War Medals

QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL, 4TH.BATTERY, ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY, DIED OF WOUNDS

Bars, 'Cape Colony', 'Orange Free State', 'Transvaal', officially impressed naming - 28542 Dr. H. STRASS, 4 : B, RFA. : (HENRY STRASS - Born at Fulham, London around 1877, a labourer by trade when he attested at Woolwich on 28 June 1898. Posted as a Driver to 4th.Battery, Royal Field Artillery from 13 September 1898. Deployed with the Battery for Service in South Africa from 15 November 1899. On 24 October 1901 the Battery formed part of a column under the command of Colonel Von Donop, on a march to Zeerust, when it was surprised by the Boers under De La Rey at Kleinfontein. The column was accompanied by a procession of some one hundred wagons and was marching along a bad road. Patrols of Yeomanry scouts were out on each flank, but these were powerless to prevent the Boer attack. At about 07.00hrs some Boers were observed on high ground ahead of the column, the guns of the advance guard were halted, unlimbered and opened fire. Without any warning whatsoever some five hundred Boers under Kemp Steenkemp Oosthuizen suddenly appeared and charged down in three ordered lines from the heights on the left of the column. They struck the centre of the mule convoy, shot down many of the native mule drivers which threw the column into confusion. Some Boers endeavoured to drive off the wagons whilst the main body fell upon the Rear Guard, consisting of two guns of 4th. Battery, Royal Field Artillery, a Company of 1st. Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers and a Company of the 5th. Yeomanry. These troops fought bravely but suffered severe punishment. Both gun detachments were cut, the Fusiliers lost half their number, killed or wounded and the Yeomanry a quarter of their number and half their horses. The guns were for a considerable time in the hands of the Boers but the teams having been shot down, they had no means of removing them. The column was cut in two and it was fully two hours before Von Donop was able to get back to the relief of the Rear Guard. The Boers succeeded in driving away twelve wagons loaded with supplies. The British losses in this action were 38 men killed or died of wounds, 46 wounded with a further 6 missing. The recipient was severely wounded in the action and DIED OF HIS WOUNDS two days later.) : Sold with verification, copy Service Papers, copy Casualty Roll, copy Record of Soldiers Effects and other related research. The recipient should also have been awarded the bar for 'South Africa 1901', but it has not been possible to trace this award listed in the Supplementary Medal Rolls dated 1904-1905. Medal suspended from a long length of original silk ribbon Toned EF - £495