Victorian 'Patent Solid Hilt' Sword of Boer War KIA Officer

The 1821 pattern 'patent solid hilt' sword that belonged to Royal Field Artillery Lieutenant Stephen Thomas Hardwick.

Mentioned in G. Dooner's "Last Post" as follows:

Lieut. Stephen Thomas Hardwick, Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action at Tweefontein, Dec. 25th, 1901, in the attack at dawn by Gen. De Wet. He was the son of the late Phillip C. Hardwick, Esq., 2, Hereford Gardens, and of Mrs. Hardwick (now Mrs. Lascelles), The Rectory, Newton St. Loè, Bristol.

He was born April, 1876, educated at Farnboro’ and Eton (Mr. Broadbent’s), and entered the R.F.A. from the 4th Batt. Middx. Regt. June, 1899, being promoted lieut. Feb., 1901. In 1897–98, Lieut. Hardwick was employed on survey work in Egypt and Sinai, under Capt. Lyons, Royal Engineers. He went to South Africa Feb., 1900, and was given command of a Pom-Pom section, for which he had been specially recommended. Lieut. Hardwick saw much service during the war, and was constantly in action up to the time of his death. At Tweefontein, when the “sweet silence of the Christmas dawn” was broken by De Wet’s attack, he rushed to his pom-pom, and working it with his own hands, fired off a few rounds, and then foreseeing that it might possibly fall into the hands of the enemy, he was endeavouring to render it useless when he was shot through the heart. He was mentioned in despatches, and was awarded the medal and four clasps, for Cape Colony, O.R.C., Johannesburg, and Diamond Hill. Major-Gen. Sir Leslie Rundle telegraphed his “own deep regret” at Lieut. Hardwick’s death, and added “we have lost a gallant soldier and comrade.” Lieut. Hardwick is buried at Tweefontein, and his name appears on an obelisk, erected on the spot where he worked his pom-pom, in memory of all those who fell in this action. His name is also inscribed on tablets in the Church of Bradford-on-Avon, Wilts., in the Chapel at Farnboro’ School, and at All Saints’, Margaret Street. A window has also been placed to his memory in the Church of Newton St. Loè.