拍品专文
INDENTMajor Henry John William Farrell, born 1867, entered the Royal Artillery as Second Lieutenant, 1887; Lieutenant 1890, Captain 1897; served during the South African War, 1899-1901, joined the advance on Kimberley, took part in the actions at Belmont (Wounded), Enslin, Modder River (Mentioned in Lord Methuen's Modder River Despatch of 28th November, 1899 - "Captain Farrell, wounded a second time, continued to do his duty having first placed a wounded man on one of the gun carriages") and the action at Magersfontein where, although wounded at each of the previous engagements, declined to be invalided and stayed with his guns; took part in the operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900, including those at Paardeberg and the actions at Poplar Grove and Zand River; was present in the action near Johannesburg and Pretoria and from July to 29th November, took part in the operations west of Pretoria, which included the action at Zilikat's Nek.
Captain Farrell distinguished himself after De la Rey's successful attack by 600 Boers on the Buffelspoort convoy, 3rd December, 1900, when he with two guns of 75th Battery, some men of the West Yorks and Gunners, stood and fought their ground. At dusk, with most of the men shot down, Farrell, himself serving a gun with only two shells left and the remaining infantry with bayonets fixed, awaited the 'final' Boer assault -- but De la Rey, satisfied with his success and respecting the gallantry of the desperate British, withdrew.
The Official History of the War states: "The guns - finely commanded by Captain H. J. Farrell R.A., an intrepid officer, who when many of his men were down, armed the rest with rifles taken from the slain, and laid the field pieces himself -- were run trail to trail, and with depressed muzzels shattered the front of the Boer charge at only forty yards distant with case shot and shrapnel fused to zero (Mentioned in Despatches; Brevet of Major).
Served in the operations in the Transvaal, May to August, 1901 and those on the Zululand Frontier of Natal, September and October 1901 (Mentioned in Despatches); Major 1902; retired 1910
Captain Farrell distinguished himself after De la Rey's successful attack by 600 Boers on the Buffelspoort convoy, 3rd December, 1900, when he with two guns of 75th Battery, some men of the West Yorks and Gunners, stood and fought their ground. At dusk, with most of the men shot down, Farrell, himself serving a gun with only two shells left and the remaining infantry with bayonets fixed, awaited the 'final' Boer assault -- but De la Rey, satisfied with his success and respecting the gallantry of the desperate British, withdrew.
The Official History of the War states: "The guns - finely commanded by Captain H. J. Farrell R.A., an intrepid officer, who when many of his men were down, armed the rest with rifles taken from the slain, and laid the field pieces himself -- were run trail to trail, and with depressed muzzels shattered the front of the Boer charge at only forty yards distant with case shot and shrapnel fused to zero (Mentioned in Despatches; Brevet of Major).
Served in the operations in the Transvaal, May to August, 1901 and those on the Zululand Frontier of Natal, September and October 1901 (Mentioned in Despatches); Major 1902; retired 1910