A mounted infantry detachment of the King's Own Scottish Borderers covered the withdrawal of artillery during an action with Boers near Lambrechtfontein. As the troops retired, a corporal had his horse shot from under him. Lieutenant Gustavus Coulson took the man up beside him on his own horse, but the horse was then wounded and fell. Coulson helped the animal to its feet, and told the corporal to get back in the saddle and get to safety; he would look after himself on foot. The corporal got safely away, but Lieutenant Coulson was hit by enemy fire and killed. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.

His citation reads:

The Boers were mounting an offensive which had forced the British to evacuate their base at Lambrechtfontein. Lieutenant Coulson, in command of a squadron of 300 mounted infantry, had been sent back to ensure that all useful stores, and especially ammunition, had been removed. Acting independently was a pom-pom battery of the Lincolnshire Regiment under the command of Major F.C. Lloyd. Suddenly coming under heavy Boer fire the British troopers broke and fled, abandoning their artillery positions.

Much later a field ambulance under the command of Dr. May was sent back to the spot where Coulson had been shot and discovered he was dead. Gustavus Coulson was buried where he fell in the vicinity of Lambrechtfontein Farm. A marker was erected over his grave but this was later vandalised and the remains removed to the farm for safe keeping.