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The 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment were embodied in early May 1900 and their enthusiastic members had high hopes of putting some Boers in their place but the War Office said “No”. How about some Chinese Boxers then? – once again the War Office said “No”.

The War Office then relented to some extent and allowed the Battalion to supply a draft of 100 men to bolster the 1st Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers. They set sail on the Orotava on 28 June 1900 but their journey was somewhat troubled by a collision with a German ship and it was a month before they disembarked in South Africa. Amongst their number was one man born and raised in Smethwick and another who although he was born in Birmingham was living in Smethwick when he attested for Militia service in 1894. A 1906 letter by another of the 100 tells us they were volunteers. So from Militia men they had gone to being part of one of the top line infantry battalions and they were to take part in the two bloodiest encounters of 1902 when the opposition was led by Koos De La Rey.

The next members of the Battalion to arrive in South Africa were 46 men sent out to bolster the 1st Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment. I don’t have an exact date for their departure & arrival but it was probably in August 1900.

In December 1900 the Battalion was disembodied only to be re-embodied in May 1901 and on 17 June 1901 they travelled in their own name to South Africa with one of their companies being a Mounted infantry Company. Based on the QSA Medal Roll they comprised about two dozen officers and 650 men. Amongst their number were five men born and raised in Smethwick and a sixth left England on16 January 1902 as a draft. Once in South Africa the unmounted companies spent their time entirely in Cape Colony guarding Boer prisoners and on Blockhouse duty. The Mounted Infantry Company also never left the Cape Colony but spent their time as part of the flying columns combatting the late invasions into the Cape Colony by the Boers.

If you visit Lichfield Cathedral today you will find a stained glass memorial window which was unveiled in July 1904 and commemorates the men of the 3rd Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment who never returned home from South Africa and the inset panel contains 25 names:



In the order they are listed, which is not perfect alphabetically, here are the details for each I have been able to glean:

1 Colour Sergeant H Hadley
1254 Colour Sergeant Henry Hadley. Died of enteric fever at Simon’s Town on 18 September 1901. Born in Birmingham. Married man at the time of his death.

2 Sergeant J Cope
3009 Sergeant John Cope. Died of disease at Wynberg, 29 December 1901. John was born and raised in Walsall, Staffordshire. Married man, aged 26, at time of his death.

3 Corporal J T Smallwood
6316 Corporal James Frederick Smallwood. Accidentally shot whilst on duty 7 March 1902 at Lamberts Bay. James was born and raised in Birmingham. Aged 23 at time of death.

4 Private G Bull
2412 Private George Bull. Attached to 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. Died of disease at Wynberg 17 October 1901. George was born and raised in Walsall, Staffordshire. Married man with two children, aged 34 at the time of his death.

5 Private G Bates
3885 Private George Bates. Attached to the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 6971. Wounded at Yzter Spruit on 25 February 1902 and hospitalised at Klerksdorp. At some stage he was transferred to a hospital in Johannesburg where he died on 29 March 1902. George was born and raised in Walsall, Staffordshire. Aged 31 at the time of his death.

6 Private H Butler
4794 Private Harry Butler. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 7018. Killed in action at Tweebosch, 7 March 1902. Harry was born and raised in Birmingham, Warwickshire. Aged 22 at the time of his death.

7 Private J Burke
4857 Private John Burke. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 7020. Killed in action at Kleinfontein on 24 October 1901. John was born in Bilston, Staffordshire but by the time he attested for Militia service he was living in Willenhall, Staffordshire. Aged 21 at the time of his death.

8 Private S Brown
6031 Private Samuel Brown. Served in the Mounted Infantry Company. Killed in action at Fraserburg on 17 April 1902. Samuel was born and raised in Birmingham, Warwickshire. Aged 20 at the time of his death.

9 Private W Cole
5872 Private William Cole. Died of enteric fever at Clanwilliam on 20 or 21 June 1902. William was born and raised in Birmingham, Warwickshire. Aged 19 at time of death.

10 Private A Chilton.
3016 Private Amos Chilton. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 7048. Killed in action at Yzter Spruit on 25 February 1902. Amos was born and raised in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. Aged 30 at the time of his death.

11 Private P Clarke
1828 Private Patrick Clarke. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 6974. Killed in action at Kleinfontein on 24 October 1901. Patrick was born and raised in Bloxwich, Staffordshire. Aged 31 at the time of his death.

