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Auction: 12002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 20

A Fine Boer War ´Zand River´ D.C.M. Group of Three to Sergeant J.R. Shipley, Cape Railway Pioneer Regiment, Wounded in Action, 14.6.1900 a) Distinguished Conduct Medal, E.VII.R. (Corpl: J.R. Shipley. Cape Pnr: Rly: Regt) b) Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, three clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (282 Serjt: J.R. Shipley. Rly: Pnr: Regt.) c) Special Constabulary Long Service, G.V.R., with The Great War 1914-18 bar (Sergt. John R. Shipley), light contact marks, therefore very fine (3) Estimate £ 2,000-2,400 D.C.M. London Gazette 27.9.1901 282 Cpl. J.R. Shipley Cape Railway Pioneer Regiment (details appear in London Gazette 20.8.1901) ´In command of seven men, was heavily attacked by enemy, repulsed them and though wounded continued in charge.´ 282 Sergeant John Robert Shipley, D.C.M., enlisted 1st Battalion Cape Railway Pioneer Regiment, 7.2.1900; Lance-Corporal 14.4.1900; wounded at Zand River, 14.6.1900, a report by Lieutenant-Colonel Capper, R.E., commanding Railway Pioneers at Virginia, Kroonstad district, Orange River Colony, gives the following for this date, ´an attack delivered by the commandos of Muller and Boerman at daybreak... The enemy was "said to be about 800 strong, with one or two pom-poms, a maxim, and, I think, one field gun... We had to hold rather an extended position, our left being in trenches on very broken ground and in thick scrub which there was no time to clear. The enemy got into this scrub and gave some trouble by sniping. The garrison consisted of four companies 3rd Battalion Royal Lancasters under Colonel North, about 250 fit for duty, and four companies Railway Pioneer Regiment under Major Seymour, about 300 fit for duty... with 25 men Royal Irish (Rifles) Mounted Infantry... The attack was most pressed on our left, and was held most steadily by No. 3 Company Railway Pioneer Regiment, under Lieutenant Mitchell of that regiment: fighting was continued on all sides until about 11am, when it quieted down, and the enemy had practically retired... The troops behaved very well and steadily. The Railway Pioneer Regiment in the advanced trenches, on the left especially, were most cool and collected, engaging the enemy at very close quarters. They were for part of the morning surrounded by the enemy in the scrub, but never lost their heads, and the enemy were ultimately driven out of the scrub by the advance through it of a line of reserve Railway Pioneer Regiment...." The losses of the regiment were Major Seymour and Lieutenant Clements and 5 non-commissioned officers killed; Lieutenant Mitchell and 2 non-commissioned officers and men wounded. Colonel Capper added that he could not "speak too highly of Lieut. Mitchell, a young officer who was wounded in both thighs about 6am in going from trench to another to encourage the men, and remaining throughout the day in the most exposed trench, keeping his men, 22 in number, scattered in several small trenches, calm, ordering them not to waste ammunition, &c. I attribute to his example, and the very steady conduct of the men of his company in the advanced trenches, who suffered severely - one holding three men had one killed, and one holding five men had two killed- the fact that our losses were so comparatively small.´ (The Colonials in South Africa 1899-1902, J. Stirling refers); Shipley was promoted to Corporal the day after the action (D.C.M., Mentioned in Lord Kitchener´s Despatches, 8.7.1901); Sergeant 15.6.1901 (medal roll gives additional entitlement to ´South Africa 1901´ clasp); discharged at Cape Town, 22.3.1901.

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£2,300