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Auction: 12002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 18

A Fine Boer War ´Battle of Colenso´ D.C.M. Group of Six to Bombardier C.J. Woodward, 7th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, For Gallantry in Attempting to "Save the Guns" of the 14th and 66th Batteries, Under a Murderous Fire, 15.12.1899 a) Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (28286. Driver C.J. Woodward 7 R.A.), number and battery number additionally and neatly engraved b) Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, two clasps, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (28286 Dvr: C.J. Woodward, 7th Bty., R.F.A.) c) 1914 Star, with Bar (28286 A. Bmbr. C.V. [sic] Woodward. R.H.A.), gilded d) British War and Victory Medals (28286 Gnr. C.J. Woodward. R.A.) e) Army Long Service & G.C., G.V.R., 1st ´Field Marshal´s bust´ type (28286 Gnr: C.J. Woodward. R.H.A.), generally good very fine, mounted court-style as originally worn, with the recipient´s "Small Book" and five Certificates (6) Estimate £ 2,400-2,800 D.C.M. London Gazette 2.2.1900 28286 Driver C.J. Woodward, Royal Artillery ´In recognition of services at the Battle of Colenso.´ 28286 Bombardier Charles John Woodward, D.C.M., born Lambeth, London; served in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion East Surrey Regiment prior to enlistment in the Royal Artillery, 1898; served with the 7th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, in South Africa, an interview with the recipient featured in the Richmond Herald in 1900, gives the following: ´A representative of the Herald recently sought out Driver Woodward, whose home is at 58 Manor-grove, Richmond... Driver Woodward is attached to the 7th Battery of the Royal Field Artillery, and has been invalided home. He is a finely built young fellow... and is a very entertaining conversationalist. "I left England", he told our reporter, "on the 24th of October last, and our Battery was almost immediately ordered up country. We were then under General Clery, and they soon found us some work to do. My baptism of fire was at a place called Willow Grange. It was not much of an encounter, but trying enough to one who has never previously been under fire. On the 28th of November we had it a little stiffer, and on that day we made a reconnaissance and were furiously peppered at by the Boers. We, however, came through it all right". "You were in the battle of Colenso, I believe" asked the Herald man. "Yes, and a warm affair it was", replied Driver Woodward. "We had been fighting hard from 6 o´clock in the morning until the evening, endeavouring to move the enemy from a very strong position which they held. Try how we would, we could not move them, and I daresay that if we had been in their position we could have stood against half the world. Well, they captured a dozen of our guns and our commanding officer [Captain H.L. Reed, who was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross for the action] asked for volunteers to endeavour to recapture them. It was a fine sight to see the hands go up. There was no hesitation. I was one of the chosen ones and it was on the evening of December 15th when we started on our difficult task. The work was, to say the least of it, a bit warm. We had to dodge from one shelter to another, and all the time the Boers were blazing away at us. It would have been much easier if we had had plenty of water, but that was very scarce. The captured guns belonged to the 14th and 66th Batteries, and when we got near to the enemy we made a great dash, and with a ringing British cheer we succeeded in recapturing two of the guns. We were mowed down like corn, but we kept on, though there were only a few of us left alive to taste the sweets of our victory". "Was this where the son of Lord Roberts was killed?" queried the journalist. "Yes. The same day he had, as you will remember, been made Captain, and behaved with great bravery all through. He was shot twice, and died shortly afterwards. We were all deeply grieved, and the occurrence cast a gloom over our achievement. Myself, I only sustained a few scratches, but the number killed was appalling. For the gallantry he displayed, Corporal Nurse, of the 66th Battery, was awarded the Victoria Cross, and I was presented with the Distinguished Service [sic] Medal". Our representative saw the medal, which was of silver, and bore the words, "For Distinguished Conduct in the Field", whilst the name of the owner was engraved round the edge. "On the 1st of April", continued Driver Woodward, "we had a special parade, and General Clery pinned the medal on my breast, hoping that I should live long to wear it. I sent it home by the next mail for safety, and I can assure you, I feel very proud indeed. Shortly after this I got Enteric Fever, and just as I was recovering I had dysentery. We lost large numbers of men from these two complaints and when I was well enough I was invalided home" "You have not told me anything about Spion Kop" remarked the Herald man. "Oh my, I had forgotten", said the Driver. "It was a terrible affair and I shall never forget it. We were up there for eight or nine days, short of provisions and exposed to the enemy´s fire. You know how our men were slaughtered, and I was extremely lucky to escape. A good many of our fellows died round Spion Kop on account of the unhealthy state of the place. The Boers did not bury their dead many inches under the ground and the smell was horrible. A shell burst near to where I was and a piece of it struck me on the knee. It made me feel very ill, but I was soon in action again, and I may say that the battle of Spion Kop was another Crimea. The fellows were shot down like dolls, but it was a treat to see how cool some of the officers were. They inspired us with confidence"´ In a letter home to his father in the immediate aftermath of Colenso (also published in the Herald) Woodward added the following, ´When we started we were under shellfire but none of us got hit. But in galloping out of the line of fire, the horses got their legs over the traces, and so we had to stop in a big ditch under cover. At last we got the horse´s legs free and then we had the order to gallop up to the guns and hook in. We had no sooner got out of the ditch than the Boers opened fire with their rifles and killed nine horses and two men and wounded five men. The lead driver and wheel driver of my team were shot. The horse I was riding was shot in four places, and my other horse was hit in two places. When I saw the lead driver knocked off his horse by a bullet, I got off, put him on his own horse, unhooked him, and let him gallop away without getting wounded; any worse. General Buller happened to see me and said I behaved most splendid. He said he hoped I should always be as lucky as to come out of such a heavy fire without getting hurt. He sent down to our Battery for our names and numbers.´ Seven Victoria Crosses [one later forfeited] and 19 D.C.M.s were awarded for Colenso. Promoted Bombardier, 1.11.1900, Woodward subsequently served during the Great War with 114th Battery Royal Field Artillery, as part of the 25th Brigade, 1st Division, on the Western Front from 5.10.1914; discharged as a result of wounds, 6.3.1917.

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£4,200