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In the grand scheme of things the action at Scheeper's Nek didn't rank very highly - no clasps were given for it but it did lead to a substantial loss of life and left many wounded of which O' Connor was one.

Michael O’ Connor (Wounded in Action)

Corporal, Bethune’s Mounted Infantry – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal to 759 Tpr. M. O’ Connor, Bethune’s M.I. with clasps Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 & 1902

Michael O’Connor is a bit of a mystery man. No records exist of his birth or indeed of his antecedents in South Africa, It can be speculated, which is often unprofitable, that he emanated from the Eastern Cape region of South Africa where a large number of O’Connor’s were to be found in late Victorian times.

What is known is that he enlisted with Bethune’s Mounted Infantry on 10 January 1900, some three months after the Boer War started and that, together with his unit, he would have been involved in some of the actions leading up to the eventual Relief of Ladysmith on 28 February 1900.

When General Buller commenced the movement by which he attempted to turn the right of the Boer positions between himself and Ladysmith, Bethune's Mounted Infantry was split up, a squadron being left under General Barton at Frere and Chieveley, in which district they were constantly employed on reconnaissance duties, and had several casualties. The remainder of the corps accompanied their commander to Potgieter's Drift, where they were attached to General Lyttelton's Brigade, and had skirmishing on various occasions. It is not known to which of these Squadron’s O’ Connor was attached.

On the 24th January, when the awful bloodshed was going on upon the summit of Spion Kop, General Lyttelton sent the 2nd Scottish Rifles, the 3rd King's Royal Rifles, and Colonel Bethune, with two of his squadrons, to assist. The 3rd King's Royal Rifles seized the Twin Peaks, north-east of the Spion; the Scottish Rifles ascended the latter mountain and were put into the firing-line on the summit, where they did very fine work, but although Colonel Bethune offered to lead his men on to the plateau, they were kept in reserve by General Talbot Coke, probably because the role of lining the trenches was rather that of the infantry present.

During the Vaal Krantz operations the corps continued to do patrol work, chiefly on General Buller's right and rear. On 11th February Colonel Bethune was ordered to take his men to Greytown, in order to watch the Boers near the Zululand border, and also with the view of ultimately co-operating from Greytown in any movement towards Dundee. The regiment thus missed the fierce fighting which took place near Colenso between 13th and 27th February.

It must be remembered that the Natal Army lay chiefly to the north of Ladysmith during March and April and on 7th May General Buller commenced his movement to turn the Boer position on the Biggarsberg. In his despatch of 24th May 1900, he wrote:

"While we were at Ladysmith a force under Colonel Bethune had been holding Greytown and the line of the Tugela, that force being five squadrons Bethune's Mounted Infantry, one squadron Umvoti Mounted Rifles, two 12-pounders, RGA, two 7-pounders, Natal Field Artillery, two Hotchkiss, Natal Field Artillery, six companies Imperial Light Infantry. This force I had directed to advance concurrently with our advance on Vermaak's Kraal, and we established connection with it at eleven o'clock (on the 13th). Colonel Bethune's arrangements had been very good. He had seized during the night, with his left, the hills which commanded the southern sides of the pass up which we had to approach. At 11.20 we advanced up the pass".

In his telegram of 21st May 1900 General Buller said that he had detached Colonel Bethune with about 500 men from Dundee on the 19th, to march to N'qutu, and to rejoin at Newcastle. On the 20th one squadron was ambushed about six miles south of Vryheid, very few escaping. Captain Goff, 3rd Dragoon Guards, Lieutenants Lanham and McLachlan, and about 26 non-commissioned officers and men, were killed.

This incident, one in which O’ Connor was heavily involved, was described in a different account thus:

ACTION AT SCHEEPER'S NEK : 20 MAY 1900

Although the Boers had evacuated Dundee scattered groups remained in the vicinity and on 16 May 1900 Bethune was ordered to pursue some of these who were reported to be in the vicinity of Nqutu. His mounted infantry found no Boers at Nqutu but hearing of a commando in the Blood River valley moved off northwards in pursuit. By 20 May he was in the vicinity of Scheepers Nek where a small force of Boers was concentrated.



Action at Scheeper's Nek 20 May 1900

Some members of the Vryheid commando and 75 men of the Swaziland commando, the latter under Comdt Koot Opperman were in a valley near the neck where Dominee E.C. Anderson was conducting a service, the 20th being a Sunday. It is not quite clear how the action started but it would seem that one of the officers of the advance squadron, of Bethune's Mounted Infantry rode-up to the Boer guards without noticing them, giving them the opportunity to disperse before the British could attack.

Capt. Goff who was in command of the leading squadron which was considerably in advance of the rest of the force found himself in an exposed position on a slope where ant heaps formed the only cover. The Boers deployed to ridges on the East and North and their fire created havoc amongst the British horses. The dismounted infantry replied as best they could and made good use of the Maxim gun. However, the hot Boer fire forced the British to withdraw before the main body arrived. British losses were approximately 30 killed (including Capt. Goff and 2 subalterns) and 30 wounded. British sources mention that 6 prisoners were taken but Boer sources place the figure much higher. Only one Boer was killed. As a result of this action Bethune fell back on Nqutu and eventually to Dundee.

O’Connor was one of those wounded in the attack his name being mentioned in The Times’ list of casualties where he was described as “slightly wounded”

Bethune's Mounted Infantry was, during the remainder of 1900, mainly employed on patrol work in the south of the Transvaal and in the Utrecht district, with the view of protecting British posts and the railway line, and frequently they had some skirmishing and much very dangerous work. O’ Connor, doubtless as a result of his wound, was invalided out of the regiment on 20 August 1900 and was to take no further part in the war.

What became of him in later life is unknown.

Now that, I do like very much indeed Rory, but, was there nothing in WO126/2-3 for him? notwithstanding, still a really good scarce medal, I really can't remember the last one I actually saw here, it would certainly have been some time ago.