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RSS Feeds105th Anniversary of the End of the South African War
Lieut. Richard Ernest Turner (Royal Canadian Dragoons)
On 7 November 1900 during the action at Komati River, South Africa, when the guns were in danger of being captured, Lieutenant Turner, although he had already been twice wounded, dismounted and deployed his men at close quarters and drove off the enemy, thus saving the guns.
Footnotes: KCB, KCMG, DSO, Legion d'Honneur and Croix de Guerre avec Palme (France) Later Sir Richard. Served in First World War. Later achieved rank of Lieutenant General.
Lieut. Hampden Zane Churchill Cockburn (Royal Canadian Dragoons)
On 7 November 1900 during the action at Komati River, South Africa, Lieutenant Cockburn with a handful of men, at a most critical moment, held off the enemy to enable the guns to get away. To do so he had to sacrifice himself and his party, all of whom were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. He himself was slightly wounded.
Footnotes: Later achieved rank of Major.
Sgt. Edward James Holland (Royal Canadian Dragoons)
On 7 November 1900 in South Africa, Sergeant Holland kept the Boers away from two 12-pounder guns with his Colt gun. When he saw that the enemy were too near for him to escape with the carriage, as the horse was blown, he calmly lifted the gun off and galloped away with it under his arm.
Footnotes: Later achieved rank of Major. The Canadian Department of National Defence named an Armoury after Major Holland in Ottawa, Ontario.
Sgt Arthur Herbert Richardson (Lord Strathcona's Horse)
On 5 July 1900 at Wolwespruit, Standerton, South Africa, a party of Lord Strathcona's Horse (38 in number) came into contact and was engaged at close quarters with a force of 80 of the enemy. When the order was given to retire Sergeant Richardson rode back under very heavy cross-fire, picked up a trooper whose horse had been shot and who was badly wounded and rode with him out of fire. This act of gallantry was performed within 300 yards of the enemy and Sergeant Richardson was himself riding a wounded horse.
Footnotes: First man to win the VC while serving with a Canadian unit under British Command. VC publicly displayed at the Museum of the Regiments (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Source: Buzzell, Nora. (1997). The Register of the Victoria Cross. This England, 3rd edition. [ISBN: 0 906324 27 0] Retrieved July 2003 from www.chapter-one.com/vc/ (no longer available)
