BRITISH QUEEN’S/KING’S SOUTH AFRICA BOER WAR SERVICE MEDALS WATSON 6th DRAGOONS

Description

Boer War Queen’s & King’s South Africa Medals to Sergeant C Watson, who served with the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoon during the Boer War.

Queen’s South Africa Medal with campaign bars TRANSVAAL, ORANGE FREE STATE & CAPE COLONY correct cavalry engraved to: 3338. Serjt. C. Watson, 6/Drgns.

King’s South Africa Medal with date bars SOUTH AFRICA 1901. SOUTH AFRICA 1902, impressed to: 3338 SERJT: C. WATSON. INNIS: DRGNS:

Medal rolls confirm award with all bars, with a document showing Watson stills serving with the unit in 1905 as Senior Quarter Master Sergeant. Rare to find Irish Cavalry unit medals for the Boer War.

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons during the Boer War 1899 – 1902

The regiment joined General French in the Colesberg district in December 1899, and took part in his operations there until he left for Modder River in the beginning of February 1900. Their work was several times mentioned in complimentary terms in General French’s despatches—such as where he, referring to the seizure of a position by the 10th Hussars and Inniskillings on 4th January 1900, said, “The 6th Dragoons, led by Captain E A Herbert, showed no less dash, pursuing the enemy mounted and inflicting some loss”.

One squadron under Major Allenby went to Modder River and took part in the expedition to Koodosberg Drift and also in the rush to Kimberley, being then in the 1st Cavalry Brigade (see 6th Dragoon Guards). The other two squadrons remained at Colesberg under General Clements, and with him joined the main army at Bloemfontein about the beginning of April 1900. For his good work on the way to Bloemfontein Major Allenby was mentioned in Lord Roberts’ despatch of 31st March.

In the northern and eastern advances the 6th Dragoons were in the 1st Cavalry Brigade, the work of which has been sketched under the 6th Dragoon Guards.

In Lord Roberts’ final despatches 7 officers and 8 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned.

In the first part of 1901 a part of the Inniskillings was brought to Cape Colony and saw some fighting and much hard work there. In May 1901 and ensuing months the regiment operated in the Eastern Transvaal in a column under Colonel Pulteney, and afterwards in the north of the Orange River Colony under Colonel Rimington and other commanders.

The regiment was unfortunate in that it was often split up, and as a whole was somewhat unlucky in getting opportunities for gaining distinction; but it did much good work, and produced two of the outstanding cavalry leaders of the war, Rimington and Allenby, whose feats will long be remembered with great pride in the regiment.

Two other officers gained mention in Lord Kitchener’s despatches written during the war, and in the supplementary despatch 4 officers and 5 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned.