Queens South Africa Medal clasp Cape Colony (1142 PTE. F.J. COOPER. CAPE TOWN HIGHRS.)
The reports of General Forestier Walker in October 1899 show that this corps, strength 458, was then under arms and forming part of the garrison of Cape Town. Throughout the campaign they did much useful service, but were employed chiefly in garrison duty and in guarding the Cape to Kimberley railway. It has to be borne in mind that at the commencement of the campaign neither the Cape Government nor the British generals encouraged the idea of employing the Cape Colony Volunteers at the front. The view taken was to keep them on the railways or about their own towns; some corps, indeed, do not seem to have been even embodied. The consequence of this discouraging policy was, as has been pointed out in ' The Times' History, that an immense number of the best men in the Colony Volunteer forces joined the South African Light Horse, Roberts' Horse, Kitchener's Horse, and other irregular regiments. For example, the Army List of December 1900 showed that 4 officers from the Cape Town Highlanders, 5 from the Duke of Edinburgh's Volunteers, and 1 from the Cape Garrison Artillery, were serving in Kitchener's Horse alone.
Throughout 1901 detachments of the Cape Town Highlanders were garrisoning Ookiep and other places in Namaqualand, and although the enemy made sundry attempts none of these places fell into his hands. In his telegram of 21st April 1902 Lord Kitchener said: "In west bulk of enemy's force is round Ookiep, which has been attacked unsuccessfully. Reinforcements have arrived now". The defenders of Ookiep were afterwards congratulated on what was a most creditable stand. They held out against repeated attacks from 3rd April to 4th May. Lord Kitchener said in his despatch of 1st June, "No details of the defence of the town have as yet been received, but General French is of opinion that Colonel Shelton and his men offered a gallant and determined resistance to the many unsuccessful attempts made to capture the position". The garrison consisted chiefly of the Namaqualand Town Guard, small detachments of the 5th Royal Warwickshire Militia Regiment, of the Cape Garrison Artillery, the Namaqualand Border Scouts, and a few Volunteers.
Medal is in good condition unless indicated otherwise. With medal roll.
