Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A superb ‘Battle of Colenso’ Boer War dated D.C.M. group of six awarded to Gunner, later Captain, H. S. Gilbery, 66th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, for attempting to extricate the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries at the Battle of Colenso, 15 December 1899- 5 Victoria Crosses were awarded for this action

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (14177 Gnr: H. S. Gilberry. R.F.A. 15-12-99); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Belfast (14177 Gnr: H. S. Gilbery, 66th. Bty: R.F.A.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1908 (14177 Corpl. H. S. Gilbery 18th By. R.F.A.); 1914-15 Star (14177 B.S. Mjr. H. S. Gilbery. R.F.A.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. H. S. Gilbery) contact marks, generally very fine and better (6) £3000-4000

D.C.M. London Gazette 8 February 1901: ‘For gallant conduct at the Battle of Colenso, 15th December [1899], in attempting to extricate the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries.’

Hugh Squire Gilberry served with the 66th Battery, Royal Field Artillery during the Boer War, and was present with the Battery at the Battle of Colenso, 15 December 1899.

The Heroes of Colenso
Buller and his Staff proceeded to Natal where a force of 20,000 troops and five Field Batteries awaited, the intention being to cross the heavily defended line of the Tugela River and advance to relieve Ladysmith. Hildyard's 6th Infantry Brigade supported by the 14th and 66th Batteries of IV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, and six Naval 12 pounder guns under Colonel Long, Royal Artillery, held the centre of the British position. The objective of 15 December was to cross the Tugela by the bridge at Colenso and dislodge the Boers beyond the river. Colonel Long, who had been responsible for the disaster to an armoured train a month before, had a theory that artillery was most effectively used at close quarters, or, in his own words, 'the only way to smash the beggars is to rush in at 'em'. Early in the action Long employed his theory bringing his guns into a dangerously exposed position not more than 1000 yards from the enemy. ‘To see those 18 gun teams riding out far ahead of the infantry battalions supposed to screen them, was to return to some scene from Balaklava.’ No sooner were the guns unlimbered than an enemy shell burst among them hailing the onset of a continuous and murderous fire. After half an hour of firing on the Boers at Fort Wylie both Batteries had run short of ammunition and the little they had left was kept to cover the expected advance of 6 Brigade. Casualties had been severe and nearly all the officers including Colonel Long were wounded. The surviving men and officers withdrew to take cover in a donga to the rear of the position, leaving their guns exposed and unattended.

Shortly afterwards Buller and his Staff appeared on the scene, having heard the guns supposedly in support of Hildyard's Brigade were out of action. The Boers recognising the Staff in an unusually forward position trebled their fire, but Buller, unperturbed, finished his sandwich and ordered the immediate recovery of the guns. From the surrounding group of officers emerged 'one of the most gallant trio's that ever tried to win the Victoria Cross'. They were Captain Harry Schofield, Captain Walter Congreve of the Rifle Brigade, and Lieutenant the Hon. F. H. S. Roberts, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, only son of the Field-Marshal. The narrative which follows is in the words of Schofield himself and is taken from his pocket diary:
‘....we went back to the donga where all the horses and drivers were, which was under a hot fire and the General personally tried to get some of them (men and horses) out to try and recover the guns but there were no officers there; so General and Congreve (RB.) and self set to work to get some out and we got 2 teams and a corporal and hooked in the teams to limbers just in front; doing this was no easy matter as it was rather difficult without N.C.O's to get men on foot to come and help to hook in; Gerard was coming out when I shouted to him to send me a man or two to help; we got the teams hooked in somehow, I forget how (except I saw Congreve doing his) and then I started off at a gallop with the limbers for the two guns on the right and Roberts, 60th, joined in; also Congreve came on tho 'I did not find this out till after; the impression I had going on was galloping on a carpet spotted thick with spots, it was a very hot fire; after we had gone about 400 yards young Roberts on my left was shot and fell backwards, he had just before been looking at me and smiling, waving his stick in a circular motion like one does one's crop sometimes when one goes away from covert, thinking to have a good burst; Congreve tells me he himself was shot just before this and also his horse and the latter plunging badly, threw him; so the Corporal and self were left. When on the way, I saw the lead driver of the right guns riding very wildly; I shouted to him to keep his horse in hand, which I think took them off thinking of the bullets, as it did me a little; on getting to the guns I howled out 'wheel about on your guns', which they did quite splendidly, as if on parade; Corp. Nurse and self jumped off our horses and ran to hook on the guns, I found mine rather too far off to drag up alone so told the Corporal to come and help me, which he did and then he put his own gun on which was just in the right place; while he was doing this my wheel driver turned round and said 'elevate the muzzle Sir', which I did; they all kept their heads most admirably; we then mounted, galloped for the centre sunken road running across the far donga and I left them in a place of safety some way behind; after crossing the Donga a spent bullet hit me on the thigh, only a tap and didn't leave a mark. Corporal Nurse, drivers Henry Taylor, Young, Potts, Rockall, Lucas, Williams, all of the 66th battery were not touched; 3 or 4 horses got hit; luckily not enough to make them falter or we should not have got off that particular plain I think. The corporal and drivers behaved most admirably and no doubt if they had bungled in their driving on to the guns we could not have got out, they were nailers.’

Congreve had crawled into the donga to seek shelter and later went out to bring in Roberts. He eventually remained in the donga with the other wounded until the Boers, who took the position, allowed their evacuation. A second attempt to recover the remaining guns was mounted by Lieutenants Grylls and Schreiber of the 66th Battery but their efforts were unavailing and both officers were killed. A third dash for the guns by Captain Reed of the 7th Battery ended with the loss of half his men and two-thirds of his horses. Eventually Buller, resigning himself to the loss of the guns, forbade any further attempts. Later, he went to the survivors of the abandoned batteries and personally thanked them for their gallantry.

For his gallantry at Colenso Gilberry was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, and was presented with his medal by H.M. King Edward VII at St. James’s Palace on 25 July 1901. He subsequently served with the Royal Field Artillery during the Great War on the Western Front from 16 January 1915, and was commissioned Lieutenant, Royal Field Artillery, on 18 November 1916.

The abortive action to take the village of Colenso- part of the disastrous ‘Black Week’ of the Boer War- struck the world with the manifest determination of the British soldier under fire, and was recognised by the award of 5 Victoria Crosses and 24 Distinguished Conduct Medals for gallantry in attempting to extricate the guns, together with a further Victoria Cross and 21 D.C.M.s for acts of gallantry at or near Colenso.