Lot Essay
Sergeant W.C. Hart was killed in action at Vaalkop on 17.4.1901.
The 9th Lancers were sent into Cape Colony in early 1901 to find and chase Boers who had crossed the Orange River. The action in which Hart was killed is detailed in Diary of 9th Lancers in South Africa:
'Weds. 17th [April 1901]. Cape Mounted Rifles had received orders to return to the Colony, and started for Edenburg this morning. Colonel Maxwell having dismounted parade to bid them farewell. At 8 a.m. the rest of us moved off, two troops 'D' Squadron being sent to the right and two of 'C' to the left to clear farms. Unfortunately one of the latter, under Macdonald, got into difficulties running into a party of Boers, who had laid a trap for them by hiding on a kopje and sending one or two of their number to canter past the kopje in the open. Macdonald charged them, only to find his mistake too late, but gallantly refused to surrender, and when Lieutenant Stirling arrived with the other troop, he found the Boers galloping away. Lieutenant Macdonald and three men killed, Sergeant Hart dying and seven more including the Rimington Guide, severely wounded.'
Hart is commemorated on the Regimental Memorial in the Royal Garrison Church in Aldershot.
The 9th Lancers were sent into Cape Colony in early 1901 to find and chase Boers who had crossed the Orange River. The action in which Hart was killed is detailed in Diary of 9th Lancers in South Africa:
'Weds. 17th [April 1901]. Cape Mounted Rifles had received orders to return to the Colony, and started for Edenburg this morning. Colonel Maxwell having dismounted parade to bid them farewell. At 8 a.m. the rest of us moved off, two troops 'D' Squadron being sent to the right and two of 'C' to the left to clear farms. Unfortunately one of the latter, under Macdonald, got into difficulties running into a party of Boers, who had laid a trap for them by hiding on a kopje and sending one or two of their number to canter past the kopje in the open. Macdonald charged them, only to find his mistake too late, but gallantly refused to surrender, and when Lieutenant Stirling arrived with the other troop, he found the Boers galloping away. Lieutenant Macdonald and three men killed, Sergeant Hart dying and seven more including the Rimington Guide, severely wounded.'
Hart is commemorated on the Regimental Memorial in the Royal Garrison Church in Aldershot.