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Auction: 12002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 233

Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, three clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen (6364 Tpr: J. Boughton 34th Coy Imp: Yeo:), good very fine, with photographic image of recipient in uniform Estimate £ 140-180 6364 Trooper John Charles Boughton, born Midhurst, Sussex; enlisted 34th (Middlesex) Company Imperial Yeomanry, 2.1.1900; served as Colonel Mitford´s orderly at General Rundle´s headquarters; rejoined the Company at Harrismith, 2.12.1900; drowned attempting to save the life of Private Kennard (36th Company Imperial Yeomanry) whilst crossing the Maperi River at Clocolan, 2.4.1901; The Story of the 34th Company I.Y. states the following, ´The horse of young Kennard... fell and rose... The horse rose - to swim - without his rider! There was every reason to believe that the boy had been rendered unconscious, either by a kick or by a hidden rock; he made but little struggle, and for a few seconds was tossed about by the checked but turbulent water immediately below the crossing... Bernard Pitt, of the 36th, a strong and splendid swimmer, was the first to make a practical move. He struck out from our side of the drift... and caught the drowning man by the hair and both were swept into the currents. Pitt was fighting for two lives now... With Boughton, I had rushed down the banks below the drift. Boughton was a good swimmer and strong man. I could not swim. However much I desired to help, I was powerless... Boughton threw off his cloak and tunic and entered the water, close by the bank, where he could stand against it, and eagerly watched Pitt and his charge as they struggled desperately towards the south bank. Williams of the 36th, who had run some eighty yards down the south bank and watched the couple, now plunged in ahead of them, for Pitt was getting exhausted and there was danger of his being drowned. Williams took Kennard from Pitt´s grasp for a few moments and the situation looked critical for all. Boughton was greatly moved at that. They were slipping into greater danger. "Oh Boughton," I cried, "don´t go yet, nothing on earth could cross here! But he could not stand by and see his comrades drown without some attempt to save. His face set hard as he struck out to help them. He realised to the full the risk - that could be seen; but there was the chance to save. I shall never see a braver act than that. For a few moments he struck out to help them, to win his way across, but the midcurrent caught him as if he had been a straw and shot him down-stream. Kelsey and I followed along the bank, running at top speed. Boughton was fighting for his own life now and only tried to keep straight on the top of the rapids. I shouted above the roar of waters to him and he turned a stern, resolute face towards me, "Oh, lad, keep up, keep up!" was all I could find to say... A still greater danger threatened him. Ahead was a group of rocks and boulders, and about them were furious waters tumbling and boiling. Into these he was pitched, a second later he rose and then sank. I covered my face for the horror of it. A moment after the body of young Kennard rose on the crest of the cataract and rolled under into the caludron below´; the other two men involved in the rescue were saved and early the following morning ´In camp we learnt that poor Boughton´s body had just been discovered among the rocks below, and that we were to trek at nine o´clock... A fatigue party of 34th quickly dug a grave close by the camp, and we buried our poor comrade as the Convoy trekked out... Barrington read the service very beautifully, and at the Lord´s Prayer there were few dry eyes. Boughton had died a hero, and he was buried as became a soldier´; Boughton, Pitt and Williams were commended for their gallant conduct in the Commanding Officer´s orders, read out to the men; upon the 34th´s return to England, ´A collection was there [Wellington Barracks] made among the men for a brass to be erected in memory of Trooper Boughton, who so heroically gave up his life at Maperi Spruit on April 2nd´ (ibid); this Memorial Brass was placed in Lodsworth Church, Sussex. Provenance: Glendining, June 1993

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