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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 80

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State (114 Pte W. Taylor. N.S. Wales M.R.), good very fine

W. St. John Taylor served with 'E' Squadron, 1st Contingent, New South Wales Mounted Rifles during the Boer War and was a prolific writer of his experiences. The Goulburn Evening Post of 1 February 1900 was one such publisher of his time in South Africa:

'The Boers are holding their own with the British. They have a great stronghold here (at Modder River), but the lyddite shells are tearing them to pieces. The Boers say that if the gunners could see the way it slaughters them and cuts them up they would never fire it again. You will see pieces of men blown all over the place; you will see dead Boers lying all about, and you will see pieces of the heads and legs sticking up. It is not a pleasant sight, I can tell you.

The writer refers to the Boers' improper use of ambulance vehicles, and says the Boers are a cunning lot, and have no mercy on their opponents at all. He also reports an incident of a Boer shooting a British doctor who had given him some water. A Gordon caught a Boer, who cried for mercy. The Gordon said, "I'll give you mercy," and he put his bayonet right through him. The writer continues: "South Africa is not as good as Australia... I suppose you have seen the papers and you know how things stand here, and I know now I have very little chance of getting back to my home again, but I will face the music like a soldier. The only thing I hope is that I get a few Boers; then I'll be satisfied; I shall not run away. I don't think we can see the fight from our camp, but the Boers won't show themselves.

They are a cowardly lot. They won't show themselves till you are right up to them; then they fire on you and they show no mercy whatever.'

Taylor reports of the killing of the wounded at Modder River by the Boers:

'The Boers don't like the Australian Lancers; they run for their lives as soon as they see them. They are frightened of us, too; they think we are a lot of wild blacks and we would tear a man to pieces. We have a great name in the Transvaal, I can assure you ... I have seen more wounded men since I came here than there are men in Goulburn. You will see trainloads of wounded going through every day. There are some with their legs blown off, and some with pieces taken out of them, and some with bullets right through their brains. Oh, you want to show no mercy at all to the Boers, but when you see one put your bayonet right through him, or he will get your scalp somehow. We are now on the hill where was the greatest fight the British ever won. It's simply marvellous how they won it. They had only 200 men and there were 4000 Boers... The British could not see a Boer anywhere - only hear the report of firearms. The British mad a charge with their bayonets, with which they made one bold run under the Boer fire. It is marvellous how they were not all killed, and they don't take a bit of notice of the Boer bullets. But the fight that is taking place now at Modder River is the biggest and most murderous fight that has even been fought in the Transvaal. The soldiers say they never saw such a dreadful sight in their lives. Some of the poor fellows are crippled for life... I say again it is the biggest and bloodiest and most murderous war that has ever taken place in the world... Some of the men came out here to see the fight, but the sight sickened them and they went home again. It's all right when you have to sleep with the dead, but we are all very determined to get among the Boers. They are 5000 strong just behind our camp, and we are all ready for them. We had a very strong hold if they had come. I will have to give up my war news, or I could tell you some scenes that would turn you sick.'

In a joint letter to Captain McShane from Enslin Camp, under date 13 January 1900, he wrote:

'We are still in the best of health and spirits. The only fighting we have done is with the flies, which are more annoyance to us than the Boers. The food we are getting is pretty rough but of course we are not on a picnic excursion. We cannot get better on active service. When we first reached there things were very bad as far as water was concerned. On more than one occasion no less than five of us had to bathe in one and a half pints of water. We have both played in the intercolonial football match NSW v WA. We are camped here with the Gordon Highlanders and, as they have bands here, we put in a good time with them. Forty-five NSW, forty-five Tasmanians and forty-five Victorians marched to within a few miles of Graspan, intending to cut off a party of Boers who were coming to blow up the railway at that point. We saw the Boer patrols about a mile in front of our position, but as soon as they caught sight of us they thought discretion the better part of valor and galloped off. We were lying in the blazing sun for fourteen hours, and were supplied with a pint of water, one pound of bread and an onion. We don't think we will put on any flesh with that extensive bill of fare. As far as coming out here is concerned, neither of us are sorry, although it is hard work. But we both hope and trust that we will yet have the opportunity of showing our pluck, and will be a credit both to our officers, E Company, and our selves.'

Taylor was invalided home and landed on the Aberdeen in Sydney via Melbourne in August 1900. He died as a result of a fall after an epileptic fit in 1918.

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Estimate
£400 to £600

Starting price
£320