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Samuel Beatty

Private, 1st Royal Dragoons – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Tugela Height, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek and Cape Colony to 4297 Pte. S. Beatty, 1 RL. Dragoons

Samuel Beatty always wanted to be a soldier. He was born in Dungannon in County Tyrone in Ireland in 1881 the son of Sam Beatty, the local Postman.

On 18 January 1897 at the tender age of 15 years and 7 months he completed the Long Service Attestation forms for 12 years service with the Colours in his home town of Dungannon. Following in his father’s footsteps he was already employed as an Auxiliary Rural Postman after what must have been a rudimentary education.

Requesting to join the ranks of the Royal Artillery he was taken on strength after passing a medical examination and assigned the rank of Boy and no. 18251. Physically he was still in the first bud of youth at 5 feet 6 inches in height, weighing 122 pounds and with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Despite his youthfulness he already sported a tattoo of an anchor on his left arm as well as a wart on the little finger of his left hand.

Beatty was assigned to the Mid Ulster Division of the Royal Artillery but his service was to be short-lived; on 31 January 1898, a year and 14 days after enlisting, he was discharged “Service no longer required”. What had led to this impasse? The fact that he had lied about his age, ostensibly claiming to be 18, had come to the attention of the authorities.

Undeterred an indefatigable Beatty took himself to Portsdown where, on 5 August 1898 (some 7 months after being discharged) he completed the Short Service Attestation forms for 7 years with the Colours and 5 years with the Reserve. On this occasion he claimed to be 19 years and 2 months old and a Labourer by occupation. He made no reference to his “stint” in the Royal Artillery claiming, instead, to be a serving member of the 4th battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, a Militia outfit.

Once more subjected to a medical examination Beatty passed with flying colours and became, with no. 4297 and the rank of Private, the latest member of the Corps of Dragoons of the Line. Physically he had matured remarkably growing some 3 inches in height to come in at 5 feet 9 inches. He had also put on weight now weighing 153 pounds. He still had his anchor tattoo on his left forearm.

Having been posted to the 1st Royal Dragoons he was not to know that, within a short space of time, he would be called into action with the looming Anglo Boer War finally erupting in October of 1899.

The regiment sailed for South Africa in the beginning of November 1899, and arrived at Durban about the 26th. They performed excellent service during the operations for the relief of Ladysmith and were also present at Colenso on the 15th December but were not heavily engaged.

When the turning movement by the west was attempted the regiment was in the Mounted Brigade under Lord Dundonald, along with the 13th Hussars, South African Light Horse, Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, part of Bethune's Mounted Infantry, some regular Mounted Infantry, one squadron Imperial Light Horse, and one squadron Natal Carbineers. Much good work was done by the Mounted Brigade, particularly about 19th January 1900, when they captured about 40 Boers and seized important positions near Acton Homes.

When General Buller retired after Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz, Colonel Burn-Murdoch of the 1st Royal Dragoons was left in command at Springfield to protect Buller's left flank. His force consisted of the 1st Royal Dragoons, 13th Hussars, two squadrons of the 14th Hussars, two naval 12-pounders, A Battery RHA, and two battalions of infantry. On and after 22nd February most of these troops were brought down to Colenso to take part in the last great effort.

When Buller advanced north through the Transvaal Burn-Murdoch's brigade was left to watch the Natal border, and for a considerable time was employed about the south-east corner of the Transvaal. The brigade at that time comprised the 1st Royal Dragoons, 5th Dragoon Guards from the Ladysmith garrison, and 13th Hussars.

In May and June 1901 the regiment, along with the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, was in a column commanded by Colonel Pulteney which operated successfully in the Eastern Transvaal. In July Lord Basing, with the Royal Dragoons, two guns, and a pom-pom, was engaged covering the construction of the Frederickstad and Breedtsnek line of blockhouses, and in keeping up communication thence to General Barton's column west of Krugersdorp.

In consequence of a concentration of Boers in the south of the Orange River Colony, Lord Basing and his men were brought by rail to Springfontein in August 1901, and thence proceeded to operate in the south-east of that colony.

In the spring of 1902 the regiment operated about Ficksburg and Senekal, and afterwards in the Bothaville district and down the valley of the Vaal, "in the systematic work of clearance". All this often involved sharp fighting and not a few casualties.

What the Boer War taught the Imperial forces was that the days of the cavalry charge were numbered. The 1st Royal Dragoons, although mounted had to swap their lances for rifles in order to be in any way effective as a fighting force. Beatty, trained in the lance would have had to accustomise himself to the fighting conditions in South Africa where the Boers powderless Mauser rifles and their fighting tactics made a horse charge redundant and, if undertaken, very costly in terms of manpower and animal losses.

For his efforts Beatty was awarded the Queens Medal with six clasps as mentioned above. Interestingly his papers confirm the issue of the Cape Colony clasp which is mounted out of sequence with the other clasps. He also qualified for the Kings Medal with both date clasps.

After 2 years and 330 days in South Africa Beatty returned to England spending another 1 year and 81 days in uniform before being placed on the Reserve on 16 December 1903. He was to be on the A Reserve until all ties were finally cut with military life on 4 August 1910 after he had amassed 12 years service. His next of kin were both his father of Market Street, Dungannon and his sister Ethel of the same address.

The 1901 Ireland census shows that, whilst he was away in South Africa, the family were living in Feeny’s Lane, Mid- Dungannon. Aside from his father was his new wife (Sam’s mother must have passed away) were his siblings Ethel a 22 year old Telegraph Clerk, twins Lillie and Thomas (5), Ellen (4) and Violet (2). These last four children being his step brothers and sisters.

What happened to Sam Beatty after 1910 is unknown.

Thank You very much Rory for another fantastic piece of research.......

Mike

Great write up and pictures Rory!

A good read, thanks Rory, and nice pictures of the naming thanks agian.

FYI - dragoons were armed with swords not lances, but your point (pun intended!) still stands.

At least three Troops of the 1st Royal Dragoons were still armed with the lance in 1899, moreover, these were carried in South Africa during the Anglo Boer War, in common with other regiments from that particular Corps, in addition to their carbines and swords, whatsoever their own failing's, they were all years ahead of their European counterparts.

SWB wrote: A good read, thanks Rory, and nice pictures of the naming thanks agian.

FYI - dragoons were armed with swords not lances, but your point (pun intended!) still stands.

Frank Kelley wrote: At least three Troops of the 1st Royal Dragoons were still armed with the lance in 1899, moreover, these were carried in South Africa during the Anglo Boer War, in common with other regiments from that particular Corps, in addition to their carbines and swords, whatsoever their own failing's, they were all years ahead of their European counterparts.

SWB wrote: A good read, thanks Rory, and nice pictures of the naming thanks agian.

FYI - dragoons were armed with swords not lances, but your point (pun intended!) still stands.

Frank

Live and learn - thank you for correcting me.

As usual I have been digging about to learn about why "heavies" adopted the lance. This is the best I could find from Household Cavalry info :

As a result of experience gained in the Boer War,
the rifle superceded the sword in importance, and the lance,
adopted in 1892 for the front rank, was discarded except
for ceremonial
(my emphasis)

Uniformology says the lance was adopted in 1896, this page has info on the lance itself.

Did they really carry the lance on operations in SA? I have never seen a picture of a dragoon with a lance.

Regards
Meurig