Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Capt. W. M. Crockett, R.F.A.), surname officially corrected, small area of corrosion to suspension bar, otherwise very fine £220-280

Walter MacAndrew Crockett fought in the Boer War as the senior Captain in the 2nd Battery Royal Field Artillery. Following the disasters of ‘Black Week’ in December 1899, an additional 72 artillery guns were mobilised for the front. The 2nd Battery R. F. A. and its six guns sailed for South Africa on 21 January 1900 in the St. Andrew.

On arrival at Cape Town on 12 February, the 2nd Battery R. F. A. was rushed to the north of Cape Colony to join General Clements’ attempt to capture Colesberg. After stiff fighting against the German commando and De La Rey’s withdrawal to Bloemfontein, Colesberg was recaptured on 28 February. At the end of April 1900, the Battery joined General Rundle’s newly arrived 8th Division. On 30 April it was ordered to march from Thaba ‘Nchu to assist in General Ian Hamilton’s stalled assault on Toba Mountain near Houtnek against the foreign legion fighting for the Boers under the command of Count Maximoff.

2nd Battery R. F. A. opened the battle at Biddulphsberg on 29 May by firing on the face of the mountain concealing the Boers of the Ladybrand and Senekal Commandos, and then a farm and a kraal containing two Boer guns, which they engaged in an artillery duel. The artillery subsequently covered the retirement of the Grenadier and Scots Guards through the burning veldt and fired 800 rounds over the course of the day. Its subsequent fighting in the Wittebergen is well chronicled in E. C. Moffett and F. J. B. Lee’s With the Eighth Division, published in 1903. It resulted in the surrender of General Prinsloo and 4000 Boers in the Brandwater Basin on 30 July. During the operations, the Battery’s six guns were often attached in pairs or fours to the two Infantry Brigades, 16th and 17th, in Rundle’s Division, commanded by Major Slee and Captain Crockett.

Captain Crockett was invalided home on the steamship S.S. Canada on 1 August 1900 with other sick and wounded. He was promoted Major in 1901 to command 135th Battery Royal Field Artillery. He retired in 1907. His Queen’s South Africa Medal was issued to him in September 1901. The clasps ‘Cape Colony’ and ‘Wittebergen’ were issued later and appear never to have been attached to the medal.