Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The outstanding Boer War night action V.C. group of four awarded to Sergeant W. B. Traynor, West Yorkshire Regiment, who was decorated for saving a comrade under murderous fire during Botha’s daring attack against Smith-Dorrien’s column at Bothwell on 6 February 1901, when, as Conan Doyle put it, ‘The West Yorkshires were no more flurried at three in the morning than at three in the afternoon’: nonetheless casualties were heavy, among them Traynor, who later treasured a War Office telegram received by his wife announcing his death in action - he did in fact survive his serious wounds and was still around to receive the Coronation Medal in 1953

Victoria Cross (Sergt. W. B. Traynor, 2nd Bn. West Yorkshire Regt.; 6th Feby. 1901); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek, South Africa 1901 (2332 Serjt. W. B. Traynor, W. York Regt.); Coronation 1937; Coronation 1953, mounted court-style as worn, the second with contact marks and edge bruising, good fine, the remainder very fine or better (4) £120000-140000

The only V.C. awarded to an N.C.O. or private soldier in the West Yorkshire Regiment in the Boer War.

V.C. London Gazette 17 September 1901:

‘During the night attack on Bothwell camp, on 6 February 1901, Sergeant Traynor jumped out of a trench and ran out under an extremely heavy fire to the assistance of a wounded man. While running out he was severely wounded, and being unable to carry the man himself, he called for assistance. Lance-Corporal Lintott at once came to him, and between them they carried the wounded soldier into shelter. After this, although severely wounded, Sergeant Traynor remained in command of his section, and was most cheerful in encouraging his men till the attack failed.’

William Barnard Traynor was born at 29 Moxon Street, Hull, in December 1870, the son of Francis Traynor, a flax dresser from Co. Monaghan, Ireland, and Rebecca Traynor. Educated locally at the Pryme Street (Roman Catholic) School, he enlisted in the West Yorkshire Regiment at Beverely on 14 November 1888 and served for several years in India, including postings to the garrisons at Mooltan, Lahore and Lucknow.

Embarked with the 2nd Battalion for South Africa on the outbreak of hostilities, Traynor, by now a Sergeant, was present in the actions at Willow Grange in November 1899, at Colenso, Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz, and thence, in the following year, in the operations in Northern Natal and Orange River Colony, including the action at Laing’s Nek.

Victoria Cross


But it was for his gallantry at Bothwell on 6 February 1901, that he was awarded his V.C., an action best summarised in H. W. Wilson’s After Pretoria: The Guerilla War:

‘On 5 February, General Smith-Dorrien, on the British left, reached Bothwell Farm, in the neighbourhood of Lake Chrissie, which is famous as being one of the very few sheets of fresh water in South Africa. Here he halted for the night and, with the studious attention to all reasonable precautions, which had won him so good a reputation in this protracted war, entrenched his camp strongly. The night was intensely dark, and the obscurity was increased by a heavy mist which hung over these uplands, rendering it impossible for the sentries and outposts to see anyone at a few yards’ distance. It was fortunate that so much care was shown on the British side, as Louis Botha during the day had reinforced Lukas Meyer, who was conducting the Boer retreat in this quarter, and had determined upon a night attack with 2,000 men, to cover the withdrawal northwards of the great bulk of his force, now menaced with the danger of being driven into Natal or penned in upon the Swazi frontier. At 3 a.m. on the 6th the assault was delivered.

The Boers were able to crawl close in to the British outposts before they were seen and challenged. Their forlorn hope then rushed between two trenches held by the West Yorkshires, driving in front of them a troop of loose horses, so as to confuse the British troops and lead them to think they were being charged by mounted men. They did cause momentary confusion, but the men of G and H Companies of the West Yorkshires were good soldiers, tried by months of war, and they held fast, while the supports coming up caught the Boer stormers and fought them hand-to-hand, speedily hurling them back in wild disorder. The enemy left on the ground Commandant Spruyt and some twenty burghers dead, close to or inside the British lines. Spruyt was a man of exceptional bravery. He had previously been taken prisoner, and had escaped, without any taint of treachery of unfairness, by leaping from a train in motion.

