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Harry Parsons of the Dorset's 8 years 7 months ago #42709

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Parsons was more than likely on Spion Kop during the battle.

Henry Parsons

Private, 2nd Battalion, Dorset Regiment, Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek and South Africa 1901 to 3213 Pte. H. Parsons, 2/Dorset. Rgt.

Harry Parsons was born in Milborne Port, Dorset in 1873 the son of James Parsons, an Agricultural Labourer, and his wife Emily. Our first glimpse of him came via the 1881 England census where as a boy of 8 he was living with his family in Trent Road, Trent, Somerset. The house was rather a full one with siblings John (16), Julia (13), William (11), Mary (4) and Frank (1) joining Harry and his parents. As was almost customary for rural folk older brother John was already employed as an Agricultural Labourer despite his young years.

Ten years later during the 1891 England census Harry was a strapping lad of 18 and gainfully employed as a Groom and Domestic Servant in the area. He was still resident at home in Mill Lane, Trent, Sherborne, Dorset (the family had moved). The only others in the house that had not flown the coop were younger brother Frank (10) and his niece Emily (5)

Opportunities for advancement for someone in Harry’s circumstances were limited and the army became, for many, a pleasing prospect. He was no different and, doubtless seeking a more regular occupation, enlisted for Short service with the Dorset Regiment at Dorchester on 28 April 1891 when he was 18 years and 1 month old.

Still single and a Groom by occupation he was slightly built weighing in at 119 pounds and a height of 5 feet 4 ¾ inches. He was a “ginger” in that he had a fresh but speckled complexion, blue eyes and reddish brown hair. Having been passed as Fit by the Doctor he was assigned no. 3213 and the rank of Private.

Initially Parsons spent time at the Depot before being posted to the 2nd battalion on 15 August 1891. A posting to the 1st battalion coincided with his shipping out to Egypt on 27 January 1893 where he was to spend 294 very warm days before being returned to England on 16 November 1893. Whilst there he was admitted to hospital for 33 days (from 6 June until 8 July 1893) he also missed out on a posting to India and Abyssinia after failing a medical examination on 19 July 1893 having recently suffered with Debility.

On 17 November 1893 he was posted to the 2nd battalion again which is where he remained for the next 6 years and 7 days. It was whilst he was at Belfast in May 1895 that he contracted Gonorrhoea which required 13 days treatment followed by another bout of the same “malaise” at Enniskillen in January 1896 which got the same “treatment”. On 9 August 1897 he was examined for service in Malta and found fit but, for some reason unknown, he was never sent there.

The 2nd Dorsets were to spend this entire period more or less stationed at Home and who knows where they might have gone next had the Boer War not interrupted the bets of plans. The two recalcitrant Boer Republics in faraway South Africa were causing no end of problems for the authorities and what was an uneasy peace erupted into a full-scale conflict in October 1899. Parsons, his 7 years with the Colours at an end, had been placed on the Army Reserve on 28 April 1898 but was recalled on 18 November 1899.

The 2nd Dorsets sailed for South Africa on the Simla, on 28th November 1899, arriving at the Cape about 17th December from where they were sent to Durban. Along with the 2nd Somerset Light Infantry and 2nd Middlesex they formed the 10th Brigade under Major General Talbot Coke, and part of the Vth Division under Sir C Warren.

The 10th Brigade took part in the march to Springfield and in the operations about Venter's Spruit and Spion Kop but were not seriously engaged until the 24th January, when the Dorsets and Middlesex climbed to the summit. The Dorsets however, did not go into the trenches nor on to the fire-swept plateau.

In General Warren's despatch of 1st February 1900 the Dorsets were mentioned as "rendering great service in carrying down a large quantity of ammunition in the dark which would otherwise have fallen into the hands of the enemy". The detachment which acted as burial party on the 27th under trying circumstances were also praised for their admirable discipline. The 10th Brigade were in the fighting that took place between 13th and 27th February.

