A Fine Collection of Boer War Medals to Medical Services, the Church and the Press

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill (Civ: Surg: F. J. Engelbach.) officially engraved naming, note incorrect second initial, nearly extremely fine and a very rare casualty £2,000-£2,400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Boer War Medals to Medical Services, the Church and the Press.

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Civil Surgeon Frederick George Engelbach, attached to the Volunteer Ambulance, was killed in action at Nooitgedacht on 13 December 1900, shot through the forehead whilst bravely tending to the wounded under a hail of the enemy’s bullets.

‘Dr F. G. Engelbach
Local Doctor
Frederick George Engelbach qualified as Doctor and Surgeon at St Bartholomew's in London in 1866, then came to Moretonhampstead. He lived at Cookshayes in Court Street, and practised first independently, then with Dr Collyns in Cross Street, then as senior partner with Dr J. S. F. Clark.
At that time he was also Medical Attendant to the Convalescent Home and to the Birch Tor and Vitifer mines. In 1898 he moved to London.
Captain of Volunteers
He entered very thoroughly into the life of the town and was instrumental in brightening the lives of the workers in many ways. In 1896 he raised the local company for the Volunteer Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment and was appointed Captain. Always throwing himself heart and soul into whatever he undertook, he spent his hard-earned holiday at Southsea, in order to pass the school of instruction and thoroughly fit himself for his position.
Army Surgeon
When the Boer War broke out he volunteered for service and was appointed Civil Surgeon by the War Office. He arrived in time to accompany General French in his famous ride to Kimberley. Always close to the front, he then accompanied the army in its march to Bloemfontein and then to Pretoria. He also went to Foundeberg at the time of the surrender of Prinsloo and was present at the battle of Diamond Hill. His last letters stated that he was at Riefontein and that a Boer attack was not improbable. The death of Surgeon Engelbach of the Yeomanry hospital was a typically brave one. Tending the wounded under heavy fire he was shot through the palm of the left hand and had just made a grim joke about now being handicapped in his work when, in standing up to dress his wound, he was killed by a bullet through the forehead. At Nooitgedacht he met the death he would have wished, killed while assisting his wounded under a hail of the enemy’s bullets.’
(From obituaries in The Lancet [1901, I, 211] and The British Medical Journal [1901, I, 311]).
Dr Engelbach has a memorial in St Andrew’s Church, where there is also an episcopal chair that he himself made.
The following inscriptions are in St Andrew's Church, Moretonhampstead, Devon:
‘To the glory of God and in memory of FREDERICK GEORGE ENGELBACH for 10 years Medical Practitioner in this town and first Commanding Officer of G. Co. (Moretonhampstead) 5th V.B.D.R. who was killed whilst succouring the wounded at the battle of Nooitgedacht, South Africa, Dec. 13th 1900.
Erected by the inhabitants and other friends, December 1901.’
‘This chair was carved and presented to the Parish Church of Moretonhampstead, Sth. Devon, by Dr. F. G. ENGELBACH who for 10 years practised in the district and worshipped in this church, finally laying down his life in South Africa whilst attending the wounded under fire on 13th December 1900.’

Sold with copied research including medal roll entry [F. G. Engelbach on roll but initials F. J. on Memorial to Men of Devon, Exeter Cathedral] which notes in the remarks column, ‘Original Unit 2nd Cavalry Brigade. Killed in action at Nooitgedacht Dec: 13th 1900.’ He was attached to the Volunteer Ambulance when killed and was mentioned in despatches by Field-Marshal Earl Roberts (London Gazette 10 September 1901) for his services.