Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Boer War D.C.M. group of four awarded to Private T. Parish, King’s Royal Rifle Corps and 25th Battalion, Mounted Infantry, who, having served in the defence of Mafeking on attachment to the B.S.A.P and Protectorate Regiment, rescued a comrade under heavy fire at Kaffirstadt - an incident for which his Colour-Sergeant was recommended for the V.C. - and displayed gallant conduct in the costly rear-guard action at Baakenlaagte: wounded and badly treated by the Boers in the latter action, ‘the poor fellow now lies in Elandsfontein Hospital, minus a leg, and with a dangerous gunshot wound in the breast’

Distinguished Conduct Medal, E.VII.R. (6127 Pte. T. Parish, K.R.R.C.); India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Relief of Chitral 1895 (6127 Pte., 1st Bn. K.R. Rifle Corps); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Defence of Mafeking, Transvaal (6127 Pte., K.R.R.C.); King’s South Africa, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (6127 Pte., K.R.R.C.), initial ‘G.’, the second and third with officially corrected initials and the last with officially re-impressed naming, edge bruising and polished, nearly very fine or better (4) £2000-2500

D.C.M. London Gazette 31 October 1902 (Army Order 10 of 1903). The original recommendation states:

‘He went back under heavy fire at Kaffirstad on 26 October 1901 and brought in Private Chambers, who was wounded. [Also for] gallant conduct at Baakenlaagte soon afterwards. Dangerously wounded and leg amputated at Germiston Hospital.’

Thomas Parish - a verified Mafeking defender - was a member of No. 1 Company, 25th Battalion, Mounted Infantry at the time of the above related deeds. As part of Colonel Benson’s column, his unit was heavily engaged in operations in the Transvaal in the latter half of 1901, and he first came to notice as a result of the following recommendation submitted by Lieutenant J. Dalby, a fellow rifleman, at Elandsfontein on 5 November:

‘Sir,

I wish to bring to your notice the services of the undermentioned N.C.O. and man at Kaffirstadt on 26 October 1901:

No. 5022 Colour-Sergeant Rowatt
No. 6127 Private Parish

No. 2706 Private Chambers formed one of the party escorting the Pom-Pom which was acting with the rear-guard. The enemy were pressing the rear-guard very hard and while retiring from a position to the west Private Chambers’ horse, which was very exhausted, collapsed. In the heat of the moment this was not noticed until the next position had been taken up. Seeing the critical condition in which Private Chambers was placed, Colour-Sergeant Rowatt and Private Parish returned at a gallop and succeeded in extricating him, bringing him and his rifle safely back to the firing line under a very heavy fire.

I enclose a statement from Private Chambers of my company. Had it not been for the timely action of this N.C.O. and man, Private Chambers would undeniably have been captured by the enemy ... ’

Chambers’ own account stated that the Boers were moving-in fast, some 300 yards distant, when he was rescued by Rowatt and Parish under ‘an extremely hot fire’. The Colour-Sergeant took him on the back of his horse, while Parish tried in vain to bring in his comrades exhausted horse before stopping to pick up his rifle.

For his part in this notable rescue, Rowatt was recommended for the V.C., while Parish’s brave deeds four days later, in another rear-guard action at Baakenlaagte, reinforced Lieutenant Dalby’s earlier recommendation and resulted in the award of his D.C.M. Indeed he was cited for ‘very distinguished gallantry in Colonel Benson’s action’ at the latter place on 30 October, when he sustained serious leg and chest wounds (Kitchener’s despatch in the London Gazette 17 January 1902 refers). Nor was he alone in suffering such misfortune, British casualties amounting to 60 killed and 170 wounded. Worse was to follow, however, as the Boers swept over Benson’s positions, a fact confirmed by a report submitted by Major N. E. Young, D.S.O., Royal Field Artillery, at Pretoria, a week later:

‘Sir,

I have the honour to report that in accordance with your instructions I have seen the wounded officers and men of Colonel Benson’s column now at Elandsfontein.

Out of a total of 147 wounded non-commissioned officers and men seen by me, 54 had not been in the hands of the Boers. Of the remaining 93 men, 18 informed me they had nothing to complain of, and in some cases met with kind treatment of an active nature. All represented that the Commandant and those in subordinate command had protected the wounded in their immediate neighbourhood.

However, 75 non-commissioned officers and men made a complaint of ill-treatment of a more or less serious nature; nearly all of these had been robbed of whatever money they possessed, also of their watches and private papers.

A very large proportion stated that their boots had been removed, and in those cases where the leg had been broken this caused intense agony.

One man, Trooper Jamieson of the Scottish Horse, whose arm was shattered, suffered terrible pain from the way in which his bandolier was removed - his arm has since been amputated.

Many had been deprived of other articles of clothing, hats, jackets and socks, in some cases being left with an old shirt and a pair of drawers only.

One man, Gunner Masham, 84th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, was deprived of 3l., a watch and chain, and his warm jacket and shirt, the process of removing the latter proving very painful as he was shot in the chest. Sergeant Ketley of the 7th Hussars, attached to the Scottish Horse, states that after having been wounded in the head and hip, he was shot with his own carbine in the arm by a Boer who was kneeling over him, because he was unable to raise his arms when ordered to do so.

There are two evidences, Private Prickett, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and Corporal Gower, 4th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 25th Mounted Infantry, to the fact that a man named Private Foster of their corps was killed at five yards’ range, though he had put up his hands in token of surrender and was unarmed.

There is s concensus of evidence that the wounded lying round the guns were fired on by the Boers, who had already disarmed them, for a long period after all firing in their neighbourhood from our side had ceased.

This was done whenever a wounded man moved, and in this way Captain Lloyd, a Staff Officer, who had been wounded in the leg, met his death. Corporal Atkins, whose fingers had been shot away, states that he was ordered to show how to work the gun, but got off on representing that he could not stand.

Such of the officers as fell into the hands of the Boers met with similar treatment to the men. Lieutenant Bircham, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, informed me that while he was travelling in the same ambulance with Lieutenant Martin, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, since deceased, the latter told him that while he was lying wounded on the ground with a shattered thigh, his leg was twisted completely round so that the spur could be more easily taken off. Even the late Colonel Benson was not respected, though he was protected for some time by a man in authority - eventually his spurs, gaiters and private papers were removed.

I forward herewith two specimen rounds of ammunition taken from the bandolier of a wounded Boer by Private Robertson, 2nd Scottish Horse. They are mauser cartridges.

I attach statements taken down by me from the officers and men in relation to the most serious cases ... There seems no doubt that though the Boer Commandants have the will they have no longer the power to repress outrage amd murder on the part of their subordinates.’

And among the supporting statements submitted by Major Young’s was one taken from Thomas Parish:

‘On 30 October, while I was lying wounded, the Boers came and took my boots off. An officer of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, who was a prisoner, remonstrated, and they threatened to shoot him. Our ridge was not firing any more, but whenever a wounded man showed himself they fired at him, and in this way several were killed. One man who was waving a bit of blue stuff with the idea of getting an ambulance received about 20 shots.’

Parish, who was invalided home in May 1902, was again “mentioned” by Kitchener in his final despatch (London Gazette 29 July 1902 refers) and received his rare “Defence of Mafeking” clasp in December of the same year, the latter on the recommendation of the British South Africa Police but with a margin notation suggesting additional attachment to the Protectorate Regiment.