QSA/KSA/NATAL 1906/WW1 TRIO

405 Frederick Hill Johnston

405 Trooper then Sergeant with Bethune’s Mounted Infantry, Anglo Boer War

Corporal Royston’s Horse, 1906 Natal Bambata Rebellion

685 Rifleman Natal Light Horse “E” Squadron, 1914 Boer Rebellion and WW1 GSWA Campaign.


Frederick Johnston attested with Bethune’s Mounted Infantry on the 23rd October 1899 as a Trooper 'A' Squadron with service number 405 and had progressed to the rank of Sergeant at the end of the campaign. He had been discharged as “Time Expired” before the end of hostilities but re-attested in Durban on the 3rd February 1902 and served till the end of the war. Bethune’s Mounted Infantry served across the country and took part in many a battle, Johnston’s six clasps bare testament to his and the regiment’s widespread involvement in the conflict. He listed his next-of-kin as D. Johnstone, Workington, Cumberland, England.


For his service he earned a QSA KSA medal pair with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith and Laing’s Nek for his QSA, verified on Rolls WO100/236 on pages 101 and 166. His KSA medal verified on Roll WO100/358 page 45. (KSA’s to Colonial units are scarce and his was one of only 120 to the unit.)

With the Zulu uprising in the Colony of Natal in 1906, Johnston attested with Royston’s Horse with the rank of corporal. This was one of the more active units during this campaign, taking part in most of the “major” battles and skirmishers. Some of the actions they took part in are as follows, the march on Ensingabantu, the action at Itate Gorge, bush drives into the Nkandhla Forest, action at Manzipambana (Nkandhla) this action is referred to as the “Fight of Roystons Horse” several casualties occurred including 5 deaths and a number of wounded, enemy loses were estimated at 140, more bush drives in the Nkandhla Forest area, The Mome Fight, the chase for Bambata across the Ofrni river, the action at Macala Hill and being involved in putting down outbreaks late in the conflict in the Nkandhla and Nqutu districts. On the 2nd August 1906 they took part in the final parade in Pietermaritzburg, bringing up the rear of the column during the march past, on the conclusion of the hostilities in the colony.

Johnston’s involvement in the Natal Zulu uprising gained him a 1906 Natal Rebellion medal with a 1906 clasp.

Frederick Johnston was obviously a military minded man with a sense of adventure in his veins and when the next opportunity arose to serve in the army, he took it. With the outbreak of World War One he attested with the Natal Light Horse (a unit formed by his ex OC Col Royston) to serve with the Union Forces in the fight against the German forces in GSWA. He attested on the 7th September 1914 and served until the 1st February 1915 with the NLH. He is recorded as serving with E Squadron as a Rifleman with service number 685.

Upon recruiting his full compliment Royston received orders to entrain the Natal Light Horse (NLH) for Uppington, an area near the border of German South West Africa and, in just a few days, complete with horses and machine guns the regiment detrained at the De Aar Junction. Shortly after this arrival the regiment was ordered out to fight the rebel Afrikaner Boer General Maritz who had recruited men sympathetic to the German cause and was going out in open rebellion of the South African Government decision to back the Imperial Forces in the European conflict that had now spread to their colonies. Moving north from Uppington to Bechuanaland the NLH engaged General Maritz’s rebels at the town of Kakamas mid-afternoon the next day. In this engagement the NLH successfully captured the rebel camp but failed to capture Maritz who, though wounded, got away. The NLH then took up position at Kheis Drift on the Orange River with the intention of stopping another Afrikaans rebel, General Kemp and his large rebel commando from crossing through to German territory. While at this station Royston's observation post reported a large body of men approaching carrying a white flag and wearing white arm bands such as those displayed by the South African Forces. Taking this group as being members of a detachment he was expecting Royston allowed the group into his outpost. Unfortunately this was actually an advanced guard of Kemp's commando who suddenly dismounted and began to send volley fire into the ranks of the NLH, four of whom were killed instantly and another seven wounded. The NLH response was swift. Returning fire they repelled the commando with losses of forty to fifty men at the same time successfully defending Kheis Drift and preventing Kemp from crossing into German South West Africa.

After the successful Defence of Kheis Drift the NLH entrained for Cape Town where they spent Christmas before being shipped to Luderitz Bay in GWSA to join an army group in the southern sector known as Central Force.

Johnston had served throughout this early period and on the 1st February 1915 soon after the NLH had arrived at Luderitz Bay in GSWA he was discharged, with the comment “Discharged on Completion of Service”

He was awarded a WW1 Trio of 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his period of WW1 service and these were dispatched to him on the 21st September 1922.
 

Sold with QSA AND KSA roll pages, Natal 1906 confirmation and WW1 records

NOTE: KSA named to 405 F.H.Johnson instead of Johnston. THIS IS AS HIS NAME IS ON THE KSA ROLL PAGE

EXCELLENT 3 CAMPAIGN GROUP.