TOPIC:

This is Edwin Duberly's story - he survived the Boer War but, like so many, couldn't navigate his way past the Great War that was to come.

Edwin George Duberly – Killed in Action 28/10/1918

Private, 1st Battalion, Port Elizabeth Town Guard
Trooper, Marshall's Horse
Trooper, South African Light Horse – Anglo Boer War
Trooper, Brand’s Free State Rifles and
Private, 1st South African Infantry (WWI)

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and South Africa 1901 to 2554 Tpr. E.G. Duberty (sic), S.A. Light Horse
- 1914/15 Star to Pte. E.G. Duberly, Brands F.S.R.
- British War Medal to Pte. E.G. Duberly, 1st S.A.I.
- Victory Medal to Pte. E.G. Duberly, 1st S.A.I.

Edwin Duberly was born in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape on 20 February 1883 the son of a Carpenter, Edward George Duberly and his wife Ellen Catherine. Duberly senior was, in later life to become one of the longest serving members of the Port Elizabeth Town Guard with the rank of Company Sergeant Major.



By the time Duberly had finished his schooling and was nearing the end of his teenage years the Anglo Boer War was raging. Joining his father in the ranks of the 1st Battalion of the Port Elizabeth Town Guard in 1900 at the age of almost 18 he was assigned no. 175. Deployed primarily on escort duties to those working on the Van Staaden’s Dam project, he probably found the daily routine to be boring and lost no time after three months, when the opportunity arose, to enlist with Marshall’s Horse, a locally raised unit, where he was assigned no. 11 and the rank of Private. Marshall’s Horse saw a great deal of fighting especially in the Orange Free State region.

Quite what decided him to seek greener pastures is unknown but on 29 May 1901 he completed the Attestation Papers to join the South African Light Horse for a period of six months. The details he provided on this application was that he was a Carpenter by trade (following in his father’s footsteps) and that he lived in Walmer, Port Elizabeth. Assigned no. 2554 he was to spend a total of 207 days with the S.A.L.H. before taking his discharge, time-expired, on 14 December 1901. His Character rating being described as “Very Good” he departed with the princely sum of £44. 19.10 burning a hole in his pocket and was to take no further part in the war. The S.A.L.H. certainly in the time since Duberly joined them; were very active in the Orange Free State and were involved in many skirmishes with the Boers taking a number of prisoners and inflicting losses on the enemy.

For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps to the Cape Colony and the Orange Free State, the theatres of the war where he had been operational.

The war over Duberly returned to his civilian pursuits and wasn’t heard from again until, some 13 years later the Great War erupted onto the world stage drawing South Africa into its suffocating embrace. South Africa’s initial involvement in the war was confined to negating the German threat in what was then German South West Africa but first there was the matter of suppressing by force, the internal rebellion which had broken out in the two previously Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. Burghers opposed to South Africa’s participation in the conflict on the side of the Empire, so soon after they had been at the throats of the very men they were now supposed to fight alongside, led to them taking up arms, an act that was quickly and effectively suppressed by Botha and Smuts. This was necessary before any meaningful role could be played in the war.

Duberly, having joined Brand’s Free State Rifles with no. 1473, was part of the 4th Regiment of the 5th Mounted Brigade and embarked for German South West Africa aboard the S.S. “Gaika” on 27 March 1915 for the front. The war at this stage was nearing its conclusion with the South African forces driving the Germans ever northwards until, on 9 July 1915 they surrendered at Otavi. The 5th Mounted Brigade had played a pivotal role in bringing about the German defeat and, mission accomplished, returned home. Duberly had suffered a bout of Tuberculosis and had been admitted to the hospital at Swakopmund from 24 until 30 April 1915 before being sent to a Rest Camp to recuperate. For his efforts he was awarded the 1914/15 Star which was despatched to him on 30 September 1930.

