I had never seen the Yeomanry. Everything is so utterly different to the cavalry. I know this is a cowardly act, as I have the best of wives and three dear little children, all of whom I love dearly.
Ask Sergeant-major Rook to write my brother at 21, Hart Street, Bloomsbury, London, whom he met at Harrogate Camp last year, and also to my sister, Mrs. Bell, at Uxbridge. I have never felt quite right in my head since the wetting I got on the Knavesmire in March and also in April.
Fondest love to Kitty and my dear children. My head is whirling.

Below is a photo of Coxen's medal group and Bedern Hall in York where he committed suicide.

What makes Harry Coxen's suicide even more tragic is that Catherine was pregnant at the time and Ernest Reginald H Coxen was born on 3 October 1908, 4 months after his father committed suicide. Catherine remarried in Q3 1917 to John Edward Sutton who at the time of the 1921 Census was employed as Deputy Superintendent Clerk in the "Government Infantry Record Office" in York. Catherine was still alive when the September 1939 Register was drawn up.

Thank you SO much for the additional info on family; such a tragedy. Over the years, I’ve run across quite a number of soldier or veteran suicides. It makes one wonder how frequently it happened. I presume there was little to no support from the services or the government. Each one was a tragedy.