On 21st February the brigade crossed the Tugela and occupied the Colenso position north of the river, but not without severe fighting, in which the Somersets lost very heavily. Up till the 27th the brigade held positions, chiefly between the Tugela and the Onderbrook Spruit, and were constantly under fire, except during the armistice that was called on 25th.

Parsons, for his role in the fighting, earned the Tugela Heights and Relief of Ladysmith clasps to his Queens Medal.

After the relief of Ladysmith on 28 February 1900 the Vth Division was placed under General Hildyard and followed the railway line in the movement on Dundee, and when General Buller was ready to turn the Laing's Nek position the 10th Brigade got an honourable place. The brigade now consisted of the Dorsets, Middlesex, and 1st Dublin Fusiliers. Parsons was able to add the Laing’s Nek clasp to his medal.

On 6th June General Coke occupied Vanwyk's Mountain preparatory to the seizure of Botha's Pass. That night there was very heavy work getting big naval and other guns up the mountain. On the 8th Botha's Pass was attacked and captured by the 2nd and 11th Brigades, the 10th assisting from Vanwyk. The force moved forward, and on the 11th fought the battle of Alleman's Nek. The 10th Brigade, Dorsets leading, attacked and captured the hill on the right of the nek, a very strong position. The advance was admirably made, and the troops engaged were highly praised by General Buller in his despatch of 19th June. Sixty-four of the brigade's 91 casualties were suffered by the Dorsets, due to their more vulnerable position coupled with their headlong charge they made through the nek.

After the Pretoria-Natal Railway had been occupied the Vth Division was chiefly engaged in marching through and occupying the south-east portion of the Transvaal, acting as garrison at Wakkerstroom and other posts in that district. Their task frequently involved some fighting: the most severe was undoubtedly that which arose from Botha's attempt to re-invade Natal in September 1901.

It will be remembered that Major Gough's force of 200 Mounted Infantry was destroyed on the 17th. On the 26th Botha's men attacked Fort Itala (see 2nd Royal Lancaster). The Dorsets were represented there, and on the same day Fort Prospect, which was garrisoned by 35 men of the Dorset Mounted Infantry and 51 of the Durham Artillery Militia under Captain Rowley of the Dorsets, was attacked by 500 Boers. The enemy under cover of a mist got within 20 yards of the sangars held by the militiamen, but they held out and, aided by a maxim, drove off the attack. At all other points the enemy was repulsed after thirteen hours' fighting.

Throughout the summer of 1901 the battalion did a lot of heavy marching as the infantry of a column under Brigadier General Bullock which operated chiefly in the south-east of the Transvaal and in the north of the Orange River Colony and between the Delagoa and Natal Railways.
This was to be Parsons’ last hurrah. On 13 July 1901 he was pulled into the Details section of the battalion and returned to England where he was reengaged for 4 years until being finally discharged on 27 April 1907 having served a total of 16 years.

Returning to civilian life after such a long periods must have been daunting for Parsons. Here he was out of uniform and, according to the 1911 England census, employed as a Carter and living at 7 Quidham Place, Yeovil, Somerset. He had found time for courting and had wed Emma back in 1897 who was to bear him several children – Daisy (13), Violet (11), Gladys (7), Leonard (3) and Harold (2) Now 37 years of age he could have been forgiven for not wanting to take part in any future conflict but, when the Great War came knocking some 3 years later, in 1914, he was ready to do his duty.

On 17 November 1914 with the war raging on several fronts, he enlisted with the 5th Reserve Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry completing the Territorial Force (1year’s service in the United Kingdom) attestation form at Yeovil. He confirmed that he was 41 ½ years old and had prior service with the Dorset Regiment. He was resident at 11 Vicarage Road, Yeovil.

On 29 April 1916 he was transferred to the Royal Defence Corps attached to the Labour Corps at Bath before being discharged with a character of Very Good on 16 December 1917. Having never left the United Kingdom he wasn’t eligible for any medals.

Harry Parsons passed away at the age of 72 in Yeovil in 1947. He had lived through three major conflicts and had had a role to play in two of them. Were it not for his advanced age he would probably have volunteered for service in WWII.