Individual Details

Herbert J. Bushby, Shoeing Smith, 17th Lancers
Killed at the Battle of Elands River, which took place near the Elands River Poort mountain pass on 17 September 1901 during the Second Boer War.
During the battle, a Boer raiding force under Jan Smuts destroyed a British cavalry squadron of the 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) led by Captain Sandeman, a cousin of Winston Churchill, on the Modderfontein farm.
This battle is therefore also known as the Battle of Modderfontein.
Casualties and losses:
British 29 killed, 41 wounded, 60 captured; Boers 1 killed, 6 wounded
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4907 Shoeing Smith Herbert James (E on the cemetery memorial) Bushby, 17th (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers. He was the son of Joseph and Frances Bushby. He deployed with his regiment to South Africa for the Second Anglo Boer War, sailing on the Victorian on 14 Feb 1900, and arrived at the Cape about 10 Mar 1900. They joined Lord Roberts at Bloemfontein, and were put into Gordon's, the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, along with the 9th and 16th Lancers. They joined the advance to Pretoria and fought at the battle of Diamond Hill 11-12 Jun 1900. In Nov 1900 they operated in the south-east of the Orange River Colony in the pursuit of Boer forces under De Wet. In Dec 1900 the regiment was sent into the Cape Colony to pursue Boers who had crossed the Orange River and remained there for most of the rest of the war. On 17 Sep 1901 Private Bushby was with his squadron, part of a British force holding the pass at Elands River Poort in the Cape Colony. The Squadron led by Captain Sandeman, a cousin of Winston Churchill, was attacked and destroyed at Tarkastad, near Modderfontein farm by a Boer Commando led by Jan Smuts. When Smuts' vanguard ran head on into a Lancer patrol, the British hesitated to fire because many of the Boers wore captured British uniforms. The Boers immediately opened fire and attacked in front while Smuts led the remainder of his force to attack the British camp from the rear. The squadron offered splendid resistance, but suffered severely. The Boers managed to replenish from the Squadrons stores but another squadron, arriving in support, made the Boers withdraw. The 17th Lancers lost 35 killed and some 32 wounded before surrendering. Private Bushby was one of those killed in the attack. The Royal Garrison Artillery lost 3 killed. Boer losses were only one killed and six wounded. The British dead from the battle were buried at Modderfontein farm. A photo of the memorial to Private Bushby can be seen at: https://www.graves-at-eggsa.org/main.php?g2_itemId=1239719.

He is also commemorated on the 17th (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers Boer War memorial in the All Saints Royal Garrison Church, Farnborough Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, England (see: https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/275760/) and on a memorial in St John the Baptist Churchyard, Hamsteels, Durham Unitary Authority, County Durham, England.

Bushby E 4907 Private QSA (5). Killed, nr Tarkastad, 17 Sep 01.
Source: QSA medal rolls 17th (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers
Source: South African Field Force Casualty Roll 17th (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers

Birth	1873	Leyburn, Yorkshire, England
Census (family)-shared	1881	(Joseph Bushby and Frances Ellwood) Wressell, Yorkshire, England
Census (family)-shared	1891	(Joseph Bushby and Frances Ellwood) Esh, Durham, England
Death	17 Sep 1901	Modderfontein, Northern Cape, South Africa
Burial		St. John the Baptist Churchyard, Hamsteels, Durham, England

Father	Joseph Bushby (1850 - 1932)
Mother	Frances Ellwood (1848 - 1924)
Sibling	Matilda Bushby (1869 - 1946)
Sibling	Ann Elizabeth Bushby (1871 - 1871)
Sibling	John William Bushby (1872 - 1948)
Sibling	Joseph Bushby (1878 - 1936)
Sibling	Sarah Ellen Bushby (1880 - 1953)
Sibling	Arthur Bushby Sr. (1883 - 1935)
Sibling	Robert Bushby (1887 - 1964)
Sibling	Henry Bushby (1890 - 1971)

Notes