About the product

QSA Defence of Kimberley Wounded MID

Q.S.A. Medal, 2 bars, Defence of Kimberley, 54 Trooper A.H. Armstrong, Kimberley Light Horse, Wounded during the siege and Mentioned in Despatches. Although shot through the chest by Boer Snipers he managed to ride back to town.

Out of stock

SKU: J6640 Category:
Origin: United Kingdom
Nearly Extremely Fine

Description

Queen’s South Africa, 2 bars, Defence of Kimberley, Orange Free State, 54 Trooper Arthur Homer Armstrong, Kimberley Light Horse, Wounded during the siege and Mentioned in Despatches.

 

With an unofficial MiD emblem on the ribbon. Provenance: last sold by us in September 1994.

 

Trooper Armstrong was severely wounded during the Siege of Kimberley on 22th November 1899 whilst outside Kenilworth in a skirmish being shot in the chest he managed to keep his seat and ride back to town, he would later be mentioned in despatches for valuable service by Colonel Kekewich during May 1900.

 

He was first mentioned in the official report of Lord Kekewich during May 1900 where many officers were commended but he was one of only 3 non-officers to be mentioned as “deserving of mention for good work.”
He was then officially mentioned in the despatches of Lord Roberts, 2nd April 1901, in total he was one of only about 5 men from the Kimberley Light Horse and Mounted Corps to be mentioned for the Boer War.

 

He would soon after be medically discharged as unfit for further service on 24th March 1900.

 

A recalling of the event he was wounded by Elizabeth Atkinson, a civilian during the siege:

 

“There was a skirmish yesterday outside Kenilworth and one of our men was killed and two were badly wounded. They were on patrol to protect the cattle, which is so often looted by the Boers. The Boers sent a shell amongst them with that dire result. They always suffer so much with these kinds of shell wounds; one was shot right through the abdomen and the other in the spine.”

 

Also mentioned in detail in the rare book Summer of 1899: The Siege of Kimberley, 14 October 1899 to 15th February 1900 by Steve Lunderstedt:

 

“Nov 22 – More Sniping outside Kenilworth, Lieut Hawker, Kimberley Light Horse and a trooper of the same Regiment….
Boers commenced ‘Potting’ at them. Lieutenant Hawker and Trooper Armstrong, of the Kimberley Light Horse, were both severely wounded in the chest. The latter managed to keep his seat and ride back, but Lieutenant Hawker fell, and had to be carried nearly two miles across rocky ground on an improvised stretcher formed of 2 rifles with bandoliers placed across in place of canvas.”