Orders, Decorations and Medals

Queen’s South Africa, 4 clasps, C.C., Wepener, Trans., Win. (951 Serjt. Maj. J. Adams) good very fine

Sergeant Major Adams was killed in action at Kwaggafontein, 31 August, 1900. The Kaffrarian Rifles had a terrible experience at Kwaggafontein, near Krugersdorp, on this day. They were sent to clear a force of Boers from a group of rocky kopjes on the British flank. True to their inevitable practise, the enemy allowed the British to approach closely before opening fire, and then poured in a hail of bullets. 'We had no cover but the grass, and had to take our hats off and lay our heads close to the ground and wait for darkness,' says one of the Kaffrarian Rifles. 'Our Sergeant-Major was shot dead next to the Colonel; a Lancer officer was shot through the leg and another man in the stomach. Our position was desperate, the explosive bullets bursting just over our heads, our ammunition pretty well spent, and the Boers advancing. We could not move a hand. The Boers advanced in skirmishing order and when about 50 yards away called out to us to surrender, but the Colonel would not, although we were nearly surrounded. He yelled out 'Fix bayonets' and mine was the only one fixed, no one else having one.' Colonel Cumming kept his men well in hand and there was no wavering. Fortunately evening was coming on and the light was now bad. The Kaffrarians worked rearwards through the grass, the Boers all the time yelling to them to surrender; fired one volley; jumped up, and ran for their lives. In this fierce little skirmish the regiment lost no less than 27 men out of 58.