Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 4 bars, Relief of Mafeking, Defence of Kimberley, Orange Free State, Transvaal, 228 Trooper John Daniel Buckley, Kimberley Light Horse and Field Intelligence Department.
Officially impressed: “228 Tpr: J.D. Buckley. Kimberley Lt Horse”
Confirmed on the medal roll, previously served in Kimberley Town Guard for the siege, before setting off afterwards with the Flying Column, Kimberley Light Horse.
Provenance: Spink October 1999, Burman June 2000.
A rare combination of bars, one of the formerly besieged soldiers freed from Kimberley who rode with Colonel Mahon’s Flying Column on the path to relieve Mafeking.
Stevens recalls the column in Chapter XXIV – The Relief of Mafeking:
“It was Colonel Bryan Thomas Mahon, DSO, of the 8th Hussars, who was entrusted with the Relief. He is a Kitchener Man, and an Irishman, under 40, who received his commission in 1883 and was transferred to the Egyptian Army in 1896.
His composite flying column of 2,300 picked men included the Imperial Light Horse, from Ladysmith, a Kimberley Mounted Corps (Including Tpr Buckley), a large body of infantry from the Fusilier Brigade, with Royal Artillery Guns and Pom Poms, and a special equipment of 35 Light Springed Mule Transport.
Amongst the officers were Prince Alexander of Teck, Sir John Willoughby, Col F. Rhodes and Major Baden-Powell, brother of the Gallant Hero…”
John Daniel Buckley, began the war besieged in the town of Kimberley, as a member of the Kimberley Town Guard, where he served as part of the No 6 Redoubt.
Shortly after the town was freed, he joined the Kimberley Light Horse on 16th March 1900, who were setting off to join the fight.
He served with the regiment in the Relief of Mafeking, and afterwards was discharged from the regiment on 8th June 1900, his character noted as “Very Good”.
After this he then joined the Field Intelligence Department.
His Life:
James Daniel Buckley was a South African born about 1876 in Port Elizabeth, Cape Proince.
The son of William and Ann (Hoynes) Buckley. His father had been born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, and had emigrated to South Africa.
His father settled with the family in the town of Kimberley, where he worked as a Guard in the De Beers mine.
During the War, James married Emily Jane Heath in St Marys Church, Kimberley, on 30th January 1901.
He had 3 children, all daughters, but only 1 survived, Elizabeth Florence “Flo” Buckley.
James Buckley died aged only 44, during 6th September 1920 in the Kimberley General Hospital.
He had worked as a Miner in the Kimberley Mines.