The decision facing South African volunteers was then threefold – they could elect to return home and take no further part in the war or they could go east – to German East Africa where Smuts was facing off against Von Lettow Vorbeck and his Askaris or they could enlist with one of the four South African Infantry Battalions being raised for service on the Western Front. Duberly chose the latter and, after a two year hiatus at home, completed the Attestation Forms at Port Elizabeth on 1 March 1918 to join the ranks of the 1st (Cape) South African Infantry Brigade. On this occasion his names were recorded as “Edward George” and not “Edwin George” – a confusion which seems to have followed him throughout his life.

Now aged 35 he confirmed that he was married to a Hester Johanna Duberly (born Campbell) and that he was resident at 5 Hunt Street, Port Elizabeth. He was still a Carpenter by trade and had no children as yet. Mention was also made of 84 days service in German South West Africa with the 5th Mounted Brigade. Physically he was 5 feet 5 inches in height and weighed 128 pounds with a fair complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. By way of distinguishing marks about his person he had a coat of Arms tattooed on his right forearm. Having been passed as Fit for the Army he was enrolled as a Private with no. 18270.

The great day arrived and he embarked at Cape Town docks aboard the H.M.T. “Durham Castle” for England on 2 May 1918. He wasn’t to know that, in a few shorts months he would be dead and the war over a few weeks thereafter. Disembarking at Tilbury Docks on 5 June 1918 he joined the Reserve Brigade at Woking and was posted to “E” Company of the 2nd Reserve Battalion the following day. Now in England he had to wait for the draft to cross the Channel and was granted leave in both June and August while he waited.

On 25 August 1918 he embarked at Southampton and, along with “E” Company was shipped to France to form part of the British Expeditionary Force joining his Regiment in the Field on 29 August. It wasn’t long before he was in the thick of things and, on 8 October 1918 was Wounded in the Field but remained on duty. At this point in the war the South African Brigade had moved into the Siegfried lines at Bony and by 3.30 a.m. on the 8th of October had occupied its battle position. Supported by Whippet tanks the 2nd Regiment made its objective by 7 o’ clock taking 500 prisoners. The 3-4 mile advance that the Allies had made had not come cheaply, the 1st Regiment (Duberly’s) had been caught in a barrage and suffered 23 casualties, and the 4th Regiment faced heavy machine gun fire and suffered 49 deaths and 194 wounded.

Sadly Duberly’s wound was to be the precursor to the main event, just ten days later, on 18 October 1918 (three weeks before the war was to end) Edwin George Duberly was Killed in Action.

How did it happen? Heavy fighting had taken place all day with the Brigade sustaining many casualties and by the end of the day the town of Le Cateau had been won but not the vital ridge to the east of the town. All night enemy bombing patrols were busy together with unceasing artillery and machine gun fire. The day would go down in the annals of the Brigade along with their advance at Third Ypres as a brilliant piece of offensive warfare. The final objective of the Brigade was established around 4.30 a.m. on the morning of the 19th for Duberly it was a day too late.

Army Form B 104 121, dated 28 January 1919 was despatched to his next of kin. It read as follows,

“I beg to inform you that an official report has now been received that the late soldier has been buried in an isolated grave 4 ½ miles S.W. of Le Cateau”

So ended the life of Edwin George Duberly with the posthumous award of the British War and Victory Medals. On the home front his 27 year old wife went on without him no doubt supported by his grieving 73 year old mother, both of whom lived in Port Elizabeth. Interestingly perhaps his occupation on his death certificate was at variance with that stated on his Attestation forms – he was stated to be a Fireman on the Rhodesian Railways but was a Carpenter until his death. [/size]

Another Fantastic piece of research Rory.......

Thank You for Posting......

Maybe I should give you a few of my names...... LOL......

Mike

A random search of the SA War Graves site yielded dividends when I found the entry for Duberly was accompanied by a photograph!

I have amended my post above to include same and would encourage members to conduct a similar exercise of their own SA-related casualties.

Regards

Rory