18027 Trooper Richard John Hodges, 118th Company, Imperial Yeomanry. From Plymouth, Devon, England. Volunteered for service in South Africa during the Second Anglo Boer War 1899-1902. Died aged 29 years in the military hospital, Piketberg, from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head after accdentally shooting another soldier (18020 Private Albert John Henry Houslop, 25th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry). His individual grave cannot be identified but is assumed to be amoungst the 24 graves laid out in 2 ranks.
An account of the incident is told in a letter from Trooper Tom Price, Rhosymadre, Ruabon, who joined Sir Watkin Wynn's Welsh Yeomanry, and then joined the 18th Company. It happened on March 19th at Picquetburg. Price says: - "I and five others were allowed to ride into Picquetburg to buy some stores. When we got there we separated and agreed to meet in the evening to return together. This we did. It happened that three - Hodges, Houslopps, and Phillips - had been larking about in a merry mood. We went on together half the way, and then we three cantered on and left Hodges, Houslopps, and Phillips to come on by themselves. We had just arrived in camp when Phillips came galloping in and said that Hodges had killed Houslopps. A troop of men were at once despatched to the spot, and found both men dead. Hodges had blown his own brains out as well. It appears that Hodges said he could hit Houslopp's hat off at a distance of twenty yards. He tried, with fatal result. Both were brought into camp and buried next day. I was bearer for each of them."
An account of the incident is told in a letter from Trooper Tom Price, Rhosymadre, Ruabon, who joined Sir Watkin Wynn's Welsh Yeomanry, and then joined the 18th Company. It happened on March 19th at Picquetburg. Price says: - "I and five others were allowed to ride into Picquetburg to buy some stores. When we got there we separated and agreed to meet in the evening to return together. This we did. It happened that three - Hodges, Houslopps, and Phillips - had been larking about in a merry mood. We went on together half the way, and then we three cantered on and left Hodges, Houslopps, and Phillips to come on by themselves. We had just arrived in camp when Phillips came galloping in and said that Hodges had killed Houslopps. A troop of men were at once despatched to the spot, and found both men dead. Hodges had blown his own brains out as well. It appears that Hodges said he could hit Houslopp's hat off at a distance of twenty yards. He tried, with fatal result. Both were brought into camp and buried next day. I was bearer for each of them."
18027 Trooper Richard John Hodges, 118th Company, Imperial Yeomanry. From Plymouth, Devon, England. Volunteered for service in South Africa during the Second Anglo Boer War 1899-1902. Died aged 29 years in the military hospital, Piketberg, from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head after accdentally shooting another soldier (18020 Private Albert John Henry Houslop, 25th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry). His individual grave cannot be identified but is assumed to be amoungst the 24 graves laid out in 2 ranks.
An account of the incident is told in a letter from Trooper Tom Price, Rhosymadre, Ruabon, who joined Sir Watkin Wynn's Welsh Yeomanry, and then joined the 18th Company. It happened on March 19th at Picquetburg. Price says: - "I and five others were allowed to ride into Picquetburg to buy some stores. When we got there we separated and agreed to meet in the evening to return together. This we did. It happened that three - Hodges, Houslopps, and Phillips - had been larking about in a merry mood. We went on together half the way, and then we three cantered on and left Hodges, Houslopps, and Phillips to come on by themselves. We had just arrived in camp when Phillips came galloping in and said that Hodges had killed Houslopps. A troop of men were at once despatched to the spot, and found both men dead. Hodges had blown his own brains out as well. It appears that Hodges said he could hit Houslopp's hat off at a distance of twenty yards. He tried, with fatal result. Both were brought into camp and buried next day. I was bearer for each of them."
An account of the incident is told in a letter from Trooper Tom Price, Rhosymadre, Ruabon, who joined Sir Watkin Wynn's Welsh Yeomanry, and then joined the 18th Company. It happened on March 19th at Picquetburg. Price says: - "I and five others were allowed to ride into Picquetburg to buy some stores. When we got there we separated and agreed to meet in the evening to return together. This we did. It happened that three - Hodges, Houslopps, and Phillips - had been larking about in a merry mood. We went on together half the way, and then we three cantered on and left Hodges, Houslopps, and Phillips to come on by themselves. We had just arrived in camp when Phillips came galloping in and said that Hodges had killed Houslopps. A troop of men were at once despatched to the spot, and found both men dead. Hodges had blown his own brains out as well. It appears that Hodges said he could hit Houslopp's hat off at a distance of twenty yards. He tried, with fatal result. Both were brought into camp and buried next day. I was bearer for each of them."
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