Auction Catalogue

20 August 2020

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The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 461

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20 August 2020

Hammer Price:
£1,100

The Q.S.A. awarded to Private M. W. Holland, 1st City of London Rifle Volunteers and City of London Imperial Volunteers, who was killed in action at Brandfort on 3 May 1900, one of only two men from the Mounted Infantry, C.I.V. to be killed during the Boer War

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein (1488 Pte. M. W. Holland, C.I.V.) mounted for display in glazed silver frame, 83mm x 133mm, hallmarks for Birmingham 1901, bearing a silver plaque ‘Montague Wilmot Holland, City Imperial Volunteers & London Rifle Brigade, killed in action near Brandfort S. Africa, May 3rd 1900’, extremely fine £400-£500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria.

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Montague Wilmot Holland was born in Bromley, Kent in October 1874 and was educated at Wellington College. A clerk with the firm of stockbrokers, J & A Scrimgeour, he was also secretary of the regimental football and cricket clubs and a member of the Highgate branch of Blackheath Harriers. He joined the 1st City of London Rifle Volunteers on 22 March 1895 and served in South Africa with No. 1 Mounted Infantry Company, City Imperial Volunteers during the Boer War. He was killed in action by shrapnel on 3 May 1900 at Brandfort.

Corporal R. W. Waters (see lot 453) described the events surrounding Holland’s death in a letter published in the
City Press on 6 June 1900:
‘After marching for about six miles we came in touch with the enemy, and had some extreme range firing, our section driving the Boers out of their positions. We stormed several kopjes with fixed bayonets, but the Boers had booted. I was sent forward to scout and found a big nullah in front, along which I went until I came to a farm. While I was gone towards the farm our party occupied a portion of the nullah, and opened fire at long range on some kopjes to the left front, where a great many Boers were seen to be moving. Orders came for us to take a kopje on the right front. Mr Wilson protested that the Boers were in strong force on the left, and that we should be outflanked. The orders were imperative, and repeated by three orderlies, so we left the nullah and advanced. We had not gone about 200 yards when the Boers commenced shelling us, the first shell, I am sorry to say, mortally wounding Sergeant Kingsford, my sergeant of H Company of the L.R.B. and the third (shrapnel) riddling another poor fellow named Holland, also an L.R.B. man. I stayed behind with Kingsford and the ambulance man (Murray) to see if I could be of any service. I asked if I could take him out of the range of fire on my horse, but I was told not to stay, but to rejoin the section, which had retired to the nullah. Kingsford passed away while asleep, and was buried the next day at Zirfontein, where the regiment was encamped with the Fifteenth Brigade. I was one of the pall-bearers. Holland was buried on the field.’

Holland’s face and shoulder had been shot away by the shrapnel blast. He was buried in the field by the chaplain of an Infantry Regiment. Private Holland and Sergeant D. P. Kingsford (see Lot 460) were the only two men of the Mounted Infantry, C.I.V. to be killed during the war.

On 17 May 1900, £100 was paid from the C.I.V. fund to his next of kin, Wilmot Holland, 26 Wood Lane, Highgate.
Holland’s C.I.V. memorial was erected in St. Michael’s, Highgate. He was also commemorated on memorials at the Stock Exchange, Wellington College, and St. Jude’s Church, Kensington.