The very good Boer War Battle of Stormberg Distinguished Conduct Medal, Army Long Service and Good Conduct and Meritorious Service group awarded to Battery Serjeant Major T. Dolan, 74th Battery, Royal Field Artillery who having enlisted on 31st January 1879 would see overseas service in India, being awarded his Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in Army Order 99 of 1898, he would then be present in South Africa during the Boer War where he would take part in the disastrous action at the Battle of Stormberg, the first of three failures that made up ‘Black Week’, also taking part in other actions in Cape Colony and Orange Free State as well as being present in the action at Johannesburg on 31st May 1900. Twice decorated during the conflict, he would be Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette of 10th September 1901 before being awarded his Distinguished Conduct Medal in the London Gazette of 27th September 1901. His annuity Army Meritorious Service Medal would later be awarded to him in Army Order 127 of 1932.
Group of 4: Distinguished Conduct Medal, VR, (17350 BTY:SERJT:MAJOR. T. DOLAN. R.F.A.) Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 3 Clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg; (17350 B:S. MAJOR. T. DOLAN. 74TH BTY, R.F.A.) Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, VR, 3rd type; engraved naming (17350 B.S.MAJ. T. DOLAN. R.A.) Army Meritorious Service Medal, GVR, (B.S.MJR. T. DOLAN. D.C.M. R.A.)
Condition: mounted loose for wear, Good Very Fine
Along with:
Studio portrait of Dolan in uniform.
Royal Artillery Button
Bullet with a pin that allows it to be worn as a broach.
Thomas Dolan was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, June 1859 and enlisted in Portsmouth on 31st January 1879 and he would remain at home in the UK until 25th September 1888, when he would travel to India, he would be posted to the 34th Battery, Royal Field Artillery on 16th June 1892 and promoted Battery Sergeant Major on 1st May 1893 and later being awarded the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in Army Order 99 of 1898. Returning home to the UK on 3rd February 1899, he would be posted to the 74th Battery, Royal Field Artillery on 12th October 1899 as a Battery Sergeant Major and would travel to South Africa, arriving on 3rd November 1899 subsequently taking part in the operations in Cape Colony and Orange Free State as well as in the action at Johannesburg on 31st May 1900.
As part of the 74th Battery, Dolan would have been present at the Battle of Stormberg which was a British assault on Stormberg Junction on 10 December 1899. At that time, the Boers had taken control of Molteno and the heights around Stormberg Junction, as part of their invasion of Cape Colony. William Gatacre, the general in command of troops in the Cape Midlands, decided to dislodge the Boers from their position in order to secure the railway lines which supplied the larger March on Kimberley by Lord Methuen. Due to a failed night march and a badly coordinated assault, the Boers repulsed the British army, with the Northumberland Fusiliers suffering high casualties.
When the British first drew up a plan of campaign against the Boer republics, it was intended that the 3rd Division commanded by Major General William Forbes Gatacre would secure the area known as the Cape Midlands, immediately south of the Orange Free State, in preparation for an advance along the railway running from Cape Town to Bloemfontein. In the event, many of the division's troops had to be diverted to Natal after disasters there, and Gatacre's reduced force arrived late. By the time they were ready to take the field, Boers from the Orange Free State had already seized the important railway junction of Stormberg.
Gatacre heard of the loss of Stormberg on 8 December at Graaff Reinet. He determined to make an immediate counterattack to recover the place. A force of 3,000 was to be taken by train to Molteno, the nearest railway station to Stormberg still in British hands, and march by night to attack a hill known as the Kissieberg, which dominated the Boers' position. The force consisted of the 2nd Battalion, the Northumberland Fusiliers (960 men), the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Irish Rifles, (840 men), the 74th and 77th batteries of the Royal Field Artillery and 250 mounted infantry detached from various infantry battalions. Other detachments (including the 1st Battalion, the Royal Berkshire Regiment) which were intended to join the force failed to arrive because telegraph orders were not sent.
There was no time for reconnaissance, and preparations were rushed. Early the next day, the British troops hastily boarded the trains, but then sat for hours under a hot sun while locomotives were found. They were already tired when they reached Molteno, to set off on a night march with fixed bayonets after a hasty meal and very little rest. Gatacre's locally engaged guides were soon lost, and the force wandered about the veld all night.
As dawn broke, the British at last came in sight of the Kissieberg. A small Boer picket with one 75mm Krupp gun under Sergeant Hendrik Muller of the Free State Artillery Corps, opened fire. Although Gatacre's force had merely to march around the hill to force the Boers to retreat, about half the infantry rushed forward without orders to storm it. They found that the hill was a typical kopje, ringed by a vertical rock face, which most of them were unable to climb. A few soldiers scrambled to the top, only to be swept off by the British guns which came into action with the rising sun in the gunners' eyes.
The commanding officer of the Northumberland Fusiliers took it on himself to order a retreat, and most of Gatacre's force began to fall back in disorder. Gatacre gave the order to retreat to Molteno. Mounted Boer reinforcements appeared and attacked from both sides. The retreat of the exhausted British infantry was covered by the mounted infantry and the artillery, although two 15-pounder guns were lost. Not until they reached Molteno did Gatacre realise that over 600 men had been left behind on the Kissieberg. Hopelessly cut off, they were forced to surrender.
The Free State Boers and local rebels were slow to take advantage of Gatacre's defeat. By the time they did so, British reinforcements had arrived, and the area was secure.
Although General Sir Redvers Buller, the British Commander-in-Chief in South Africa, publicly ascribed the defeat to bad luck only, and it was also suggested that his guides had been treacherous, Gatacre was blamed by many soldiers and commentators for the defeat. He was known for restless activity and for imposing needless marches and labour on his troops. He remained in command of the understrength 3rd Division, but after General Lord Roberts replaced Buller as Commander-in-Chief, he was sidelined to various occupation and "mopping-up" duties. He was eventually relieved of command after failing to rescue the Royal Irish Rifles who surrendered to Orange Free State Commandant-General Christiaan de Wet after a siege at Reddersburg on 3 April 1900.
Dolan would be twice recognised for his service during the Boer War, receiving a Mention in Despatches in the London Gazette of 10th September 1901 and a Distinguished Conduct Medal in the London Gazette of 27th September 1901.
Returning home from South Africa on 19th August 1900, he would discharged upon the completion of his second period of engagement on 16th March 1901 with the place of residence given as the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin.
Dolan would also later receive a Meritorious Service Medal in Army Order 127 of 1932.
