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Nesbitt's Horse was raised in December 1899 and served throughout the war.


Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Defence of Ladysmith, Transvaal (1206 Serjt. J.Emms. Nesbitt's H)

Noble Numismatics say only that he is confirmed on the nominal roll for Nesbitt's Horse.

He is listed on the QSA roll for Nesbitt's Horse with clasp CC (WO100/262p44). On the supplementary roll of Nesbitt's for SA01 which was returned (WO100/262p319). He earned SA02 from FID (WO100/301p113).

I believe his entitlement to be CC, SA01, SA02.

From the next City Coins auction:

322. Pair QSA (3) CC, SA’01, SA’02 (Lieut. S.A. Callaghan. Nesbitt’s Horse)
KSA (0) (Lieut. S.A. Callaghan. Nesbitt’s H).

Sidney Callaghan served in the Fort Beaufort Troop of Nesbitt’s Horse. He was mentioned (LG, 17 January 1902, p375): “By coolness and good dispositions, repulsed enemy’s attack at Ganna Hoek, Cape Colony, September 21st, 1901”.

On the Supplementary QSA Roll for Nesbitt’s Horse (August 1903) he was originally listed as entitled to the clasps SA’01 and SA’02 but not entitled to the KSA and his QSA was issued accordingly with the 2 date clasps. The matter was re-opened in April 1907, when it was established that his dates of service did entitle him to the King’s SA Medal. This was duly issued to him without clasps, but he never bothered to transfer the date clasps from the QSA to the KSA.

From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

Gannahoek, 21 September 1901

“They reached Gannahoek, following the tracks of mounted horses, and Smuts nearly surprised a column of Bedford and Winterberg DMT and a section of Nesbitt’s Horse resting in a sheltered spot. Capt Welshman, out scouting on a hill, spotted the Boers creeping into position and fired a warning shot. Lieutenant SA Callaghan made up for his tardiness when he took up a position on a hill and drove the Boers back. Trooper AC Bates was killed in the first volley, but Tprs Allan and P Nel, who was wounded in three places, showed exceptional pluck and saved the patrol that was in a tight corner.

Lieutenant Callaghan received a mention in despatches for ‘coolness and good disposi¬tion in repulsing the enemy at Gannahoek’. Tpr Nel’s citation read ‘although wounded in three places, he still fought and rendered valuable service’. Reitz described it more casually in “Commando”, saying that they rode up the gorge and saw an English foraging party going off. Ben Coetzee killed a member of the troop, a local farmer called Brown, and the rest of the patrol raced off.”
“General Jan Smuts and his Long Ride” by T & D Shearing, p65

QSA (2) CC, SA01 (Tpr. A.C. Bates, Nesbitt’s H.)

The original QSA issued to Alfred Charles Bates was returned to Woolwich in January 1909. It was re-issued in July 1927 with contemporary small-font naming and a fixed suspender. Although Reitz mentions Brown as the local farmer who was killed, that surname is nowhere to be found in the SAFF Casualty Rolls and local newspapers. Reitz wrote up his memoirs while in Madagascar after the war, so this kind of error is understandable. Bates is buried in Cradock.

The 'DoL' QSA to Sergeant Emms sold at Noble Numismatics for a hammer price of Au$420.

From City Coins #29, December 1982

CGHGSM (3) Transkei, Basutoland, Bechuanaland (Pte J Curran Nesbitt's L. Horse)
QSA (4) CC. OFS. Job. Dia. H. (1592 Cpl Nesbitt's H)
KSA (2) (Nesbitt's H.)

Joseph Currin was born in 1864, was apprenticed as a blacksmith and wagon maker in Grahamstown and first saw military service at age of 13 with the Grahamstown contingent in the Gaika-Galeka war of 1877. Thereafter he served in the Basuto War of 1881 with 1st City Volunteers. His age was then 17 years. He next saw action in the Bechuanaland Rebellion of 1897.

Only 23 3-bar CGH medals were awarded and as such this must be regarded as a great rarity in the South African series of medals.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg (Tpr. J. V. Oates. Nesbitt's Horse.)

John Valentine Oates was born in 1877 and was a bank clerk when he enlisted in Nesbitt's Horse at Grahamstown on 3 February 1900.