Beschreibung:

A fine Boer War Diary and Medal to Private J. W. Whittle, South Nottinghamshire Hussars, who witnessed extensive fighting prior to his death in action in August 1900: ‘Friday June 1st. Marched off at 6 a.m. In action today fighting like hell. Wherever we went we were met with a regular hailstorm of bullets. My horse fell with me head long down a precipice and broke her back ... ’ Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (3388 Pte. J. W. Whittle, 12th Coy. 3rd Imp.Yeo.) refixed (bent) suspension, heavily polished and thus poor £400-600 Footnote Sold with the recipient’s original Boer War diary, a soldier’s pocket book, 112 pages, representing an extremely rare and detailed account of his unit’s activities in the Boer War up until his death in action. James Whittle was killed in action at Rietfontein on 9 August 1900. Age 34, he was a carter, time expired from the Derbyshire Regiment, and a Trooper in the South Nottinghamshire Hussars. He enlisted on 1 January 1900 in the first Imperial Yeomanry contingent raised for South Africa, created as a patriotic response to the disasters of “Black Week” in December 1899, and was a member of 12th Company (South Nottinghamshire Hussars), 3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. The diary begins with the embarkation on the S.S. Winefredian at Langdon Docks, Liverpool on 28 January 1900 and at nine o’clock the next day set sail for South African veldt, never to return to his home shores. The diary is an evocative and detailed record of soldiering in the early days of the Boer War. When the South Nottinghamshire Hussars Company arrived at Maitland Camp, Cape Town on 21 February, Mafeking and Ladysmith were still besieged and Lord Roberts was yet to conclude his campaign with the capture of Bloemfontein, Johannesburg and Pretoria. On the 5 March 1900, the 3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry received their marching orders and struck camp. They stopped over at Stellenbosch where ‘in the evening Cecil Rhodes and Rudyard Kipling visited our camp when I had the pleasure of shaking hands with both of them. It caused great excitement in camp.’ Having trained to Kimberley, the 3rd Battalion detrained on 26 March: ‘Proceeded to Carters Ridge farm 5 miles … there are entrenchments here two miles long … we have at present to hold ourselves in readyness to proceed at once to Mafeking a distance of 90 miles which we shall have to march’. On the 30th ‘Struck camp at 3 a.m. this morning to escort a convoy of 120 wagons and 2000 head of cattle up to Boshof in the Orange Free State. When we came to the border of the O. Free State we were halted by Capt. Roleston who told us we were the first coy. of Imp. Yeo. to enter an enemys country bag and baggage. We gave 3 cheers for the Queen and 3 for the South Notts Hussars.’ A few days after arriving at Boshof, the long awaited encounter with the Boers took place on Thursday 5 April, ‘Our scouts this morning discovered a large party of the enemy entrenched at Spits Kop about 10 miles away. The South Notts. Hussars, York Hussars, Sherwood Rangers, 2 guns of the artillery, one Maxim and 4 companies of the Northampton Regiment were ordered out to attack them which we did in fine form receiving our Baptism fire like men being the first of the Imp. Yeo. to go into action and I cannot say more than that they were as cool under fire as an ordinary parade, they are certainly a credit to the good old City of Nottingham. Very sorry to have to say that we lost one officer Lieut. Williams of the York Hussars and one Sergt. They were both shot under a flag of truce. But on the other side Lieut. Peacock shot the man that shot him. The enemy lost in all 24 killed over 60 prisoners and a lot of wounded.’ The hunt for the Boers did not abate: ‘10th. Went out today about 30 miles after a party of rebels. South Notts. Hussars and Yorkshire ditto but could not locate them. However we looted 25 fowls 6 turkeys and 5 geese, potatoes and cabbage for dinner to