12 Private S Giles
4458 Private Samuel Giles. Attached to 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment. Died of Disease 9 April 1901 at Ficksburg. Samuel was born and raised in Darlaston, Staffordshire. Aged 23 at the time of his death.

13 Private E S Gould
5270 Private Edward Samuel Gould. Died of enteric fever at Beaufort West on 18 February 1902. Edward was born and raised in West Bromwich, Staffordshire. Aged 22 at the time of his death.

14 Private W H Griffiths
4549 Private William Henry Griffiths. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 7063. He was killed in action at Yzter Spruit on 25 February 1902. William was born and raised in Willenhall, Staffordshire. Aged 33 and a married man with a 3 year old son at the time of his death.

15 Private M Hill
5649 Private Matthew Hill. Died of disease at Simon’s Town on 11 August 1901. Mattthew was born and raised in Willenhall, Staffordshire. Aged 25 at time of his death.

16 Private T Leach
5118 Private Thomas Leach. Served in the Mounted Infantry Company. Killed in action at Fraserburg on 17 April 1902. Thomas was born and raised in West Bromwich, Staffordshire. Aged 20 at the time of his death.

17 Private T Morris
3813 Private Thomas Morris. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 6980. Killed in action at Yzter Spruit on 25 February 1902. Thomas was born and raised in West Bromwich, Staffordshire. Aged 29 and a married man at the time of his death.

18 Private B Mason
3126 Private Benjamin Mason. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers No. 7008. Killed in action at Lichtenburg on 3 March 1901. Benjamin was born and raised in Darlaston, Staffordshire. Aged 26 at the time of his death.

19 Private T McFarlane
4214 Private Thomas McFarlane. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 6997. Killed in action at Kleinfontein on 24 October 1901. Thomas was born and raised in Wednesbury, Staffordshire. Aged 29 at the time of his death.

20 Private F Mole
5378 Private Frederick Mole. Served in the Mounted Infantry Company. Died of enteric fever on 21 May 1902 at Fraserburg. Frederick was born and raised in Birmingham, Warwickshire. Aged 20 years at the time of his death.

21 Private J Porter
5280 Private James Porter. Died of enteric fever at Simon’s Town on 08/09/1901. James was born and raised in Walsall, Staffordshire. Aged 20 at the time of his death.

22 Private W Reid
3669 Private William Reid. Attached to 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment. Died of disease at Bloemfontein on 06/02/1901. Wiiliam was born and raised in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. Aged 24 at the time of his death.

23 Private S Roberts
4580 Private Stephen Roberts. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 7000. Killed in action at Yzter Spruit on 25 February 1902. Stephen was born and raised in Birmingham, Warwickshire. Aged 24 at the time of his death.

24 Private J Turner
3965 Private Joseph Turner. Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 6984. Killed in action at Yzter Spruit on 25 February 1902. Joseph was born and raised in Willenhall, Staffordshire. Aged 33 at the time of his death.

25 Private J H Withers
5402 Private George Henry Withers. Served in the Mounted Infantry Company. Killed in action near Fraserburg on 16 January 1902. George was born and raised in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. Aged 19 at time of his death.

As with every mass war memorial I have studied there are some errors – in this case only apparently minor ones for Smallwood & Withers concerning their initials. Errors over initials are not surprising considering some of the old fashioned ways of writing letters like F, G, J & T. However, I do wonder if the error regarding Withers was more fundamental as a J H Withers (No. 5416) did also serve in the 3rd Battalion SSR but the medal roll gives his rank as Corporal and there is no evidence, beyond this memorial, that he perished in South Africa.

From the above descriptions it can be seen that the City of Birmingham with 7 fatalities, despite being in Warwickshire, made a considerable contribution to the men who served in the Battalion – they all appear to have lived in the west of the city in the suburbs bordering Staffordshire. However, they were outnumbered by the men from the Black Country, the coal mining/industrial area which lies between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with 15 of the 25 fatalities – Walsall (4), West Bromwich (3), Willenhall (3), Darlaston (2), Bilston (1), Bloxwich (1) & Wednesbury (1).

Summarising, during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 the 800 men of the 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment suffered 25 fatalities – 14 down to battle, 1 due to an accident and 10 down to disease. An overall attrition rate of 3.1% is unremarkable but the lack of an officer and deaths due to battle outstripping those due to disease are surprising.

