WW1 BRIGADIER CB,CMG,DSO BOER WAR MEDAL CAPTAIN BROCK WOUNDED TABAKSBERG

Offered is a Queens South Africa Medal (1899 -1902) period engraved Capt H.J BROCK. R.H.A. Comes with copies of: Medal rolls, M.I.C., seniority list and newspaper articles.

Brigadier General Henry Jenkins Brock C.B, C.M.G., D.S.O brother of Admiral Sir Osmond de Beauvoir Brock G.C.B., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O. and son of Commander Osmond de Beauvoir Brock RN. He was born 17/4/1870 at Stoke Damerel, Devon. Educated at Halebury College and the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, he entered the Royal Artillery in 1889. In the Anglo-Boer War he commanded the Colonial Horse and later a Column. He was severely wounded in action at Tabaksburg on 29 January 1901. In WWI he was Mentioned in Despatches five times; D.S.O. London Gazette 1/1/1917, C.M.G. in 1918 and C.B in 1919. He retired in 1922 as a Brigadier General and died on 8 September 1933.

His medal entitlement includes The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion (CB) (Military); The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, Companion (CMG); Distinguished Service Order (GVR) (DSO); Queen's South Africa Medal 1899, - three clasps - Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal; King's South Africa Medal 1902, - two clasps - South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; 1914 Star; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19, with MID; France, Croix de Guerre 1914-1915 with Bronze Palm.

Wounded in action at Tabaksberg, 29 January 1901:

Colonel Crewe's column at that time consisted of the Kaffrarian Rifles, strength 301, with 374 horses and two machine guns; the Queenstown Volunteer Rifles, 78 men and 137 horses; 44th Battery RFA, two guns, one pom-pom.

De Wet was traveling at a great pace; but he was driving before him large flocks and herds, the food supplies for his intended campaign, and lingering to let these gain an offing, he allowed Knox to come up with his rear-guard on the Tabaksberg, forty miles north of Thabanchu, on January 29th. The position was immensely strong, and Knox, sending Pilcher against the front, and Crewe with only 600 rifles and three field guns around the Boer right flank, no less than ten miles distant to the eastward, found his divided forces, which would have been fully employed even if acting together, almost over-matched. Pilcher, attacking doggedly, made ground with difficulty all day against a delaying action, which was dangerous from the accuracy of the shrapnel burst by De Wet’s artillerymen.

By the evening, with a loss of fifteen killed and wounded, including two officers, he had sent the Boer rear-guard after its main body and occupied its ground. Crewe, isolated to the eastward, fared more hardly. His appearance on the flank endangered the enemy’s line of retreat, but he was too weak to push his advantage, and could barely withstand the resistance which his threatening position brought against him. Indeed, only the fine conduct of his troops, especially of the Kaffrarian Rifles, preserved him from destruction, for he was outnumbered by three to one, and it was vital to De Wet to disable him.

In a fierce attack made in the afternoon, the Boers got so nearly home that they actually surrounded and captured in his lines a Vickers-Maxim gun that had jammed. Crewe was then practically surrounded; but seizing commanding ground in the midst of the enemy he concealed his transport below it, and entrenched himself successfully, beating off another attack delivered during the night. Altogether his casualties numbered thirty-five, making fifty in both columns. The enemy lost about the same number, but they had Crewe’ gun, and had kept their southward road open.

“Official History”, Vol IV p76-7.