An emotive Queen’s South Africa Medal awarded to Corporal E. Smeeton, a yeoman volunteer who was reported as having died of wounds in 1901 but survived - only to die from them five years later

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (25246 Cpl. E. Smeeton, 38th Coy. Imp. Yeo.), good very fine £300-400

Ernest Smeeton was a 30-year-old farmer with a wife and three young children when he volunteered to fight with the Imperial Yeomanry in the Boer War. Having passed the medical, riding and shooting tests he was enlisted into the Gloucestershire contingent of the 10th Battalion I. Y. at the Queen’s Hotel, Cheltenham on 5 February 1901.
 
Before his departure to the front, his friends held a special smoking concert for him at the George Hotel, as did his fellow members of the Working Men’s Club two days later, both being recorded in the local newspapers. On both occasions he was presented with a pipe, pouch and tobacco and wished a good voyage and safe return to his wife and children.
 
In May 1901 the 10th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry formed part of Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen’s column of 1000 Yeomanry, 150 Mounted Infantry, 600 infantry, ten guns and four pom-poms. Methuen was ordered by Kitchener to conduct a “drive” against his eventual nemesis, General Delarey and his marauding commandos. The result of the 30-day trek was a “bag” of only 70 prisoners, 26 surrendered burghers and 102 wagons with several thousand heads of sheep and cattle. Delarey slipped away again but not before an ambush had inflicted several casualties on the Gloucestershire yeomen at Korannafontein on 11 June.
 
The casualty lists reported that Corporal Smeeton had died of wounds during this engagement. However, six weeks later, the Gloucestershire Echo published extracts from a letter sent by Shoeing Smith W. Isaac of the 38th Company, 10th Battalion:
 
‘At the battle of Corunnafontein (sic) the writer was in the advanced screen. The Boers allowed them to get at close quarters, and then poured a volley into them. His horse was shot dead under him, and he pitched onto a rock, hurting his head. Two others were shot dead, and another was injured beside him. Then the Yeomen were reinforced, and drove the Boers off ... “Smeeton was with me when my horse was shot, his being shot also. He fell on the rock and sustained concussion of the brain. I have no doubt he will be ordered home.” This and similar remarks in another letter from the front encourage Smeeton’s friends to believe that the report of his death was a mistake.’
 
Corporal Smeeton was invalided home and subsequently discharged as being medically unfit for further service. His safe return was celebrated with a smoking concert at the Working Men’s Club. He also attended the dinner given for returned volunteers and reservists by the Mayor and Corporation of Cheltenham at the Winter Gardens in September 1902.  He received an Army pension. Tragically though, he never recovered from his wounds. He died suddenly on 24 July 1906, by this time the father of four children, as reported in the Gloucestershire Echo:
 
Cheltenham Ex-Yeoman’s Sudden Death
 
THE CORONER’S INQUIRY
 
‘The sudden death of Ernest Smeeton (36), Army pensioner, of 6, Granville-street, Cheltenham, formed the subject of an inquiry by the Divisional Coroner (Mr J. Waghorne) at the Cheltenham Police Station on Wednesday.

Mary Emily Smeeton, widow of deceased, told the Coroner that since the South African war her husband had been unable to follow any vocation, but prior to the war he had been a farmer. He went to South Africa in the Imperial Yeomanry in 1900. In consequence of an accident he met with through being thrown from his horse, which was shot under him, deceased had to undergo the operation of trepanning, after which he was invalided home. That was in 1901. Soon after his return he begun to be subject to epileptic fits, which continued at intervals up to the day of his death. He was never well, and always suffered from the effects of the accident. On the 24th inst. he was about as usual, and seemed in the best of health. He ate a very hearty dinner, and about 2.45 p.m. went upstairs to lie down in accordance with his usual custom. About 3.20 p.m. witness heard him scream, and at once proceeded to him. She found him lying on the bed in the throes of a fit. He was lying with his face downwards on the pillow. Witness removed the pillow and opened the window, and then sent for Mr. Witcombe, a neighbour, who came, but the deceased died almost immediately. Witness sent for medical aid, but death had taken place ere it arrived.

Thomas Henry Witcombe, parcel carman, in the employ of the G. W. R. Company, living at 32 Granville-street, and Dr. Richard Davis, of Pulteney House, Cheltenham, also gave evidence. The latter ascribed death to an epileptic fit. Deceased was suffering from chronic epilepsy, the result of an injury to the head. At times his fits were productive of extreme violence, and it took half a dozen men to restrain him. On one occasion he smashed everything in the room and ran out into the garden in a nude state.

The jury returned a verdict that deceased died from epilepsy, the result of an injury to the brain received whilst serving with the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa 1901.’
 
Ernest Smeeton is commemorated on the Cheltenham South African War memorial, which was unveiled in 1907.