Splitting the figures down to the separate factions the 11% attrition rate for the 100 men who were attached to the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers is notable and it is obvious, despite being mere militiamen, they played a full part on the battlefield. By the time they arrived in South Africa the northeners they were attached to were part of Von Donop’s Column which repeatedly attracted the attention of Boer forces commanded by Koos De La Rey. There were four bloody encounters the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers were involved in:

03/03/1901 at Lichtenburg when the 3/SSR contingent contributed 1 to the 15 of the 1/NF KIA.
24/09/1901 at Kleinfontein when the 3/SSR contingent contributed 3 to the 12 of the 1/NF KIA.
25/02/1902 at Yzter Spruit when the 3/SSR contingent contributed 5 to the 12 of the 1/NF KIA.
07/03/1902 at Tweebosch when the 3/SSR contingent contributed 1 to the 2 of the 1/NF KIA.

I don’t know the overall battle strength of the 1/NF on each of these occasions but I would suggest for a maximum of 100 men 10 out of the 41 KIA shows they more than pulled their weight.

All those members of the Battalion left standing went home about 2 months after the war ended. Those who had been attached to the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers reverted to being members of the 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment the day they stepped foot again on the soil of England but their medals appear to have been issued in the name of the 1st Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers. It is unclear what the situation was for those who served in the 1st Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment.

The battalion returned to being a militia battalion shortly afterwards and based on the discharge dates given on about 60 sets of militia attestation papers nearly all of the returnees continued to be members – oh to be a fly on the tent walls at their first post Boer War camp when they would have exchanged tales of their very differing experiences in South Africa.

Medal wise, for those that stayed the course:
Those attached to the 1/NF & 1/SSR qualified for 2 medals, KSA with both date clasps and QSA with three clasps - Cape Colony, Orange Free State & Transvaal.
The remainder only qualified for the QSA with 3 clasps – Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 & South Africa 1902 although the draft missed out on the South Africa 1901 clasp.

Other memorials to the 25 are still under investigation but all those who were attached to the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers are commemorated in the centre of Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the Northumbrian Regiments Boer War Memorial. The men from Birmingham should all be listed on the Birmingham Boer War Memorial in Canon Hill Park - Mole, Roberts & Smallwood definitely are. There are Boer War Memorials in some of the Black Country towns. The one in Willenhall no longer exists but the bronze plaques that once adorned it, which bear the names of Griffiths, Hill & Turner, have been preserved and relocated on a wall near the Memorial that commemorates the fallen of both World Wars.

At least 5 widows were created by the Battalion’s involvement in the Anglo-Boer War. To date I have only been able to follow up on one of them and it does not make happy reading. She remarried another soldier and although they had four children he went to prison at least twice, the first time for a horrendous assault on her and the second for failing to support his family.

The Smethwickians who served in the 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment in South Africa 1899-1902:

Attached to 1st Northumberland Fusiliers:

3885 Private John Howell. SA service dates 28/06/1900 – 03/08/1902. 1/NF Regimental No. 6995. Born and raised in Smethwick.

4949 Private John Evans. . SA service dates 28/06/1900 – 03/08/1902. 1/NF Regimental No. 7042. John was born in Birmingham but when he attested for Militia service in September 1898 he was living at 17 Market Street, Smethwick.

The following two have extremely tenuous links to Smethwick prior to their service in South Africa but have been refused admission to my database of Smethwickians who served in the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902:

3259 Private William Ground – SA service dates 28/06/1900 – 03/08/1902. 1/NF Regimental No. 7009 claimed to have been born in Smethwick when he attested for Militia service in October 1894. All other records show he was born in Birmingham. He was almost certainly born just on the Birmingham side of Birmingham/Smethwick border in the Winson Green area where even today people argue about whether they are in Birmingham or Smethwick. He went on to serve in the RFC/RAF in WW1 as ground crew.

3674 Private Edward Gething – SA service dates 18/06/1900 – 12/09/1901. 1/NF Regimental No. 6072. Edward was born and raised in West Bromwich (which neighbours Smethwick) and when he attested for Militia service in October 1894 he was working for the brother of Smethwick’s future first Mayor who owned an iron foundry in Birmingham.

