W Woolmore Collection of Anglo Boer War Medals - Aust

Lot 3251    SESSION 12 (11.30AM THURSDAY 1ST AUGUST)    W Woolmore Collection of Anglo Boer War Medals - Aust.

Estimate $4,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $4,800

PAIR: Queen's South Africa Medal 1899, (type 2 reverse with very faint trace of ghost dates), - three clasps - Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Transvaal, with unofficial MID emblem; British War Medal 1914-18. 135 Trpr: R. Douglas, Tasmanian 1st B.C.R.F.F. on first medal, 252 Cpl R Douglas A.N.& M.E.F. on second medal. Both medals impressed and on first medal 1st B.C.R.F.F. has been engraved at end. Display mounted, some minor edge nicks on first medal, otherwise good very fine.

MID: In Commander-in-Chief's Despatches 2/4/1901.
British War Medal is full WWI entitlement.

1st B.C.R.F.F. (1st Bushmen's Contingent Rhodesian Field Force).

Trooper Ronald Douglas (brother to Walter Douglas, the jockey), railway employee, born Wyndham, Werribee, Vic; served with Second (Tasmanian Bushmen) Contingent; Emb.05Mar1900; WIA 22Aug1900 at Ottoshoop; also served with Corps of Cattle Rangers (Ranger Ronald Douglas Regt No.431 served 27Sep-14Dec1901); WWI: Enl.11dec1914 at Melbourne, Vic in 3rd N. & M.E. Force; Emb.25Jan1915; to Cpl 15Nov1915; RTA 05Jan1916 on furlough; Arrived from Australia 04May1916 and taken on Garrison Duty; RTA 02Apr1917 for furlough and with enteric fever and struck off strength; Emb.08Jun1917 from Sydney; Arrived from Australia 24Jun1917 and taken on strength; Disch.31Oct1918; Died at Elizabeth Jenkins Place, a Salvation Army nursing home at Collaroy, Sydney, NSW, in 1978 at the age of 104, at that time believed to be Australia's oldest ex-soldier.

An article in the Mount Lyell Standard and Strahan Gazette, Monday 25 February 1901, p3 reads as follows,
RETURNED FROM THE WAR-TROOPER RONALD DOUGLAS.
HOW HE WAS WOUNDED.
It was on the 23rd of February, 1900, that Trooper Ronald Douglas, with the rest of the Lyell contingent, proceeded from Queenstown to Hobart for enrolment in the Tasmanian section of the Imperial Bushmen's Corps, and it was on February 22, 1901, that he set foot in the town once more. Trooper Douglas was therefore absent from the district twelve months, and, as was to be expected, during that period he underwent many strange experiences. The story of how he was wounded, as related by him to a "Standard" representative yesterday, is especially interesting.

Trooper Douglas, although not in such good condition as when a year ago he lodged his application at the "Standard" office for enrolment in the Bushmen's Corps, looks well in health, and outwardly does not appear to have suffered any harm from the severe wounds which he received on August 21 last during an engagement in the Ottoshoop district. On that date the Bushmen were endeavouring to find the flanks of the Boers and got round behind them, when suddenly the Bushmen came in sight of a number of horses near a farm house. Douglas, Obant, Hillier (all Lyellites) (i.e. residents of Mount Lyell in Tasmania), and Allen (a Queenslander) rushed into a churchyard near by in order to get a better shot at the Boers, and they then saw two of the enemy sneaking up to get a shot at Jackson and some other Tassies. Douglas and his mates waited until the Boers got closer, and then three fired, bringing one of the men down. The other Boer started to run, and then Chant fired and dropped him. These Boers were afterwards picked up by the British and taken into the hospital at Ottoshoop.

Douglas and party, who had been joined by Lawson, another Tasmanian, stayed in the churchyard for some time, but at length they found the Boers were creeping up a donga, and from their position the Bushmen were unable to get a good shot at them. Douglas decided to make for a cattle kraal lower down, on the bank of the donga, and Lawson offered to join him. Allen and Chant advised them not to go, but they persisted in their purpose. Douglas was walking along in front of Lawson, when be was struck by a bullet just below the right breast. He, however, made no mention of the fact that he had been shot to Lawson, for he only thought he had received a scratch, the wound not being painful, and only producing a stinging sensation. The pair reached the kraal, but even then they could not get a shot at the Boers in the donga, so they decided to proceed further along the donga in the long grass. Seeing the grass moving ahead of them on the opposite side of the donga they fired several rounds into it, but could not judge the effect. At last a Boer put his head up out of the grass, and as he did so Douglas fired and shot him in the chest. Almost at the same instant Douglas was shot in the left side, the bullet passing right through his body.

