BAILEY’S SOUTH AFRICAN SHARPSHOOTERS I am fortunate to have three medal groups to members of this unit in my collection and I am in the process of writing an article on this very unique and not very well-known South African First World War u it. A BRIEF HISTORY Bailey’s South African Sharpshooters were raised and financed by Sir Abe Bailey in response to a British War Office request. It was initially planned that the unit would consist of 100 men and 2 officers. Due to various reasons, a total of only 24 men were selected only 16 of them went to the Western Front. The selected members were all South Africans and Rhodesians. One officer, Lt Methven, was part of the selected group and was the commander of this small but much specialised unit. The unit left South Africa in three batches from South Africa in April 1916 and arrived in France to participate in the Battle of the Somme. The Sharpshooters were attached to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and the Northamptonshire’s of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division commanded by Major-General Strickland and they remained within the 1st Division until the Occupation of Germany and the conclusion of WW1. Lt Methven received a glowing testimonial from General Strickland at the end of the war. A large number of the SA Sharpshooters were decorated for bravery, 6 sharpshooters were killed in action and 7 were discharged because of medical reasons . REQUIRED SHOOTING STANDARDS For inclusion and selection in the Bailey’s Sharpshooters, a prospective sharpshooter had to obtain a minimum of 43 points out of a possible 65. Records and correspondence indicate that many prospective candidates did not pass the required shooting tests and that the General Officer Commanding in South Africa personally approved, appointed and selected candidates. Test Shooting for Sharpshooters Preliminary Rounds 10 rounds at any distance not under 100 yards at bulls – eye. Qualifying Rounds 1. Crossing Target Fig. No. 6 200 Yards 5 Rounds Fire over or around cover. 2. Snap shooting Fig. No. 3 200 Yards 5 Rounds Exposure 5 seconds. 3. Snap shooting Fig. No. 3 200 Yards 5 Rounds Exposure 5 seconds. 4. Slow 1st Class figure 800 Yards 5 Rounds Any Position NEWSPAPER RECRUITING ADVERTISEMENT “A Corps of Sharpshooters A corps of specially selected rifle shots is required for service in the Western battle-front in Europe. By kind permission of the Union Authorities recruits will be attested, tested in rifle efficiency, and also medically examined by the District Staff Officers at Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Ordinary pay will be at British Infantry Rates, but members will receive 1/- per diem extra for the whole period of their service in the Corps and 2/- per diem extra as well, if they have dependants entitled to receive separation allowances, at Imperial Rates. Absolute proficiency in snap-shooting is essential. The Corps will assemble at Wynberg under direction of the General Officer Commanding, South African Military Command. Good eye sight is essential. Age: from 20 to 45. God save the King.” DECORATIONS AND AWARDS Although they were a very small unit, the SA Sharpshooters were an extremely highly decorated group of soldiers. This is a summary of the awards that they received. It is an impressive number of awards for a group that consisted of only 16 members: MILITARY CROSS: LT.N.W.METHVEN; MC DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL: LCPL F.H. SPENCE; LCPL F.C. HORNE MILITARY MEDAL AND BAR: CPL S.D. EVANS; LCPL F. STOBER MILITARY MEDAL: LCPL B.A. LOWINGS MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES: LCPL E.H. EMERY COMPLETE LIST OF UNIT MEMBERS I am busy with a project on the members of the unit and have copies of all their personal files and all correspondence that my good friend Dewald Nel could find in the SANDF archives. I have been able to ascertain why only 16 members went to France and not the complete list of 22 members. The numbers below are the SAS force numbers allocated and, in some instances, I have also been able to find some of their initial shooting test results. 1. LCPL L.F. VAUGHN Died of Wounds - 17 August 1916 2. CPL S.D. EVANS 3. LCPL J. MARNOCH Died of Wounds - 14 August 1916 4. SGT F.H. SPENCE 5. LCPL A.LAING Killed in Action - 16 August 1916 6. LCPL F.C. HORNE 7. CPL L.F .WILSON Killed in Action (Shellfire) - 9 April 1918 8. LT N.W. METHVEN 9. SGT S. BURROUGHS 10. LCPL L.C.W. SCHUURMAN 11. PTE W.A. DUGMORE Transferred to East Africa (SASC) - 22 April 1916 12. PTE S.H. WEAVER Transferred to the SANLC - 9 August 1917 13. SGT A.P. WRIGHT Prisoner Of War - 10 July 1917 14. LCPL H.J. DE BEER Declared Medically unfit - 12 November1917 15. PTE W.G. HUNT Death accepted - 22 August 1916 16. LCPL J.L. BURKE Declared Medically unfit - 28 August 1917 17. LCPL E.H. EMERY Declared Medically unfit - 10 October 1918 18. LCPL J. LESS Declared Medically unfit - 31 December 1917 19. LCPL W.H. ANDERSON Declared Medically unfit - 18 February 1918 20. LCPL F. STOBER Temporarily unfit for war service - 30 May 1919 21. LCPL H. POTTERILL Death accepted - 8 April 1918 22. LCPL B.A. LOWINGS Declared Medically unfit - 11 July 1919 23. LCPL G.E. LUGG 24. LCPL J.H. MAGILL Declared Medically unfit - 4 October 1917 The unit members were used for scouting, sniping and training tasks throughout the war. The photographs indicate the unit in 1916, 1917 and the final group that returned and received normal discharges in 1919.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 06:35:41 +0000
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