32123 Corporal C H R Cates (not Cotes as on the cemetery memorial), 4th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. The battery was deployed to South Africa for the Second Anglo Boer War. It operated with General French in the Colesberg district in Dec 1899 and Jan 1900. In Apr and May 1900 the battery was in the Boshof and Warrenton district. Saw a good deal of fighting in the Orange River Colony and afterwards in the Frederickstad-Krugersdorp district. In Aug 1900 and subsequent months was in a column based on Zeerust under Lord Methuen and General Douglas. Was long in the Western Transvaal, and one section gained credit for their conduct in Von Donop's action near Zeerust, 24 Oct 1901, when 1 officer and 17 men of the gun detachment and 27 of the escort of 60 being killed or wounded in their successful defence of the guns. On 7 Mar 1902 Corporal Cates was part of the ill-fated force which accompanied Lord Methuen when he was severely defeated by De la Rey at De Klipdrift, about 10km east of Stella on the road to Delareyville in the Western Transvaal. The column had been searching for Boers along the bed of the practically dry Brak Spruit, which ran off the much larger Harts River. On finding a trail, the column set off in pursuit, but the Boers outnumbered the British force, and had the advantage of terrain. The British commander decided to set up a defensive position around a farm called Boschbult. All during the afternoon the Boers shelled the camp with artillery, while their riflemen fired from the surrounding ridges. They also made a series of mounted charges. At 5pm the Boers suddenly broke off the engagement and withdrew. Out of a total force of 1800 men, the British lost 33 killed, 126 wounded, and over 70 missing. Corporal Cates was one of those killed in the action. He was buried at De Klipdrift. His remains were later reinterred at Ottosdal. He is also commemorated on the Royal Artillery Boer War memorial on the corner of Horse Guards Parade and the Mall, at the north-east corner of St James Park, London, England (see: https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/112037).
32123 Corporal C H R Cates (not Cotes as on the cemetery memorial), 4th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. The battery was deployed to South Africa for the Second Anglo Boer War. It operated with General French in the Colesberg district in Dec 1899 and Jan 1900. In Apr and May 1900 the battery was in the Boshof and Warrenton district. Saw a good deal of fighting in the Orange River Colony and afterwards in the Frederickstad-Krugersdorp district. In Aug 1900 and subsequent months was in a column based on Zeerust under Lord Methuen and General Douglas. Was long in the Western Transvaal, and one section gained credit for their conduct in Von Donop's action near Zeerust, 24 Oct 1901, when 1 officer and 17 men of the gun detachment and 27 of the escort of 60 being killed or wounded in their successful defence of the guns. On 7 Mar 1902 Corporal Cates was part of the ill-fated force which accompanied Lord Methuen when he was severely defeated by De la Rey at De Klipdrift, about 10km east of Stella on the road to Delareyville in the Western Transvaal. The column had been searching for Boers along the bed of the practically dry Brak Spruit, which ran off the much larger Harts River. On finding a trail, the column set off in pursuit, but the Boers outnumbered the British force, and had the advantage of terrain. The British commander decided to set up a defensive position around a farm called Boschbult. All during the afternoon the Boers shelled the camp with artillery, while their riflemen fired from the surrounding ridges. They also made a series of mounted charges. At 5pm the Boers suddenly broke off the engagement and withdrew. Out of a total force of 1800 men, the British lost 33 killed, 126 wounded, and over 70 missing. Corporal Cates was one of those killed in the action. He was buried at De Klipdrift. His remains were later reinterred at Ottosdal. He is also commemorated on the Royal Artillery Boer War memorial on the corner of Horse Guards Parade and the Mall, at the north-east corner of St James Park, London, England (see: https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/112037).
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