Spink's sale of 27 November is available: www.spink.com/auction/25003?page=1

Not very many QSAs but a Boer War DSO, 2 DCMs, 2 x Defence of Mafeking TG QSAs, couple of Elandslaagte QSAs including one to the 5th Lancers (write-up not yet read!), and a Great War DSO and single clasp Talana to Lt Hope, 18th Hussars during the Boer War.

The DCM group to Med Sgt A C Wearner, UMR, is here.

The DCM is named to the the 'Natal Vols:'

Morton and Eden suggest 'A search of recent auction results from the major numismatic auction houses suggests that this is the first D.C.M. named to the Natal Volunteers to appear at auction for a long time.'

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

DCM Ed VII (Serjt:- Maj: A. C. Wearner. Natal Vols:);
QSA (5) Talana, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Tranvaal, Laing’s Nek (284 Med:-Serjt: A. C. Wearner. Umvoti M.R.);
KSA (2) (284 Med:-Serjt: A. C. Wearner. Umvoti M.R.);
Natal, 1906 (1) 1906 (Lt. & Q.M. A. C. Wearner Umvoti Mtd. Rifles.), engraved in a running script;
British War and Bi-Lingual Victory Medals (Capt. A. C. Wearner.);
Jubilee Medal, 1935, unnamed as issued;

DCM London Gazette: 31 October 1902
MID London Gazette: 23 June 1902

Arthur Charles Wearner (1865-1948) was born in Shoreham, Norfolk, on 17 December 1865 and emigrated to South Africa in 1882, settling in Natal. A man of varied interests, he is recorded as having had a keen interest in geology, landscape painting and reading. He was involved in several prospecting ventures, including a Mica mine with Sir Arthur Hime in the Transvaal, and also discovered asbestos in the Piet Retief area, but the ventures were not commercially viable.

After some initial service with the Dundee Town Guard and Colonial Scouts between 5 December 1899 and 26 March 1900 he served as Medical Sergeant-Major with the Umvoti Mounted Rifles and Volunteer Composite Regiment between 1 October 1900 and 31 July 1902. For this service he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in the London Gazette of 31 October 1902, having previously received a MID in June that year.

M&E say research offered with the lot states that ‘he was a popular figure amongst the ranks of the Umvoti Mounted Rifles, and several years later he was presented with a silver plaque by the N.C.O.s and men of ‘B’ Squad as a gesture of appreciation for his service’.

During the Natal Rebellion of 1906 he continued to serve with the Umvoti Mounted Rifles as Lieutenant and Quartermaster, and was then made ‘supernumery’ on 18 January 1910.

In 1913 Wearner and his wife took over Warrington House, overlooking the Market Square in Pietermaritzburg, and converted it into a successful and well-respected hotel.

During the Great War – despite his age at 54 years old – he saw early service as Temporary Captain & Quartermaster with the Rand Rifles on 10 November 1914, and served in German South West Africa until his discharge on 16 August 1915. He returned to service with the 1st South African Infantry (The Cape Regiment) as Lieutenant and .QM on 28 August 1915, and saw action at Delville Wood, after which he was evacuated due to sickness on 1 June 1916. After a short period on attachment with the 1st Reserve Battalion in England, he was returned to South Africa as ‘medically unfit’ on 9 January 1917.

In his later, civilian life, he was Vice Chairman of the British Empire Services League in 1933 (for which he received the Jubilee Medal 1935), and was involved with the MOTHs and the Allan Wilson Shellhole Societies. He continued to run the Warrington House Hotel until 1947, after which he died on 13 January, 1948.

Four Talana QSAs went under the hammer yesterday:

Cpl O'Toole, RDF, sold for a hammer price of GBP 340. Totals (VAT UK only): GBP 438. R9,800. Au$860. Can$790. US$560

A G Marsh, Dundee TG, sold for a hammer price of GBP 300. Totals (VAT UK only): GBP 386. R8,700. Au$760. Can$700. US$500

Pte R Watts, RDF, sold for a hammer price of GBP 280. Totals (VAT UK only): GBP 361. R8,100. Au$710. Can$650. US$470

Cpl G Hoey, RDF, sold for a hammer price of GBP 240. Totals (VAT UK only): GBP 309. R6,900. Au$610. Can$560. US$400

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this has been discussed before.