While the main attack was going forward, the Boers had opened a heavy rifle fire upon the camp and had also feinted its eastern corner. The crackle of the fusillade, the hail of bullets and the stampeding of the horses caused a great confusion. Many men were killed or wounded as they lay asleep. But order was swiftly restored; the tired troops as they awoke collected their wits, snatched up their rifles, and dashed forth to repel their assailants. They had no mark at which to fire except the fitful flashes of the Martinis and Mausers, yet there is evidence that many of the British bullets found billets in the enemy’s ranks. Long before day broke, seeing that their onset had failed, the Boers withdrew, well knowing that the British were too ignorant of the ground to attempt pursuit until day came. They seem to have made off to the north, sending a detachment eastwards to make the British think that they were retiring in that direction. At daybreak Smith-Dorrien despatched his mounted infantry to follow them up, but they had already got so far that touch could not be recovered.

The British casualties in this affair were heavy, and the large proportion of killed in the figures points to desperate hand-to-hand fighting. Twenty-four officers and men were killed and fifty-three wounded. The West Yorkshires were hardest hit. Their conduct in the face of surprise attack, with the odds heavily against them, was admirable. Among the Boer killed, besides Commandant Spruyt, were two Field Cornets, and Commandant Raademeyer was severely wounded.’

And among our wounded was Traynor, who had won himself a V.C. for the above cited deeds at the height of the action. As stated, however, his wife Jane, whom he had married in June 1897, was the recipient of a War Office telegram stating her husband had been killed, only to learn shortly afterwards that he was in fact alive - with a splinter and bullet wounds to his chest and a thigh.

Investiture Day

Owing to these wounds, Traynor was discharged from the Army in the same month that his V.C. was gazetted, and, for similar reasons, was unable to travel to London to receive his decoration from King Edward VII. Instead, as described in the following extract from the Daily Mail, he was invested with his Cross at York by Colonel Edward Browne, himself a V.C. winner from the Zulu War, in July 1902:

‘A brief but interesting ceremony took place at a full-dress parade of the troops of the York garrison at the infantry barracks this morning, when Sergeant W. B. Traynor, 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, was presented with the Victoria Cross gained during the South African War ... The officer making the presentation of the trophy, Colonel E. S. Browne, Assistant Adjutant-General, North Eastern District, is himself a Victoria Cross man.

Having referred to the circumstances under which Sergeant Traynor risked his life to help one under his command, Colonel Browne, V.C., said one could not conceive a brighter example of true devotion to duty in a commander.

Colonel Browne then called Sergeant Traynor, who was in mufti, forward and pinned the Cross to his breast, and also the South African Medal & clasps (6).

Colonel Browne addressed the troops, remarking that owing to the state of Sergeant Traynor’s health, it had not been possible for him to journey to London to receive the Cross, in the way he otherwise would, but that circumstances had its compensating advantage for it enabled Sergeant Traynor to receive it in the very cradle and home of the distinguished regiment to which he had belonged and earned honour for (cheers) ... At the conclusion of the ceremony, Sergeant Traynor received numerous personal congratulations.’

The latter years

In September 1902, after brief employment as an Orderly Room Clerk with the Royal Artillery, Traynor was given the post of Barrack Warden at Dover, in which capacity he was mentioned for valuable services in the the Great War in September 1918.

Following a dinner for holders of the V.C. in the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords in 1929, at which the Prince of Wales was present, Traynor joined the Dover Branch of British Legion, and became one of its staunchest supporters, as well as, at times, one of its most outspoken critics, and onetime served as the branch’s Vice-Chairman.

He retired from his post as Barrack Warden in 1935, but remained a resident of Dover up until his death in October 1954, aged 83 years, residing at the aptly named Ca Ira - the regimental march of the West Yorkshires - and latterly having been honoured as a non-Freemen of the Borough by an invitation to the Coronation lunch held in Dover Town Hall. Throughout his post military career, he also remained a loyal friend of his old regiment, travelling north to attend reunions at York on a regular basis.

Traynor’s funeral was attended by his extended family, including his son Major V. C. Traynor, R.E., and his grand-daughter 2nd Lieutenant Joy Traynor, W.R.A.C., in addition to the Mayor of Dover and numerous representatives of the West Yorkshire Regiment. He was buried in Charlton Cemetery.

Sold with a quantity of original documents and photographs, comprising the recipient’s Parchment Certificate of Discharge, dated at Portsmouth on 29 September 1901; an old ink transcript of the above quoted feature that appeared in The Daily Mail regarding the recipient’s investiture, in the recipient’s hand; a copy of the West Yorkshires’ regimental journal Ca Ira, December 1954, with obituary notice, together with three newspaper obituaries; and photographs (4), comprising two charming family groups, the recipient meeting Churchill at Sevenoaks and another of him being introduced to Regimental Sergeant-Major Jim Maloney, D.C.M., 2/West Yorkshires, at Bradford Town Hall, in September 1945.