9 March 1901

There was an extract from the Portsmouth Times in the Reporter concerning a drummer boy serving in South Africa who was originally from Hurst and had joined the Manchester Regiment and later transferred to the Hampshires. It quoted a letter from Sergeant GLIDDENS and read:

"Having read with pleasure of the admiration shown by Hampshire people of the bravery and heroic conduct of Bugler DUNNE whom every good soldier admires, I should like them to know that they have a boy of their own county regiment of whom they may be equally proud, but of whom nothing has been said.

"At the battle of Karres when things were looking a bit lively and ammunition was being freely expended, this lad - Drummer MacDONALD aged 16 - was to be seen fearlessly running from man to man distributing ammunition with as much pleasure and coolness as if he had been giving buns away at some tea-fight, with not even a thought of the great risk he was running. But you could not help noticing the look of disappointment on his face when he was ordered to lie down by his Colour Sergeant who was wounded himself shortly afterwards."

From the Ashton Under Lyne Reporter.