From what I can gather regarding the Battle of Talana, there appear to have been two distinct groups of prisoners of war: those who were wounded and subsequently left behind when Talana was abandoned, and a separate group of mounted infantry who were captured after becoming stranded alongside the 18th Hussars.

In The Second Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers in the South African War by Majors C. F. Romer and A. E. Mainwaring, Appendix 4 lists those who were wounded, while Appendix 5 details those recorded as Missing—the latter list is reproduced below.

This list comprises 94 men, which aligns with the typical strength of a Mounted Infantry company.

Would it be reasonable to conclude that these individuals were the ones captured with the 18th Hussars?

I’ve highlighted Bracken’s name in the list below.

BATTLE OF TALANA.

REPORTED MISSING SINCE OCTOBER 21ST, 1899.

Reg. No. Rank and Name.
2615 Clr.-Sgt. Gage
2078 Sgt. Martin
4388 " Guilfoyle
3761 " Carroll
5328 L.-Sgt. Payne
5178 " Crean
5094 Cpl. Corrigan
5544 " Richards
6028 " Pearson
5004 " Kiernan
5601 L.-Cpl. Lee
5143 " Flynn
5304 " Whelan
4812 " Lyons
4868 " Green
5033 " Byrne
4947 " Harper
4638 Pte. Mahon
4966 " Murphy
4359 " Hall
4655 " Cullen
5175 " Reddy
5143 " Flynn
5759 " Dowling
5070 " Angleton
5402 " Rourke
5209 " Dunne
5793 " Murphy
4513 " Connor
5055 " Reidy
5609 " Connor
5162 " Macken
5929 " Carroll
5956 " Rourke
4498 " Watts
4884 " Kenny
5876 " Molloy
5647 " Harrison
6087 " Tyrrell
4788 " Toomey
4366 " Doyle
5931 " Bracken
3752 " Travers
5733 " Kavanagh
6055 " Gough
5266 " Bigley
5479 " Brien
5489 " Geoghegan
6019 " Curran
5918 " Callaghan
4411 " Cooney
5706 " McEvoy
5600 " Gleeson
5000 " Nulty
4974 " Costello
5889 " Keogh
5501 " Mannix
5127 " Battersby
5352 " White
4864 " Byrne
5390 " Doyle
5126 " Farrell
5714 " Finnigan
5055 " Reidy
5345 " Dunne
5789 " Flood
4964 " Gibney
5987 " Mahoney
5030 " Callaghan
5126 " Delaney
4692 " McGuinness
6018 " McDonagh
5693 " Keating
4532 " Kirwan
6866 " Molloy
5427 " Carr
4142 " Lyons
6120 " Cullen
4927 " Kane
5545 " Reilly
5702 " Byrne
5724 " Dempsey
5218 " Reilly
5880 " Carroll
5144 " Williams
5027 " Doody
4473 " Hand
4566 " Glynn
5184 " Dowler
5551 " Finn
5912 " Kavanagh
5182 " Cavanagh
5350 " Farrell
4692 " McGann

Thanks.

The DCM group to Sgt A B Allison, Natal Guides, is here.

The DCM group to Sgt A B Allison is here.

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

DCM Ed VII (A. B. Allison. Natal Guides);
QSA (5) Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (Serjt: A. B. Allison. Natal Guides);
KSA (2) (Lieut. A. B. Allison. F.I.D.);
1914-15 Star (Capt. A. B. Allison. S.A.S.C.T);
British War and Bi-Lingual Victory Medals (Capt. A.B. Allison.)

