Description

Offered is a Boer War pair of medals to Private Robert Atkins, Grenadier Guards, who was badly wounded on the 29/5/1900 during the failed attack at Senekal.

Queens South Africa Medal (1899), with 2 clasps CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, period engraved 3669 Pte. R.W. ATKINS. Gren. Gds; Kings South Africa Medal (1902), with 2 clasps SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902, impressed named 3669 PTE R.W. ATKINS. GRENADIER GUARDS. Court mounted for display and comes with copies service records, medal roll, silver war badge and newspaper articles.

Robert Walter Atkins was born in 1873, he enlisted into the 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards with the service number 3669, possibly around 1891. The Battalion landed in South Africa on 11/4/1900 as part of the 16th Brigade, 8th Division.

He was badly wounded on the 29/5/1900 during the failed attack at Senekal.

The ground over which the British troops had to advance was covered by a dense growth of tall grass. As soon as the Grenadiers had advanced to within 1,100 metres of the Boer position they came under fire from a field gun, and the Boers began to shoot from their protected positions. The Battalion was caught in enfilading fire and were an easy target for the enemy riflemen and were pinned down in the long grass.

A grass fire which had started earlier then came into play, the wind changed direction and began driving the fire towards the British. The men were obliged to run through the flames which rose 1.8 metres high. Many soldiers, not wounded, were badly singed, while the wounded, immobile on the ground, lay helpless and were burnt to death. The loss on the British side, according to the History of the War in South Africa, amounted to 185 men of whom 47 were killed or died of wounds (including one officer, 130 wounded and eight missing. The Boer loss was minimal – two men were killed or died of wounds and three were wounded.

Atkins survived the battle and by 1902 had been transferred to the Army Reserve, at some stage was given the new Service No 225696.

On 29/8/1914 he was living in Newport and enlisted into the 1st Battalion Monmouth Regiment (Territorial) and was given the new Service No 4242, he was quickly promoted to Corporal 21/9/1914, and served with the Reserve Battalion, no doubt instructing new recruits. He was posted on 8/12/1917 to the Labour Centre Western Command (with a new Service No 490669) serving with them until 27/3/1918 when he was medically discharged with the silver war badge. He was still drawing a pension until 12/3/1923.