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Auction: 25112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 13

South Africa 1834-53 (James Allen, 43rd Regt.), light contact marks, very fine

James Allen served during the Xhosa Wars as a private in the 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment disembarked at East London on 17 December 1851, where it was quickly given instruction on the principles of bush fighting; it had taken a long time for the lesson to be learned that shining brasses, pipe clay and parade ground drills would not help to subdue their enemies.

Seeing early service in the field, five companies joined with the 73rd upon a raid into the Amatolas on 27 January; ambushed in a pass near Baillies Grove, Surgeon Davidson was killed. Further casualties would follow whilst scouring the forests of Fullers Hoek and Hermann's Kloof - this action was described by Hugh Robinson of the 43rd who wrote:

'On the morning of the 11th, we marched at day-break to attack the stronghold of Fuller's Hoek which we knew must be cleared, if our leader was not killed. The guns with three companies went up Argyll Pass; how the Horse Artillery would have stared if they had seen the track those cannon went up! Some companies went up the ridge to the right, their fate depending almost entirely upon success elsewhere, while Colonel Eyre, with the main body went straight through and scaled the hights [SIC] above.'

They remained in action with a brisk fight prompted by a cattle raid near Mount MacThomas, where Captain Gore was felled. Interestingly, despite a growing list of casualties from skirmishes, perhaps the greatest loss to the battalion in a single event was caused not by the warriors of Sandili, but by an extraordinary thunderstorm which struck camp at Keiskamma Hoek; a lightning strike hit an ammunition store, killing two men and injuring nineteen. The 43rd stayed on in the Cape after the close of the Third War, before embarking for Madras and for service in the Mutiny; sold together with copied medal rolls.

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Sold for
£700

Starting price
£140