Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 4 bars, Rhodesia, Relief of Mafeking, Tranvsaal, SA 1901, 817 Sergeant Major Robert Thompson McNeilage, Southern Rhodesia Volunteers and Gorringe’s Flying Column.
Officially impressed: “817 Serjt: Maj: R.T. McNeilage. S. Rhoda: Vols”
Confirmed on the medal roll, earning the first 3 clasps with the Southern Rhodesian Volunteers (1899-1900) and his SA 1901 with Gorringe’s Flying Column (1901).
Scarce “Relief of Mafeking” entitlement and an excellent example to a Sergeant Major.
According to the enlistment books of Gorringe’s Flying Column:
McNeilage served with the Southern Rhodesian Volunteeers from 26th February 1899 until 17th December 1900.
Around the end of 1900, the Rhodesians having finished their 12 month contract was disbanded, like McNeilage most took up another contract with Colonial Units in the country.
McNeilage first signed on with the Gorringes F C on 29th January 1901, further signing on as Sergeant Major on 7th September 1901.
He was discharged from the regiment on 24th December 1901.
Robert Thompson McNeilage was born circa 1878 (according to his marriage records), being quite young to have risen to be Sergeant Major in 2 units during the Boer War barely into his 20s.
Possible related was the similarly named “Mrs Squair”, born Ellen THOMPSON McNeilage, who was one of Rhodesia’s Pioneer Women. Sounds like his sister with both of them bearing the middle name Thompson and the unusually encountered surname “McNeilage”, also she is recorded as having arrived in Rhodesia “By Coach” during 1896.
Note a Malcolm McNeilage born in Campbelltown, Scotland, came to Rhodesia in 1892.
Folowing the war, McNeilage who worked in peacetime as a “Machinist”, married the similarly Scottish sounding “Helen Parker McBeath” who was the same age and they both lived at the time in East London on 10th January 1912.