The grass was too long for the Boers to distinguish Douglas and Lawson, but bullets flew unpleasantly close to them. Lawson, who was about 20 yards away from Douglas, at last remarked that they had better make a move, and Douglas, who had not intimated that he was shot, suggested that Lawson should retire first, in order that he (Douglas) might cover his retreat. To this course Lawson objected, remarking that he would not go without his mate. Douglas, who was becoming paralysed in his legs and knew that he had no chance of reaching their horses, which they had left some considerable distance behind, pointed out that if they both went together they would get shot. He did not want Lawson to know he was badly wounded, for be knew that his mate would not leave him under those circumstances, and he was anxious that he at any rate should get away safely. He told Lawson that while he was making for the horses he would keep on firing at the Boers and Lawson could perform a similar office for him (Douglas) when he was trying to join him. Lawson then consented to move, but just as he got up from the grass a big Boer appeared in sight 30 yards away. Lawson, however, dropped him, and taking to his heels made a dash for the horses. Subsequently Douglas ascertained that the column had taken their horses away, and consequently Lawson could not find them. Lawson waited for his comrade for a considerable lime, but the latter, of course, did not put in an appearance and Lawson made his way back-to camp, which he reached about one or two o'clock in the morning. He reported Douglas as missing.

In the meanwhile Douglas lay wounded in the long grass. Once he saw Sergeant-Major Boyes about 100yds away, but he had by that time grown too weak to call out. He believes that be must have been unconscious portion of the time, for the hours passed quickly by. At times Boers passed close by him bearing saddles which they had removed from the horses shot by the British. Just about dark a little Dutch girl, about 17 years of age, came to him and asked him whether he had been shot. She tried to lift him up, and even wanted to carry him, but he was too big a burden. She removed his bandolier and his haversack and put them under his head, and not being satisfied with the improvised pillow, took off her skirt, and wrapping it up with the bandolier and haversack made a comfortable resting place for his bead. She left him there, but in three-quarters of an hour returned, accompanied by her mother and five aunts (she had eight aunts, by the way). They talked together in Dutch for a while, and he wondered what were their intentions, for he had heard tales of cruelty on the part of Boer women. All doubts as to their intentions were, however, dispelled when four of them stooped down, crossed their hands under him, and then carried him to a farmhouse, a distance of about half a mile. There they handed him over to the care of the girl's grandmother. After examining his wound, the old lady prepared some salve, with some white powder, goat's cream, and soap, which she placed on the wounds. For bandages she used her apron, which she tore into strips. He spent a comfortable night, and in the morning did not feel any pain from his injuries.

He stayed at the house for five days, and during that time a lot of Dutchmen from the Boer laager, which was only five miles away, came to ask after him. The little girl could speak English well, she having been educated in Mafeking, and when his visitors were ignorant of English she acted as interpreter. He once inquired of the girl how she came to find him, and she said that she saw both him and Lawson go down through the grass, and only one return. Prior to the fight they had been removed from the firing line by two Bushmen, whom she described so accurately that Douglas did not fail to distinguish the men. He derived much amusement from the manner in which she imitated their little peculiarities. General Lemmer (who was recently killed) came to see him, and asked him whether he would prefer to go to the Boer hospital at the laager, or to the British hospital at Ottoshoop. Douglas replied that he wished to go to the Ottoshoop hospital General Lemmer told him that he would send him a Boer doctor, but next day the General informed him the Boer doctor was too busily engaged in attending to their own wounded to visit him. General Lemmer, however, brought him a bottle of brandy, and sent for him a note to the British camp, requesting that an ambulance should be sent to the farm house to take him to the hospital. The ambulance arrived in due course, and Douglas was removed to Ottoshoop. After spending three days there be was despatched to Mafeking, 24 miles distant, in an ambulance cart, in which he had a very rough and fearful journey. He stayed in the hospital in Mafeking for three days, and was then sent in a hospital train to Deelfontein, which be reached after a two days' journey. September 4 was the day of his arrival at Deelfontein, and it was not until December 18 that he was able to get out of bed. It was a long illness and only his strong constitution pulled him through. The hospital, the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital, was a splendid institution, being described as the best in South Africa. He ascribes his recovery to the care given him by the Dutch, and especially to the kindness of the girl who found him and had him removed to the farmhouse. Had it not been for her he is sure that he would not now be alive, as he was losing blood fast when she reached him.

Speaking generally of his experiences Douglas says that the Lyellites, like all the Bushmen, enjoy campaigning when there is plenty of fighting. What they detest is town life, in which they have to guard stores or perform similar monotonous duties! Any Australian who has been used to roughing it would enjoy the life on the veldt as long as there was a fair share of excitement. At any rate Trooper Douglas appears to be enamoured of campaigning life, for he has again applied for enlistment and hopes to pass the doctor. If he is successful in finding a place in the ranks of the next contingent it is to be hoped that he will not again be a recipient of Boer bullets. If, however, it is his fate to be again wounded, may he fall into the hands of as kindly disposed enemies as was his good luck last August.'

With some research.