Description
Cape of Good Hope GSM, bar Basutoland, Pte J. Williams, 1st City Volunteers, the First City “Fighting Grahams”, who fought in the squares at Ramabidikwe against the Basuto in the 1880-1 Gun War.
Officially engraved: “Pte J. Williams. 1st City Vol.”
Crisp condition.
Confirmed on the medal roll. About 71 surviving veterans of the war from the 1st City Volunteers claimed the Basutoland Clasp when the medal was instituted circa 1900.
Private J. Williams took part in the Basuto Gun War of 1880-1 with the First City (Grahamstown) Mounted Volunteers.
Known formally as the “First City” or the “Fighting Grahams” this regiment holds a distinguished and still standing history with the South African Army.
Now the “Chief Makhanda Regiment”, this unit was officially established in 1875 as the First City Volunteers of Grahamstown.
Private Williams joined them in the Gun War of 1880-81 against the Basuto.
During the war, Captain D. Sampson, who lived to claim the medal and clasp as well as Pte Williams, led a contingent of the unit, with 2 officers and 70 Men who served as part of the HQ Column in Basutoland, where they took casualties in the fighting at Lerothodi’s Kraal on October 31st, taking the most casualties of any unit, losing 4 killed 2 missing and 2 wounded, including their leader Captain Sampson, while fighting alongside the Cape Mounted Rifles (who were led by Henry Cecil Dudgeon D’arcy VC, just earned his VC in the Zulu War) and the DEOVR and Cape Mounted Yeomanry.
A second contingent of the First City Volunteers relieved the first and on 15th February 1881, formed the face of the Infantry Square at the battle at Ramabidikwe, where they were charged by the Basuto and held them off with bayonets.
