James Walter Sandilands

He transferred to the full-time regular army when he was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders on 24 March 1897.

[4] He fought in the Mahdist War in 1898, for which he was mentioned in despatches[5] and promoted to lieutenant on 28 September 1898.

[6] He was wounded on 13 December 1900 during the Battle of Nooitgedacht and evacuated under fire from the battlefield by Sergeant Donald Farmer who was awarded the Victoria Cross for this act of bravery.

[7] He continued to serve in South Africa throughout the war, including in Cape Colony, and was promoted to captain on 29 May 1901.

[6] For his service in the war, he was twice mentioned in despatches (including in the final despatch by Lord Kitchener dated 23 June 1902[8]), received the Queen's South Africa Medal with four clasps, and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

Captain Bernard Montgomery (right) with Brigadier-General J. W. Sandilands, commander of the 104th Brigade , 35th Division . Montgomery served as brigade major with the brigade from January 1915 until early 1917.