Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 5 Clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 awarded to Lieutenant C.E.A.L. Rumbold, 2nd Dragoon Guards who would serve in the Boer War in South Africa on operations in Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal, involved in a prisoner escort near Winburg when he is said to have ‘made an ass of himself’ when reporting that his troop were surrounded on all sides by about 1,000 Boers, the true number being between 30 and 40! He would see service during the Great War initially serving on the Western Front from 4th November 1914 as a Captain with the 2nd Dragoons before transferring to the Inland Water Transport Unit of the Royal Engineers. Later he would write on the subjects of Inland Waterways, Yachting, Marine Motoring and Hunting and would be Chevalier of the French Order of Maritime Merit. Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War he would offer his assistance to the War Office claiming to have greater knowledge of the inland waterways of Europe than any living soul, however his offer was declined, and he would return to his residence in Monaco where he died on 9th April 1943.
Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 5 Clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; officially engraved naming (Lieut. C.E.A.L. Rumbold, 2/Drgns:Gds)
Condition: small edge-knick at 6 o’clock Nearly Extremely Fine
Charles Edmund Arden Law Rumbold was born in Eltham, Kent on 24th August 1872, the son of C.J.A. Rumbold and the great grandson of Sir Thomas Rumbold and was educated at Harrow.
Commissioned into the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on 8th Novemebr 1893 he would later transfer to the 2nd Dragoon Guards in 1900 and would go on to see service in South Africa during the Boer War taking part in the operations in Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal.
On 12th January 1902 his unit returned to Winburg escorting a convoy of prisoners, and a lot of refugees and vehicles. Later that day fifteen Boers were reported hiding in a Donga, near the road. Rumbold’s Troop was part of the advanced squadron that was sent to turn them out. The Troop was divided into two; Rumbold’s Troop found the fifteen Boers and engaged them, they fired at each other for some time, but when the other half of the Troop came up the Boers retired. Another small lot of 15 to 20 Boers were seen but they did not attack. One Private of ‘A’ Squadron was badly wounded and died of wounds later that night. The Troop thought they had wounded 1 or 2 Boers, however, Rumbold ‘made an ass of himself by galloping in and making a report that the Troop were surrounded on all sides by about 1,000 Boers.
Promoted Lieutenant, he subsequently transferred to the Reserve of Officers in 1903. Mobilised for the Great War, he served on the Western Front from 4th November 1914 as a Captain in the 2nd Dragoon Guards before he transferred in March 1915 to the Inland Water Transport Unit, Royal Engineers.
He would later write on the subjects of inland waterway, yachting, marine motoring and hunting; Rumbold was made a Chevalier of the French Order of the Maritime Merit, and following the outbreak of the Second World War, wrote to the War Office on 9th January 1940, offering his services as having ‘greater knowledge of the inland waterways of Western Europe than any living soul; the War Office thanked him for his offer but regretted ‘that there is no prospect of definite employment being offered to him. He died in Monaco on 9th April 1943.
