Capt. F.R. Ewart DSO

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Distinguished Service Order (DSO) (Vict.); 
QSA 5 bars: DoL, LNek, Belf, CC, OFS (last two bars with unofficial rivets): Capt. F.R. Ewart, L’pool Regt;
KSA 2 bars SA’01, SA’02 Capt. F.R. Ewart, DSO, Liverpool Regt.;
Royal Humane Society’s Medal (bronze - Type II),: Capt. F.R. Ewart, Jany. 29, 1906 complete with riband brooch-bar

Frank Rowland Ewart, born 31 January 1874, was commissioned as 2nd Lieut. in the 1st Battalion, Liverpool Regt (the King’s Regiment) in March 1894. After service in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the West Indies, he embarked for South Africa in December 1897.

 

When war was declared, Ewart was with his Regiment in Natal and was in action at Rietfontein, Lombard’s Kop and the Siege of Ladysmith. He was afterwards attached to the Mounted Infantry and served in operations in Natal from March 1900, when he was advanced to Captain, up to June 1900 and subsequently operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, including the actions in the vicinity of Belfast during the last week of August 1900.

He was Mentioned in Despatches with two other officers serving in the 4th Division Mounted Infantry, as having “distinguished themselves as commanders of companies on every opportunity that presented itself” (LG 8 February 1901, p. 974) 

On this occasion he was also appointed to the Distinguished Service Order. As noted on his Record of Service, the DSO award was dated 29 November 1900, but it was only published in the LG of 19 April 1901, p. 2701.

 

Capt. Ewart’s D.S.O. can very likely be coupled to his conduct during two engagements in August 1900. 

 

The first and more important one was near Van Wyksvlei on 21 August 1900 when Cpl. H.J. Knight, also of the 4th Mounted Infantry, won the Victoria Cross.

 

The following details are from the LG of 4 January 1901:
“On the 21st August, during the operations near Van Wyk’s Vlei, Corporal Knight was posted in some rocks with four men covering the right rear of a detachment of the same Company who, under Captain Ewart, were holding the right of the line.

 

The enemy, about 50 strong, attacked Captain Ewart’s right and almost surrounded, at short range, Corporal Knight’s small party. That N.C.O. held his ground, directing his party to retire one by one to better cover, where he maintained his position for nearly an hour, covering the withdrawal of Captain Ewart’s force, and losing two of his four men.

He then retired, bringing with him two wounded men. One of these he left in a place of safety, the other he carried himself for nearly two miles. The party were hotly engaged the whole time.”

 

A week later, on 28 August, the Mounted Infantry reached Dalmanutha Station. They then pushed on to Machadodorp, driving the Boers from the ridge between them and the town, and occupied the town under heavy gun and rifle fire. Captain Ewart was slightly wounded in the process.

Between December 1900 and November 1901 he was employed at home, but returned to South Africa late in November 1901. During the last months of the war he served in numerous operations with the Mounted Infantry, including actions at Klerksdorp and Vryburg, and he stayed on in South Africa till April 1903.

 

In October 1903 Ewart was seconded for service with the Lagos Battalion of the West African Frontier Force, being appointed Adjutant and 2nd in Command in March 1905.

On 29 January 1906, at the Lagoon in Lagos, he saved a boy from drowning and the case was referred by the Colonial Office to the Royal Humane Society for suitable action. The details, as recorded in the R.H.S. Case Book, read:

Particulars of Accident: A golf ball fell into the lagoon and the boy, going after it, got out of his depth. 10 yards out – 7 feet deep. Sharks are present. Exertions of the Claimant: Captain Ewart went in fully clothed and rescued him.

 

Captain Ewart died at sea on a homeward voyage to England on 13 June 1906 and thus never knew that he was awarded the R.H.S. Bronze Medal on 10 July 1906.