Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Boer War ‘Magersfontein’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Lance-Corporal Robert Edmonstone, Gordon Highlanders

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (3191 L. Corpl., Gordon Highrs.); India General Service 1895-1902, 3 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (3191 Lce. Cpl., 1st Bn. Gord. Highrs.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Belfast (3191 Pte., Gordon Highrs.) ‘1st’ neatly erased before regiment; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (3191 Pte., Gordon Highrs.) light contact marks, otherwise very fine and better (4) £2000-2500

D.C.M. London Gazette 27 September 1901. Awarded for operations around Paardeberg.

Robert Edmonstone served with the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders on the North West Frontier of India in 1895-98, and was present with the Chitral Relief Force under Major-General Sir R. C. Low, K.C.B., including the action at the forcing of the Malakand Pass where he was slightly wounded on 3 April 1895 (London Gazette 15 November 1895). He was also brought to notice by Lieutenant-Colonel Mathias for his conduct on this occasion. He took part in operations with the Tirah Expeditioanry Force in 1897 and 1898, under Sir William Lockhart, against the Afridi and Orakzai tribes (India Medal with 3 clasps).

Edmonstone accompanied the battalion to South Africa in 1899, aboard the transport ship Cheshire, and during the passage acted as Father Neptune for the crossing of the equator. According to the regimental history he was ‘end man of many a tug-of-war team, one of the original machine-gun squad of the battalion, and so big that he was allowed an extra half-ration daily.’ He was mentioned in Lord Roberts’ despatch of 4th September 1901, and awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The regimental history records an incident during the battle of Magersfontein, 11 December 1899, following the initial retirement when the Highland Brigade was repulsed in their disastrous attempt to take the hill. A Boer shell dropped near a group of Highlanders around a water-cart, and it noted that ‘the Gordon water-cart had been pretty far forward before this, for L/Cpl. Edmonstone, in charge, was mentioned for gallantry. He was very strict in not serving without orders, and no man got a second drink.’