DCM London Gazette: 27 September, 1901 – ‘in recognition of … services during operations in South Africa.'
MID London Gazette: 8 February, 1901 (White’s Despatch); 10 September 1901 (Field Marshal Roberts’ Despatch)

Albert Bidden Allison (1864-1944) was born on 2 February 1864 at Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, the son of Albert Bidden Allison (1823-1903) and his wife Cornelia Allison (née Stuart). His father was an important local figure in the colony of Natal - having served variously as Lieutenant in the Natal Carbineers, Captain of the Natal Mounted Police, as Justice of the Peace and a magistrate in the Upper Tugela - and no fewer than five of his sons (James, Theodore, Albert, Arnold and Martinus) served during the Second Anglo-Boer War, all with the Natal Guides & Field Intelligence Departments.

Upon the outbreak of hostilities, the family left their farms and sought refuge in Ladysmith, while Albert and his brothers played a more direct part in the war. Raised with this strict military and ‘pioneer’ background within the colony, and having witnessed some of the violence and upheavals of the recent decades first-hand, Albert Bidden Allison served as a Sub-Leader in the Dundee Town Guard and was also a natural choice to serve in the Natal Guides. Serving as a Guide, and with the honorary rank of Sergeant, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war during the disastrous defeat and surrender at Nicholson’s Nek (part of the Battle of Ladysmith) on 30 October 1899, and sent to Pretoria. He appears to have been released from captivity upon the capture of Pretoria on 6 June 1900, and returning once again to active service, he was wounded in action on 9 August 1900 during the attack upon the Boer position at Klip Drift (or ‘Klip River’), where General Gough’s force of 500 mounted infantry and six guns attacked an enemy force to great effect.

Early the following year, his youngest brother Martinus (known as ‘Tutsie’) was killed in action on 16 January, 1901, when ‘having ridden out with Major Colville to round up Boers near Vlakfontein… he was shot near Standerton by a stray bullet.’ His brothers Theo, James and Arnold are recorded as having been present at his funeral the following day, with full military honours, although Albert is not mentioned by name. Soon after, all of the ‘brothers Allison’ received the specific thanks and praise of General Buller in his despatch of 8 February 1901, as follows: ‘Early in the war a corps of Guides was formed in Natal from colonists with local knowledge of the districts in which our forces were operating. These gentlemen rendered the greatest possible assistance. Foremost in every fight, always ready to undertake difficult or dangerous duties, they helped me equally in field operations, with Supply and Transport, and in dealing with the Dutch inhabitants. To the Hon. T K Murray, CMG, at first, and latterly to Mr F. Struben, who were in charge, my principal thanks are due, but I am equally indebted to many others, among whom I must mention… the brothers Allison…’

In addition to this, Albert received a further named ‘mention’ on 8 February 1901, and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 27 September – his late brother Martinus also receiving a posthumous DCM. in the same gazette. Unfortunately there is no specific citation for this award, but in the context of the previous mentions it would seem that it is for consistent good work and assistance as a guide. He was later commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Field Intelligence Department, alongside his eldest brother James Stuart Allison, and was recommended for the Distinguished Service Order in 1902, however M&E Say the latter distinction was not ultimately conferred upon him, for reasons unknown.

On the outbreak of the Great War, he re-enlisted for service at the rank of Captain in the South African Service Corps on 5 October 1914, and was placed in command of the Transport and Remount Department in Kimberley. He was soon after appointed Captain on the Intelligence Staff on 10 April 1915, and later undertook ‘Special Service’ between 10 April 1915 and 2 June 1915 to the Staff of the Office Commanding Eastern Force, after which he was discharged (now at the age of 51) on 7 June 1915 (with the note ‘Intelligence Staff’).

He later moved with his family to Nakuru, in the Rift Valley, where he died in September 1944 – his gravestone marked ‘In loving memory of Captain Albert Bidden Allison D.C.M. … an old pioneer, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.’

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

QSA (5) Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (4394 Pte T. Murray, Rl: Irish Fus:), suspension a touch loose;
[ KSA (2) ]

1st Battalion but also on roll for 2nd.

Invalided.

Spink December 1985. Dixon June 1986 £95

Charles Pope Walker was at Talana.

Here is an old and not very very focused image of the naming of his QSA.



And record of his service



Best wishes
David