The following served amongst those who fought in South Africa in the name of the 3rd Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment s
Served in the foot core

6050 Private George Henry Barnes. SA service dates 17/06/1901 - 18/07/1902. Born and raised in Smethwick.

6023 Private Alfred Charles Higgins. SA service dates 17/06/1901- 18/07/1902. Born and raised in Smethwick.

5208 Private Thomas Hill. SA service dates 17/06/1901 – 18/07/1902. Born and raised in Smethwick.

5207 Private Harry Jones. SA service dates 17/06/1901 – 18/07/1902. Born and raised in Smethwick.

and finally the draft:

6260 Private Henry Jesson. SA service dates 16/01/1902 – 18/07/02. Born and raised in Smethwick

Thank you for sharing your very interesting and clearly very thorough research. Once again I’ve learnt something new about a unit I have never looked at before.

Ian many thanks for your kind words but I am not sure they are deserved as I overlooked to mention one DSO, one DCM & several MiD’s,

Lieutenant Augustus Francis de Trafford was awarded the DSO for gallantry and when it was gazetted in September 1901 it was under the name of the 3rd Battalion. However, he is listed on the Medal Rolls of the 1st Battalion for a QSAM with Wittebergen, Cape Colony & Transvaal clasps and a KSAM with both date clasps. His obituary in the Tamworth Herald of 11 June 1904 contains apparent inaccuracies regarding his contribution to the war:

DEATH OF LIEUT. A. F. DE TRAFFORD, SOUTH STAFFS. REGT.

REQUIEM MASS AT HASELOUR CHAPEL.

The news of the death, from enteric fever, of the gallant young officer, Lieutenant Augustus Francis de Trafford, D.S.O., has caused poignant grief among his comrades of the South Staffordshire Regiment, and his relatives and friends in this district. As was briefly announced in the “Herald” on Saturday, Mr. de Trafford died on Wednesday, June 1, at Standerton, Transvaal, South Africa. He was the second son of the late Mr. Augustus Trafford, of Haselour Hall, Tamworth, and a cousin of Sir Humphrey de Trafford. Mr de Trafford saw much service in South Africa, from 1899 until the peace, at first with the 3rd (militia) Battalion of his regiment, and afterwards with the 1st Battalion, to which he was gazetted in 1900. His name was twice mentioned in despatches, once by Lord Roberts, and subsequently by Lord Kitchener for distinguished service in the field and conspicuous gallantry under fire, and he was rewarded with the Distinguished Service Order. With the 1st Battalion he took part in the operations for the relief of Wepener, in the fighting at Dewetsdorp and Thaba Nchu, and in the actions in the Wittebergen, which preceded the surrender of General Prinsloo’s army. From May 1901, until the end of the war, he served with the mounted infantry. He was in his 25th year. Lieut. De Trafford’s homecoming to Haselour Hall, on leave on Saturday, February 28, 1903 was celebrated with much rejoicing among the residents of the locality. His remains have been interred at Grahamstown.

Some comments before moving on to the inaccuracies. Tamworth is in Staffordshire. Haselour Hall still stands (on the market for £4 million a decade ago) and is reputedly where Henry Tudor spent the night before seeing off Richard III the next day on Bosworth Field. The de Trafford family were in to horse racing and Sir Humphrey was a baronet who caused a scandal by being declared bankrupt when everybody knew he was very well off.

“With the 1st Battalion he took part in the operations for the relief of Wepener, in the fighting at Dewetsdorp and Thaba Nchu” …… Really? I don’t think so and sight of his medals confirming with their lack of a “Wepener” clasp rather proves the point. Speculatively I believe he came to South Africa in March 1900 as a Second-Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion who were indeed involved in the happenings in the Brandwater Basin in July 1900 (overseeing some of the many Boer prisoners). At some stage he was transferred to the 3rd Battalion, most likely when they arrived in June 1901, and then at some stage returned to the 1st Battalion with their Mounted Infantry Company.

I thought I might be able to find a photo of somebody from such an eminent family but have had to be content with ones of two of his brothers – he had six and they all fought in the Great War but two did not return home – note the eldest’s Battalion & Regiment:



For sight of the medals of Augustus F de Trafford follow the link below and also learn more about why he was awarded the DSO.

Next instalment the DCM, awarded to a man who joined the South Staffordshire Regiment before it existed!

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...-boer-war-dsos#51902

Well that certainly does complete a very interesting and thoroughly researched article. Thank you.

An extract from the London Gazette of 31 October 1902:

3rd Battalion the South Staffordshire Regiment.

To be Brevet Major – Captain C S Davidson.

To have the Distinguished Conduct Medal - Sergeant-Major A. Cooper

My target is Sergeant-Major Albert Cooper but I have included Captain Charles Steer Davidson in the extract as he did play a small part in Albert’s story.

