Donald Dickson Farmer was born in Kelso, Roxburghshire, on 28 May 1877. His father, a baker, moved the family around Scotland, and at the age of 14, much against his father’s wishes, Donald joined the army, giving his age as 18. In April 1892 he joined the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders at Inverness. He served as a corporal in the 1898 Sudan campaign, fighting at Atbara and Khartoum. The regiment was then sent to South Africa where Sergeant Farmer fought in the mounted infantry. In December 1900 he carried out a very brave rescue of a wounded officer which earned him the Victoria Cross.
During the attack on General Clements Camp at Nooitgedacht, on the 13th December, 1900, Lieutenant Sandilands, Cameron Highlanders, with fifteen men, went to the assistance of a picquet which was heavily engaged, most of the men having been killed or wounded. The enemy, who were hidden by trees, opened fire on the party at a range of about 20 yards, killing two and wounding five, including Lieutenant Sandilands. Sergeant Farmer at once went to the Officer, who was perfectly helpless, and carried him away under a very heavy and close fire to a place of comparative safety, after which he returned to the firing line and was eventually taken prisoner.
He escaped three days later and returned to his battalion. He was gazetted for the VC on 12 April 1901 and presented with his medal by the Prince of Wales on 15 Aug 1901. He was promoted to Colour sergeant and returned to Scotland with the battalion where he married Nell Bonnar. He served in WW1 with the Liverpool Scottish and at one point was mistakenly reported missing presumed dead. On return to Aldershot he was given a commission and appointed Adjutant. He went back to the front and survived until the end of the war. In WW2 he was in the Home Guard and after the war he attended the 1956 VC Centenary Celebrations attended by the Queen. He died six months later on 23 December 1856 in Liverpool, and was cremated at Anfield. His medals are held at Fort George.
