TWO OF CAPTAIN ROLLESTON'S MEN

 In 1900, Captain Lancelot Rolleston took a contingent of around 120 local South Notts Hussars Officers and Troopers to fight in the Boer War. They were to become the 12th Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry. 


120 was not enough to make a full company. There were around 300 of all ranks who served in the 12th Company during the Boer War, many men drawn from other units / regions to make up the numbers. One such man was 23981 Shoe-Smith (Farrier in modern terms) W.S. Stone, who joined the 12th Company 7-5-1901. One of only four who held the rank of Shoe-Smith in the Company. With Lancelot Rolleston's keen interest in horses, there is a fair chance he crossed paths with Stone a few times. Stone was awarded the Queens South Africa medal along with the clasps, Cape Colony, and the 1901 and 1902 South Africa. Stone had landed in South Africa on the 16th of March 1901, and returned home in August 1902. By trade he was a plasterer and came from Salcombe in Devon. 

One of Rolleston's  Troopers was 25859 F.C. Marshall. Marshall joined the 12th Company 7-5-1901, and returned with the Regiment, 6-8-1902. Recorded as being at the rank of Trooper while in South Africa, it would appear he was promoted to Sergeant on his return home as this is the rank shown on his Queens South Africa medal. He was awarded five clasps for his Q.S.A. including, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and the 1901 and 1902 South Africa. 

The two Q.S.A. medals in the images along with three other 12 Coy Q.S.A. medals which are displayed along with Sir Lancelot Rolleston's medals in the RLNY Museum at Thoresby Hall. 









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