Albert’s obituary, essentially accurate, as it appeared in the Staffordshire Advertiser 30 January 1909, makes a good starting point:

LOCAL MILITARY NEWS.

DEATH OF EX-SERGT-MAJOR A. COOPER. - The death is announced of ex-Sergt-Major Albert Cooper, late of the 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, which occurred last Friday, January 22, at Bournville. He was an old warrant officer held in the highest respect by his comrades of the South Staffordshire Regiment, and his demise has aroused the keenest regret and sympathy in the garrison at Whittington Barracks. He was born on April 11, 1857, and was consequently nearly 52 years of age. The deceased served with the 2nd Battalion (the old 80th Foot) in the Zulu War of 1879, receiving the medal with clasp; with the 1st Battalion (the old 38th Foot) in the Egyptian Campaign, 1882 to 1886, securing the medal with clasps for the Nile and Kirbekan, and the Khedive’s Star; and with the 3rd Battalion (the late 1st King’s Own Stafford Militia) in the South African War, for his services in which he received the Queen’s Medal with three clasps, and was awarded the distinguished conduct medal. By his industry and honourable career, he gained the medal for long service and good conduct, and he was very proud, as he might well be, of his honours. He left the service in 1905, with 28 years’ service to his credit, the last ten years of which he spent as sergeant-major of the 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, in which he was held in the greatest regard. The funeral took place at Bournville on Wednesday afternoon, and military honours were accorded to him by Capt. and Adjt. Duckworth and a detachment of warrant and non-commissioned officers, who attended with the band. The deceased leaves a widow and seven children.

I make that six medals.

Albert’s attestation papers, service records and discharge papers have survived and can be found on Find My Past. I have also found his baptism record, entries on the 1861, 1871, 1901 Censuses and his marriage record (despite it occurring abroad). Also his widow, who outlived him by 39 years on the 1921 Census, 1939 Register and finally her probate. So herewith follows the life and times of Albert & Alice Cooper – some readers may be content with the above obituary.

BIRTH & UPBRINGING

Albert was born on 11 April 1857 in the village of Birlingham in Worcestershire. Eleven days later he was baptised in the parish church. His parents were Charles & Sarah and his father supported the family by working as a gardener. They married a year before Albert was born and the marriage record shows his mother started out life as Sarah Mence and was a “glove maker” at the time. Thus John was the first of their children, by 1861 he had a younger brother & sister and by 1871 the family size had doubled with the addition of two more boys and two more girls the youngest of which was 1 month old at the time of the census. In 1871 fourteen year old Albert was working as an “agricultural Labourer”. The 1911census shows there was a tenth child and his parents were still living in Birlingham where they saw out their lives, Sarah died in 1914 & John in 1916, thus they both outlived their eldest son.

Birlingham lies immediately south of Pershore with its abbey and 10 miles SE of the City of Worcester.

ENLISTMENT & ATTESTATION

Unusually these acts seem to have happened in two different locations about 13 miles apart and over 40 miles north of Birlingham where Albert was still living at the time.

The day before his 20th birthday Albert was enlisted into the 80th Regiment of Foot by Sergeant-Instructor Bates in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The following day they seem to have travelled together down to the City of Lichfield, Staffordshire where Albert attested before a local Justice of the Peace and the completed paperwork was signed off at 10.50 am on 11 April 1877.

At the medical in Burton-on-Trent Albert had been found fit for service and measured 5ft 7¼ inches in height, 35 inches round the chest and had a fresh complexion, dark brown eyes & hair and gave his religious denomination as C of E.

A marginal note on his attestation papers suggests Albert’s original intention had been to join the Dragoons and as he gave his occupation as “Groom” this would seem likely. Perhaps that is why Sergeant Bates accompanied him to Lichfield, he was afraid of losing his enlistment fee.

SERVICE DATES

80th Regiment of Foot
11 April 1877 – 12 June 1877 HOME (63 days)
13 June 1877 – 11 May 1880 SOUTH AFRICA (2 years 333 days)
12 May 1880 – 30 June 1881 HOME (1 years 49 days)

While Albert served in the 80th Regiment of Foot he answered to the regimental number of 966. When the 80th & 38th Regiments of Foot, as part of the 1881 Childers Reforms, amalgamated to form the South Staffordshire Regiment Albert was issued with a new regimental number of 2664, which stayed with him until his discharge nearly 24 years later.

