The Q.S.A. awarded to Trooper W. J. Parker, 91st Company Imperial Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), killed in the ‘V.C. action’ at Tafel Kop, 20 December 1901

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State (31444 Tpr. W. J. Parker, 91st Coy Imp. Yeo.) good very fine £300-350

31444 Trooper W. J. Parker, 91st Company, 12th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry (3rd Sharpshooters), was killed in action near Tafel Kop on 20 December 1901.

On 20 December 1901, the 91st Company Imperial Yeomanry were escorting Colonel Damant and his staff, with two guns and a maxim on a reconnaissance. At Tafel Kop, a large Boer force approached but were thought to be British Yeomanry. By the time the error had been recognised, the damage had been done. Conan Doyle in The War in South Africa wrote:

‘The fight that followed ranks with Bakenlaagte for the magnificent spirit shown in maintaining a hopeless defence against heavy odds. The guns were worked till the last gunners were shot down at their posts - “they lay” says an eye-witness, “in heaps around the guns’.” The Yeomanry, fighting no less gallantly, were nearly exterminated. Damant was hit in four places; the staff were all killed or wounded. ...’

An officer, Lieutenant Maturin, although wounded managed to gallop with the limbers, to save them from falling into Boer hands and to fetch help. After an hour’s fighting, the Boers managed to take possession of the position; they smashed the guns - being unable to remove them and then proceeded to pillage the dead and wounded. British casualties were 33 killed and 45 wounded out of a total of 90. For his great bravery in this action, Shoeing-Smith Alfred Ernest Ind, R.H.A., was awarded the Victoria Cross.

With copied research; Parker also entitled to the clasp, South Africa 1901.