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QSA Talana 5 Bars 18th Hussars

Queen’s South Africa, 5 bars, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, OFS, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, 4331 Pte Edward Hickman, 18th Hussars.

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Origin: United Kingdom
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Description

Queen’s South Africa, 5 bars, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, OFS, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, 4331 Pte Edward Hickman, 18th Hussars.

 

Confirmed on the medal roll, a scarce and interesting combination of bars.

 

Officially engraved cavalry style: “4331 Pte E. Hickman 18/Hrs” Some contact marking through wear.

 

Private Hickman served throughout the Boer War, also earning the additional King’s South Africa Medal, with the bars for 1901 and 1902, after the end of the war he was discharged to the Army Reserve on 4th January 1903.

 

Private Hickman is noted as having served with “A” Squadron during the War.

 

With the outbreak of World War 1, it took barely 2 months for him to return to his old unit, his service is noted in the National Roll of the Great War which reads:

 

“HICKMAN E., 18th Queen Mary’s Own Hussars

 

He volunteered in October 1914, and after a period of training was drafted to India. There he served on important garrison duties at various stations, including that of Lucknow, and rendered valuable services. He returned home and was demobilised in February 1919, and hold the General Service and Victory Medals. 135 Duke Road, Chiswick, W4.”

 

It is likely that he is the Edward Hickman, born in 1876 in Fulham, London.

 

Signed up for the Royal West Surrey Regiment of Militia on 19th July 1893 whilst 17 years old and 6 months with number 7815
After turning 18 he likely volunteered for full time service, joining the 18th Hussars.

 

 

BOER WAR

 

Out of about 150 men, “A” Squadron suffered significant casualties during the Boer War having seen much active service, Approx 22 wounded, 6 Killed in Action, 5 Died on service, with about 27 being noted as invalided.

 

This squadron had the particular honour of being commanded in battle by Major Percival S. Marling, VC, who had won his own Victoria Cross as a young man in Egypt at Tamaai during 1884.

 

The involvement of the 18th Hussars at the Battle of Talana Hill is very well documented in the regimental history of the war in South Africa.

 

The following is the entry in the book regarding the battle with emphasis on the involvement of the 18th Hussars:

 

As it is only intended to give here an account of what actually concerns the Regiment, so further details of the
magnificent attack by the Infantry and Artillery on Talana Hill must be omitted, while the following description of the
doings of the 18th Hussars, from the time we left them in the valley west of the camp, written by a senior officer of the Regiment, will show what befell them on that day : —

 

" The doings of the 18th Hussars on October 20th, 1899'

 

" About 5.20 a.m. orders were received to off-saddle and
water, but not quite liking the general outlook, we decided
to ' stand to,' and in ten minutes a heavy Artillery fire was
opened on us from the Boers on Talana Hill. We received
very shortly orders to form up under cover on the Glencoe
side of the camp, and we did so as quickly as possible, many
of us having narrow escapes from bursting shells, but no one
was hit during the process. After we had formed up the
Regiment, Colonel Moller ordered me to proceed in advance
with 'A' Squadron, and try and get in rear of the enemy's
position. During my advance the enemy fired on us with
their guns, but they did no damage, and I got my men to an
excellent position, about 1,200 yards in rear of the enemy's,
and from there sent two messages to Colonel Moller, asking
him to bring up the remainder of the Regiment and Mounted
Infantry, and one Squadron and some Mounted Infantry
were sent up about twenty minutes' later, followed later on
by the rest of the Regiment, but Colonel Moller would not
allow the Maxim gun to open fire, although it was in an
excellent position. I was then ordered to take * B '
Squadron forward and try and get farther in rear of the
enemy, and I sent one troop, under Lieut Bayford, on my
left flank, as parties of the enemy were seen coming towards
us from that direction. Lieut Bayford sent back word to
say he had captured twelve men, and I went towards him to
give orders respecting the prisoners, when I observed a Boer
patrol of about twenty men, supported by two other bodies of
men of similar strength, advancing to rescue the prisoners,
so I ordered Major Greville to charge the leading party with
two troops, which he did, killing two Boers and capturing
twenty, while one of his own men was wounded. Our men
would have made short work of the whole of the Boer patrol
had not the officers prevented them. In the meantime the
other Boer patrols retired. I then rejoined Colonel Moller,
who ordered me to take 2 Squadrons right in rear of the
enemy's position, and I advanced over very broken ground
to the roads the enemy had used in their advance the night
before. I refused to take the Maxim gun with me, as it was
madness to remove it from the very excellent position it was
in and risk its capture over the difficult country before me.

 

Soon after leaving Colonel Moller I got right in the thick of
the enemy, many of whom were at that time evacuating
Talana Hill and retiring by the Landsman's and Vant's Drifts
roads ; some 300 were on my left flank, a very large force on
my right, and about eighty to one hundred in my immediate
front. I forced my way through their line of retreat,
engaging the enemy, dismounted in doing so, and I had one
man killed, three or four wounded, and some horses shot
during my progress. I also came under Artillery fire from
the Boer guns, which had been removed from Talana Hill,
and were m retreat towards the Buffalo, at about 2,500 yards
range, but they did no damage, though one shell pitched in
the middle of a Squadron which was in Squadron column. I
had now become so completely surrounded by the enemy, in
much superior numbers, that I had no chance of remaining
in safety in one position, and it was only the rapidity of my
advance which had so far saved me from capture. I there-
fore determined to get right through the enemy's line of
retreat and let him pass me if possible, so I advanced about
another two miles, and succeeded in withdrawing from the
very difficult position I had had to advance to. I had then
to endeavour to retrace my steps, and it was 7 p.m. before
our force reached the camp at Dundee, where I learnt that
Colonel Moller and the remainder of the mounted troops had
been captured.

 


"In my opinion the Cavalry and Mounted Infantry should
have been kept together on the enemy's right flank, where
they had an excellent position, and could have opened fire
with the maxim gun and rifles at a range of 1,200 yards on a
target of some 800 Boers and ponies . . . ."