South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 6 (of 8): From the Occupation of Pretoria to Mr. Kruger's Departure from South Africa, with a Summarised Account of the Guerilla War to March 1901Creswicke, Louis
History
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 6 (of 8): From the Occupation of Pretoria to Mr. Kruger's Departure from South Africa, with a Summarised Account of the Guerilla War to March 1901
Creswicke, Louis
South African War, 1899-1902; Transvaal (South Africa) -- History
=Corporal F. Kirby=, Royal Engineers.--On the morning of June 2, 1900, a
party sent to try to cut the Delagoa Bay Railway were retiring, hotly
pressed by very superior numbers. During one of the successive
retirements of the rearguard a man, whose horse had been shot, was seen
running after his comrades. He was a long way behind the rest of his
troop, and was under a brisk fire. From among the retiring troop,
Corporal Kirby turned and rode back to the man's assistance. Although by
the time he reached him they were under a heavy fire at close range,
Corporal Kirby managed to get the dismounted man up behind him, and to
take him clear off over the next rise held by our rearguard. This is the
third occasion on which Corporal Kirby has displayed gallantry in the
face of the enemy.
=Private C. Ward=, 2nd Battalion the King's Own (Yorkshire Light
Infantry).--On June 26, 1900, at Lindley, a picket of the Yorkshire Light
Infantry was surrounded on three sides by about 500 Boers at close
quarters. The two officers were wounded, and all but six of their men
were killed or wounded. Private Ward then volunteered to take a message
asking for reinforcements to the signalling station about 150 yards in
the rear of the post. His offer was at first refused, owing to the
practical certainty of his being shot; but, on his insisting, he was
allowed to go. He got across untouched through a storm of shots from each
flank, and, having delivered his message, he voluntarily returned from a
place of absolute safety and recrossed the fire-swept ground to assure
his commanding-officer that the message had been sent. On this occasion
he was severely wounded. But for this gallant action the post would
certainly have been captured.
=Sergeant Arthur Herbert Lindsey Richardson= of Lord Strathcona's
Corps.--On July 5, at Wolve Spruit, about fifteen miles north of
Standerton, a party of Lord Strathcona's Corps, only thirty-eight in
number, came into contact and was engaged at close quarters with a force
of eighty of the enemy. When the order to retire had been given, Sergeant
Richardson rode back under a very heavy cross-fire and picked up a
trooper whose horse had been shot, and who was wounded in two places, and
rode with him out of fire. At the time when this act of gallantry was
performed, Sergeant Richardson was within 300 yards of the enemy, and was
himself riding a wounded horse.
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