28. Captain Johnny Gough

On the night of 5th December, Captain Johnny Gough of the Rifle Brigade made a raid on Thornhill’s farm outside the lines. Each night Boer sharpshooters had occupied the farmhouse but this night it was deserted. Gough used two local men as guides, Harry Thornhill and Sydney Ashby.

42. Jack Archer's map

This is the sketch map that Archer enclosed with the letter to his mother. At 9 p.m. on the night of 10th December the Rifle Brigade assembled at King’s Post. Rawlinson had gone up to King’s Post to see the show. Five companies ‘A’ ‘B’ ‘E’ ‘G’ ‘H’ and part of ‘C’ were told off for the attack, 558 officers and men, together with five men of the Royal
Artillery under Major Francis Wing and six sappers under Lieutenant Robert Digby Jones of the Royal Engineers. Their guides were Harry Thornhill, who owned the nearby farm, and Sydney Ashby who may have been employed at a farm in the vicinity.