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Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (7) CC Eland DoL OFS Tr LN SA01 (296 Tpr. C. B. Hearns, Natal M.R.);
1914-15 Star (Pte. C. B. Hearns 4th Infantry);
BWM & VM (Pte. C. B. Hearns. 5th. S.A.I.)

Charles Bertram Hearns was born in King Williamstown in 1875, and served during the Boer War in the Natal Mounted Rifles, the Volunteer Composite Regiment, and in the Commander-in-Chief’s Bodyguard.

Following the outbreak of the Great War he attested as Private 8004 in the 4th Infantry (’C’ Company, 1st Eastern Rifles) on 10 October 1914. He embarked on S.S. Colonial for Central Force on 2 March 1915 and was discharged on 9 July 1915. He re-attested as Rifleman 5367 in the South African Mounted Rifles (Training Depot, Tempe) on 30 June 1915 but was discharged on 9 July 1915. Hearns then re-attested as Private 3923 in the 7th South African Horse. He disembarked at Kilidini on 8 May 1916, transferred to the 5th South African Horse on 22 October 1916 and thence to the South African Engineering Corps at Morogoro on 13 November 1916. Receiving treatment for malaria at Dar es Salaam in April 1917, he was subsequently discharged at Robert’s Heights because of the disease on 4 November 1917, as being permanently unfit for tropical service and temporarily unfit for non-tropical service.

That is a particularly nice QSA.

djb wrote:

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (7) CC Eland DoL OFS Tr LN SA01 (296 Tpr. C. B. Hearns, Natal M.R.);
1914-15 Star (Pte. C. B. Hearns 4th Infantry);
BWM & VM (Pte. C. B. Hearns. 5th. S.A.I.)

Charles Bertram Hearns was born in King Williamstown in 1875, and served during the Boer War in the Natal Mounted Rifles, the Volunteer Composite Regiment, and in the Commander-in-Chief’s Bodyguard.

Following the outbreak of the Great War he attested as Private 8004 in the 4th Infantry (’C’ Company, 1st Eastern Rifles) on 10 October 1914. He embarked on S.S. Colonial for Central Force on 2 March 1915 and was discharged on 9 July 1915. He re-attested as Rifleman 5367 in the South African Mounted Rifles (Training Depot, Tempe) on 30 June 1915 but was discharged on 9 July 1915. Hearns then re-attested as Private 3923 in the 7th South African Horse. He disembarked at Kilidini on 8 May 1916, transferred to the 5th South African Horse on 22 October 1916 and thence to the South African Engineering Corps at Morogoro on 13 November 1916. Receiving treatment for malaria at Dar es Salaam in April 1917, he was subsequently discharged at Robert’s Heights because of the disease on 4 November 1917, as being permanently unfit for tropical service and temporarily unfit for non-tropical service.

From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

Nondweni, 28 July 1901

Early on the morning of 28 July 1901, near N’qutu, a 400+ Boer commando made a determined attack on a column consisting mainly of the Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment (130 men) and the 8th Hussars (70 men) and accompanied by 3 guns of the 67th Bty, RFA under command of Major Jervis-Edwards. The Boers made desperate efforts to capture one of the guns but did not succeed. In the end six men were killed/died of wounds and three were wounded. The enemy was driven off with much loss.

QSA (4) OFS, RoL, Tvl, L Nek (415 Tpr. C.C. Murchie. Natal M.R.)

Murchie was attached to the Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment when he was killed at Nondweni. An eye-witness account of his demise is given in “War with Johnny Boer”, p482-483:

“Just before the gun was so determinedly attacked, Major Jervis-Edwards (our commander), a sergeant of the Hussars and four men left our place to go and see where they could take up another position, but as they did not return, Major Henderson came to where we were, and said he was very anxious about Edwards, and called for four volunteers to go with him to look for the commander. Sergeant [C.C.] Murchie, myself and another young fellow named Lewis stepped out. [One of the lieutenants also seems to have volunteered]. The firing at this time was the heaviest of the day. We advanced up the ridge, taking what cover we could behind anthills. When we had gone 60 or 70 yards, we saw two Boers on top of the ridge, and the lieutenant gave the order to drop. I took one anthill and Murchie another, about five yards away. Just as we dropped there were two reports. I thought they had passed between us, and turned to Murchie and said, ‘That was close’, when to my horror I saw he had received one of the bullets and was lying on his back. I called him by name, asking him where he was hit, but he never spoke, groaned or moved. Major Henderson was the only one of us that could see the Boers, so he fired four shots at them. The lieutenant and myself got up alongside Murchie and found that the poor fellow was shot through the heart, so I took his watch, ring and money, and then we retired, rolling over anthills and crawling on our bellies, for the Boers were firing all the time”.

A SA01 clasp was authorized in December 1903 but was not attached to the medal.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (5) Orange Free State, Transvaal, Laing's Nek, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1901 (391 Tpr: H.P.Forster. Natal M.R.) Impressed.

Trooper H.P.Forster served with Natal Mounted Rifles 20 Mar - 08 Oct 1900.

Possibly Harold Paulsen Forster, born Middlesborough, Yorkshire, later moved to South Africa and after Boer War service tried his hand as an amateur actor. Died at Doornfontein, Johannesburg on 28 June 1943 and his death certificate recorded him as on the accountant's staff of the Victoria Falls and Transvaal Power Company.

Ex. W (Bill) Woolmore Collection.

The medal to Trooper Forster sold for a hammer price of Au$360. Totals: £234. R4,800. Au$440. Can$410. US$320.

The QSA to H.P. Forster was one of my successful bids from Noble's.
My research differs from the late W.Woolmore's.
I have him as Henry Percy Forster and he served in the following units-
Colonial Scouts
Natal Mounted Rifles
Natal Volunteer Composite Regt
2/ Imp Lt Horse
The RoL clasp took my attention as the vast majority of the NMR were inside Ladysmith during the siege.
I was fortunate enough several years ago to pick up a QSA with the RoL clasp to a member of the NMR who earned it with that unit. In this case Forster earned the RoL clasp with the Colonial Scouts.
Very pleased to have it with the other NMR QSA's.

Cheers,

Jim