Queens South Africa Medal clasps Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg (1125 TPR: R. THOMPSON. ROBERTS HORSE)
Reavill William Hughes Thompson was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1881. He attested for service with Robert's Horse in the Anglo Boer War and was Wounded in Action at Paardeberg on 16 February 1900 - in the action which led to the surrender of Boer General Cronje and 4000 men. He volunteered for service with the RAF in WWI and disembarked in London on 8 July 1918. Seeing no overseas service, he was repatriated to South Africa on 26 May 1919.
John Sterling in his "Colonials in the South Africa 1899-1902. Their Record" wrote the following iro Robert's Horse and the Paardeberg action:
"Appended to the despatch of 16th February, written after Lord Roberts had commenced his great movement for the relief of Kimberley and the advance on Bloemfontein, there is a list of the troops taking part in the movement, and among these is Roberts' Horse, set down at a strength of 550. Before this the corps had been doing some work on the western railway, and a detachment had taken part in an expedition to Prieska, but the regiment was attached to General French's Cavalry Division before it set out for Kimberley.
They joined General French at Ramdam before midnight on 11th February, and at 2 am on the 12th started off with the cavalry division to seize the fords on the Riet. On the 15th part of Roberts' Horse was in the Mounted Infantry Brigade under Colonel Hannay when Cronje was discovered to have left Magersfontein and to be trekking through the gap which, on 15th February, existed between the cavalry heading for Kimberley and the main army.
Mr Goldmann, in his 'With General French and the Cavalry', gives a fine description of the rush to Kimberley, the heading of Cronje, and the many engagements on the way to Bloemfontein. At page 77, speaking of the seizing of the drifts on the Riet, he tells how General French manoeuvred so as to deceive the enemy as to the point of crossing:
"Finding that his bait had taken, General French at once made for Dekiel's Drift with the first Brigade, the mounted infantry, and Roberts' Horse. The banks of the river were very steep and difficult, but by following the track a fordable place was discovered. Some Boers, seeing the cavalry make a dash for the ford, also had a race for it, and attempted to dispute the passage, but, out-manoeuvred by a boldly handled party of Roberts' Horse, came up too late to offer more than a show of resistance.
Captain Majendie of the Rifle Brigade, attached to Roberts' Horse, was the only man killed, and but two were hit". One man of Roberts' Horse was killed. On the 15th Lieutenant Gray was wounded near Kimberley. On the 16th some of the corps were in the fighting round Kimberley. On the 18th a portion of the corps were assisting Brigadier General Gordon to the north of Paardeberg. Gordon had left Kimberley that morning about twenty-four hours after Broadwood's Brigade, which, it may be remembered, headed Cronje on the 17th."
Thompson was the Caretaker of the Imperial Club in Germiston, Transvaal when he died on 9 May 1950 at the age of 68.
Medal is in good condition unless otherwise indicated. Sold with copied research.
