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A Damant's Horse man - John Brock 10 years 1 month ago #41951
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John Brock
Trooper, Damant’s Horse – Anglo Boer War - Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State & Transvaal to Tpr. J. Brock, Damant’s Horse John Brock was born in Cadoxton on the outskirts of Cardiff in Wales in 1878 the son of John Brock and his wife Mary Ann. John senior was an Engine Driver by occupation. According to the 1881 Wales census taken when John was a boy of 3, he lived not with his parents but with his paternal grandfather, also John, who was an agricultural labourer, in the Cottage by the Hill in rural Cadoxton. By the time the 1891 census rolled round a 13 year old John was in the paternal home along with his mother and father. This was at Fairford Street in Cadoxton. The family had obviously “found their feet” with a home of their own and the addition of a number of children in the form of David (11), Annie (9), Fred (7), Alice (5), Carrie (2) and baby Edgar (6 months) making up the numbers. Mrs Brock’s 27 year old sister, Carrie was also in residence. Unbeknown to them, tragedy was about to strike. The Western Mail of 18 September 1892 carried the awful news under the banner “SHOCKING OCCURRENCE AT CADOXTON-BARRY” and read as follows: ‘Shortly before 10 o’ clock on Wednesday night a married woman, named Mrs Brock, wife of Mr John Brock living at No. 5, Fairford Street, was putting her baby to bed, and talking at the time to a neighbour named Mrs Brownjohn, who happened to be in the house, when she suddenly uttered a deep, heavy sigh, and fell headlong from the top of the stairs to the bottom, the child, which was still in her arms, falling with her. When picked up the woman was found to be quite dead. The child, fortunately, escaped injury. Mrs Brock was about 40 years of age. Her husband is an engine driver, employed in the Rhondda Valley. Deceased, on Wednesday afternoon, complained of pain in the head.’ The child would have been Edgar, not yet a year old. With her passing, the 1901 census looked very different – Mrs Brock had been replaced by Rose, now John junior’s stepmother. Whether or not this had any bearing on John’s decision to quit the family home we won’t know but, at some point after the start of the Boer War, John Brock arrived in South Africa. According to his Attestation papers completed at Durban on 30 December 1901, Brock was 23 years old, short in stature coming in at 5 feet 4 inches and weighed 140 pounds. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. He gave as his next of kin the particulars of his father now resident at 12 Digby Street, Barrydock, Cardiff. He claimed to be a Fitter by trade. Brock signed up for Damant’s Horse for pay of 5/- per day. Damant’s Horse were originally Rimington’s Guides but, on his departure, were paid off only to be resurrected under one of their old leaders, Major Frederick Damant. By the time Brock joined them the first set phase of the war was over and the second or guerrilla phase had been embarked on by the Boer forces who were increasingly being hemmed in by the sweeping drives undertaken by the British along with the block houses designed to impede their escape. Something of their movements was revealed in the despatch of 8th February 1902 wherein it was stated that "in the north of the Orange River Colony columns under Lieutenant Colonels Keir and Wilson, together with Damant's Horse, have acted vigorously wherever opportunity offered against the enemy's bands". The corps took part in many driving operations in this district, and when it was seen, after Lord Methuen's defeat, that the Western Transvaal was insufficiently supplied with troops, the columns of Keir, Wilson, and Damant marched through Vrede to Volksrust to entrain for Klerksdorp. They were at once again put into the field, and took part in the last big operations under General Ian Hamilton, which destroyed the power of De la Rey in the Western Transvaal. In the drive of 23rd and 24th March 80 miles were covered in twenty-four hours. In this operation the corps had 2 killed. On the 31st March the Boers made a most determined attack on the column of Colonel Cookson near Boschbult, and a fight as fierce as, and on a bigger scale than, that at Tafel Kop took place. Damant's Horse again did well. The Boer war ended on 31 May 1902 and Brock took his discharge on 30 June of that year. For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps to the Cape Colony, Transvaal, Orange Free State and South Africa 1901 & 1902 (this last he qualified for by virtue of his late discharge giving him the necessary 18 months service) He passed away at the General Hospital in Johannesburg on 19 April 1941 at the age of 63 years and 7 months. An Engineer by profession when he died he was survived by his wife, Florence May Brock, born Gunn and his three children. His address at the time of his death was 1A Doris Street, Kensington, Johannesburg. 
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A Damant's Horse man - John Brock 10 years 1 month ago #41957
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