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Auction: 12002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 239

Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, three clasps, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (713 Pte. J. Caddy. Durban L.I.), very fine Estimate £ 130-160 713 Private J. Caddy, Durban Light Infantry is recorded as being wounded at De Jager´s Drift, 1.10.1900; on the latter date the Durban Light Infantry formed part of an escort for a convoy which was attacked eight miles east of De Jager´s Drift, ´We left De Jager´s Drift early in the morning to proceed via Blood River and meet the Regulars who were coming from Wakkerstroom. Norman Fisher, J.W. Booth, two others, and myself were told to extend out 600 yards to the left fron of the waggons and in advance of the squadron. At about 9.30am I caught a half-caste hiding in a donga. I took him prisoner and he admitted he was a Boer scout. Taken before the O.C. of the convoy, he stated that there were about 40 Boers in the spruit (Riet Spruit) and that they had slept at a nearby farm. I suggested that our best plan was to man the donga which was about a mile long and 6 feet deep. As far as I can remember, the officer said "It can´t be as serious as that". He ordered me, however, to hold fast with my four men. The squadron had a Hotchkiss gun and the non-commissioned officer in charge of it went ahead with it into the open with about six men. He opened fire and the mules, with the ammunition for the gun, stampeded. His party was now about 200 yards ahead of the main body. The Boers were on a slight ridge and when they opened fire everyone made for an ant-heap. This provided fine sport for the Boers. I told my group to take up positions and as they did so Booth was shot through the stomach and fell back on me. Fisher and I got behind ant-heaps, but he was dangerously wounded in the head, a part of the bone being shot away. The situation deteriorated and became hopeless. Someone away to the right put up a white flag. I decided to prevent as many mules as possible falling into enemy hands and I deliberately stampeded about 9 teams. When I got back to the waggons they were in enemy hands.´ (Private E.A. Mills, Durban Light Infantry, Personal Account, refers); The Volunteer Record by Milligan states that the action lasted some time, with the escort attacked from three sides, ´three natives were killed, Pte. J.W. Booth of the D.L.I. died of his wounds, and Ptes. J. Caddy, M.B. Hawtrey, and N. Fisher, all of the D.L.I., were wounded.´ The latest published transcription of the casualty roll does not list Caddy.

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£210