Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Lot 3930    SESSION 19 (2.30PM FRIDAY 28TH JULY)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Estimate $4,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL 1899, (type 2 reverse with sign of date removal), - five clasps - Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast. 940. Tpr. H.C.Beeching. N.S.W. Lrs. Engraved. Hairlines and surface marks, otherwise good fine.

Ex Barry Hibbard Collection.

Henry 'Harry' Cotton Beeching confirmed as Trooper in NSW Lancers.

The following letter was published in the Evening News (Sydney, NSW) on Saturday 18 August 1900, page 3 under the heading, 'Lucky Lancers'.

'Trooper H. Beeching, of the N.S.W. Lancers, writes from Pretoria on June 17, to his mother on the Richmond River, as follows: 'It has been nothing but 'spar' and hard fighting since we left Springfontein. We have been up to our neck in fight all the way, and the whole family have paddled through without a scratch. We joined the old Lancers at Bloemfontein, and thought no small slice of ourselves when we got with them. All the camp knew we were coming, and were on the lookout for us. We had a great reception.

All the Tommies were down to have a look at the 'New Sow Wale Lancers,' as they call them. They reckon they are the men they want out here; they say that Boer bullets cannot hit them, and, if they do, they glide off, and I believe them, for we have been under more heavy fire than any other regiment in French's Brigade since this march started, and are the only squadron that has gone through without losing a man. The Inniskillings, that are next to us in the ranks, have lost as many as twenty men in a day's fighting. But when our roll was called we could always fill it, or account for those who were missing. We go under the name of the 'Lucky Sow Wale Lancers,' and we are exactly that, for the corners we have been in and scratched through without some of us stopping lead is wonderful. Last Sunday week, for instance (I daresay you have heard of it now, for it was sure to go home, as General French gave the Lancers special praise for bravery and coolness) we were in the middle of a long pass, not dreaming of what was coming, when hundreds of rifles opened upon us from a lope or hill of broken granite, not 300 yards off. It was a nice trap, and no mistake. They had the whole brigade fairly at their mercy. The only thing that could be done was retire, and that left the lot under fire for at least a mile. How did both horses and men go down? There was no escape on either side, and to advance meant a clean sweep of the lot, so back they started, with our lot with them; but we were pulled up before we got far, and ordered to go back to a bit of a drain, and return the fire.

What sort of a nasty feeling did it give a chap? I could have bet my life that the lot of us would have gone down before reaching the drain for cover, and here's one who thought they had, for we were lying there for two hours, with bullets pouring in like hail. It was a case of lying low or stopping one. At any rate, we got a chance of retiring after dark, and were a sorry-looking lot going into camp. We expected to find most of our pals on the road, and in the drain riddled with bullets; but they kept straggling in by twos and three up till 12 o'clock, and what sort of rejoicing was there when the roll was called and the word came, 'None missing.'

We were that happy that we lit a large fire, and sat up all night rehearsing our experiences. It was as happy a meeting as we had a few days after the prisoners were released, and you can guess what it was like. Just fancy, our brigade being the one to release them, and the N.S.W. Lancers were the first to get there. They saw us coming over a ridge a mile away, and could not contain themselves; but made a bolt over, through, and under the walls, and came running to meet us. The excitement was intense; but the hand-shaking and all that was soon put a stop to, for while we were in the middle of it the Boers got their 'Long Tom' out, and fired three shells in quick time at the crowd. Two of them whistled over our heads; but the other dropped fair amongst us; but luck still stuck to us, for instead of striking the ground and bursting, it fell in a soft place, and did little damage, for instead of killing one and wounding two, it must have settled at least thirty had she gone off. There was a great scatter, then our guns came galloping up, and got into action in quick order; while we were packed off to drive them out of a kopje, and got a warm reception in doing it. We lost a few horses driving them out; but the Carbiniers that came up lost both horses and men. They had the bad luck to lose an officer and two privates; but all that comes when you go out looking for fight.' '

It was also reported in the Northern Star (Lismore, NSW) paper on Wednesday 6 February 1901, page 4 that on the previous Thursday an official function was held in Lismore to welcome back Trooper Beeching. He had been a member of the Lismore Fire Brigade when he resigned to volunteer to go the war in South Africa. Members of the Brigade were glad that he was rejoining the Brigade and the function proceeded in the Brigade rooms with the mayor and other dignitaries in attendance.

With research.