2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
1 July 1881 – 18 April 1883 HOME (1 year 292 days)

1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
19 April 1883 – 25 April HOME (7 days)
26 April 1883 – 21 February 1884 MALTA (302 days)
22 February 1884 – 28 June 1886 EGYPT (2 years 127 days)
29 June 1886 – 18 November 1891 GIBRALTAR (5 years 143 days)
19 November 1891 – 15 June 1893 EGYPT (1 year 212 days)
16 June 1893 – 30 June 1895 HOME (2 years 15 days)

3rd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
1 July 1895 – 16 June 1901 HOME (5 years 342 days)
17 June 1901 - 18 July 1902 SOUTH AFRICA (1 year 32 days)
19 July 1902 – 31 March 1905 HOME (2 years 256 days)

Being pedantic Albert’s total service was a week short of the 28 years claimed in the obituary. 14 years 8 months (52%) were spent on home service and 13 years 4 months (48%) were spent overseas.

Thus Albert was no “mere” militiaman when he sailed to South Africa in June 1901, aged 44 years and 2 months, and the climate would have held no surprises for him although the enemy would have done.

PROMOTION & DISCHARGE

23 January 1878 - promoted to Lance Corporal (aged 20 years 9 months)
19 March 1879 - promoted to full Corporal (aged 21 years 11 months)
28 July 1880 - promoted to Lance-Sergeant (aged 23 years 3 months)
5 October 1881 - promoted to full Sergeant (aged 24 years 5 months)
5 March 1885 - promoted to Colour Sergeant (aged 28 years 10 months)
1 July 1895 – promoted to Sergeant Major (aged 38 years 2 months)

He was discharged on 31 March 1905 at Lichfield. He gave his future intended address as the Northfield area of Birmingham and his intended future occupation as “Groom”. The reason for his discharge was given as “After 27 years 11 months Qualifying Service for Pension, with 5 years service as a W.O. with a view to pension under the pay warrant.” I take this to mean he was made a Warrant Officer not in expectation of being commissioned but as a thank you to boost his pension. His character & conduct were assessed as “Exemplary”. In the bottom margin is written a curious formula “45 + 6 DC Medal = 51”.

Albert’s discharge papers were signed off by “C.S. Davidson, Major” - see starting quote from the London Gazette. Early in the ABW Charles Steer Davidson had been seconded and was ADC to Colonel Archibald Wavell CO 15th Brigade and in this role he sailed to South Africa in February 1900. In WW1 he rose to be a Brigadier General.

MARRIAGE

When Albert arrived in Gibraltar he was 29 years of age. John Discombe, a “Master Artificer” and his family had been living in Gibraltar for several years. Amongst John’s daughters was Alice Ada born 26 March 1869 in Woolwich. On 29 December 1888, two and a half years after he arrived in Gibraltar, Albert walked Alice Ada down the aisle of the Methodist Church in Gibraltar. The Methodist Church on Gibraltar had become quite famous a century earlier for the assistance it gave to protestant Spaniards fleeing the Inquisition which was not officially abolished until 1834.

Albert and Alice’s first child was born in Gibraltar, their second in Egypt and the remainder in Lichfield. Albert and his family can be found on the 1901 Census living in married quarters in Whittington Barracks on the edge of Lichfield. 1254 Colour Sergeant Henry Hadley (see original post), who died of enteric fever at Simon’s Town on 18 September 1901, and his family were also living in the married quarters.

POST ARMY

It would appear Albert and his family actually took up residence in 35 Ashmore Road in the King’s Norton area of Birmingham. Having visited it on Google Street it is obvious that at the time the houses in Ashmore Road would have been only a few years old if not brand new, being typical Edwardian terrace villas. A large park was a very short walk away as was Bournville Garden Village, philanthropically built by the Cadbury family of chocolate fame.

After Albert’s death in 1909, Alice Ada spent her 39 years of widowhood living at 35 Ashmore Road and the 1921 Census shows her Gibraltar born daughter had married but was still living with her and her husband was employed as a “Time Clerk” by Cadbury Brothers. Her youngest son was still at home and working as an electrical engineer for the Austin motor car company.

I wonder what happened to Albert’s array of medals? All those mentioned in the obituary are confirmed by medal rolls and his discharge papers. The 3 QSA clasps were Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 & South Africa 1902, along with all those comrades in arms who sailed out with him in June 1901 and stayed the course.