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A Bedroom Steward from the Boer War to WWII - T.H. Edwardes 8 years 4 months ago #44474
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Thomas Henry Edwardes
Private, Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Volunteer Rifles – Anglo Boer War Sergeant, Middlesex Regiment & Labour Corps – WWI Bedroom Steward, Merchant Navy – WWII - Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 & 1902 to 2925 Pte. T.H. Edwardes, D.O.E. Own V.R. - 1914/15 Star to 2960 Sjt. T.H Edwardes, Midd’x R. - British War Medal to 2960 Cpl. T.H. Edwards, Midd’x R. - Victory Medal to 2960 Cpl. T.H. Edwards, Midd’x R. - 1939/45 Star (unnamed as issued) - War Medal 1939/45 (unnamed as issued) Thomas Edwardes was a man with a sense of adventure and long service in various branches of the forces. He started out military life as a Private with the Cape Town-based Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Volunteer Rifles seeing service with them in the Boer War before moving to the Merchant Navy for a very brief stint. Thereafter he was active in World War I with both the Middlesex Regiment as well as the Labour Corps before rejoining the Merchant Navy in 1919 – with which body he would see the beginning of World War II at the advanced age of 65 surviving the sinking of his ship, the Dunvegan Castle, in 1940. 
Born to Henry, a Journeyman Butcher by trade, and Jane Edwardes (there was often confusion around the surname with some records holding that it was spelt Edwards) on 3 March 1872 in the Poplar area of London, England he appeared for the first time in the 1881 England census where, at the age of 9 he was living with his parents at 5 Spencer Place in Clerkenwell. The family was a large one with siblings Henry (17), James (14), George (7) and Susan (4) making up the numbers. At some point Thomas made his way to South Africa shortly before the commencement of the Anglo Boer War in 1899. The muster rolls of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Volunteer Rifles paints a picture of Thomas confirming that he had attested with them as a Private on 29 May 1901 on which occasion he gave his age as 25. His previous occupation he provided as “Steward” and it was this clue as to his future endeavours that set the ball rolling. Assigned no. 2925 he further added that he had previous volunteer service with the US Volunteer Medical Corps although efforts to substantiate this have proved fruitless. His address was provided as c/o his brother, G.C. Edwardes, Royal Courts of Justice, Fleet Street, London or alternatively, as the Athens Café in Strand Street. As a reasonably late entrant to the war Edwardes was with the DEOVR at the stage where, until the close of the war, they were chiefly employed in the west of the Cape Colony, about Griquatown and Daniel's Kuil; and although very frequently engaged and suffering some losses, they seem always to have done well, often in difficult circumstances, as when they had to take convoys or to guard posts very far from the railway and the main force of the army. While in Griqualand, throughout part of 1901 and 1902, the corps had to observe great watchfulness, and be ever ready for surprises. The enemy did not leave the posts—such as Griquatown and Daniel's Kuil—unworried, and casualties were frequent. A portion of the regiment was in the Port Nolloth-O’kiep district in 1902 when the enemy developed considerable activity in that neighbourhood where Smuts was attempting a last ditch throw of the dice by trying to open a new front which would draw troops away from the Orange Free State and Transvaal. One detachment of twenty, which held a kopje near Arrenons, made an excellent defence when attacked on 15th April by a strong force. After the cessation of hostilities Edwardes stayed on with the Dukes’ until taking his discharge on 25 June 1905. He had earned the Queens Medal with clasps Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 & 1902 for his efforts. The reason for Edwardes departure from the DEOVR became apparent when he surfaced as a Steward (his pre-Boer occupation) aboard the “Dunearn” bound from Cape Town to Durban. According to a Minute Paper in the Natal Archives from the Master of the S.S. “Dunearn” to the Harbour Master, Port Natal (Durban) dated 29 August 1905, the desertion of the Mess Room Steward Thos. H. Edwardes was reported to the Immigration Officer as follows, “I beg to advise that I found this morning that the Mess Room Steward of above named steamer, Thos. H. Edwardes, had deserted and up to the mid-noon has not been found. His description I lodged with the Police Office this morning” The description referred to stated that Edwardes was: Age – 29 years, Height – 5 -5 ins with a fair complexion, clean shaven and of a slim build. He had taken no effects and there were no further particulars known. In a report by A. Cumming on the subject “the above (Edwardes) was arrested by the Water Police but no action was taken as Captain had taken a man in his place” So ended another chapter in Edwardes’ life. What became of him thereafter is open to conjecture but he must have returned to his native England where, nine years later, he enlisted with the 7th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment for service in the Great War on 10 September 1914. Assigned number 2960 he was, at the age of 42, no longer a child when he entered France and Flanders on 25 July 1915 with the rank of Lance Sergeant. The Western Front was a far-cry from the Boer War or a life at sea and Edwardes threw himself into the fray with verve. There were many that emerged bearing the scars of combat and he was no different being twice wounded – the first time with a bullet wound to his left arm and the second – a shrapnel wound to his left hip. Suitably discommoded he was awarded the Silver Wound Badge no. B164245 and transferred to the Labour Corps with no. 649550 before taking his discharge on 3 March 1919 earning a WWI trio as reward. Not one to stand idle Edwardes lost almost no time in returning to his first love – the sea. On 6 June 1919 he joined the Merchant Navy as a 2nd Class Steward with no. 859416 (463926) aboard the “Gaika”. Physically he was described as 5 feet 4 inches with hazel eyes, brown hair and a dark complexion. In 1924 he was promoted to the rating of 1st Bedroom Steward. The GAIKA was built in 1897 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 6287grt, a length of 430ft, a beam of 52ft 2in and a service speed of 12.5 knots. During the war years she had remained defensively armed on the Africa service but under Government control, her accommodation being used mainly by Civil Servants. She returned to the Intermediate service in 1919 and on 22 April 1922 she briefly ran aground near Green Point Lighthouse, Cape Town. It can be imagined that Edwardes was part of her crew at this time. In 1926, she was laid up in Southampton Water but did a trip to Mauritius in 1927. The vessel was laid up in East India Dock, London in 1928 but sailed to Savona, Italy in 1929 for scrapping. Edwardes next moved on to the “Garth Castle” – built in Edinburgh in 1920 - with effect from 2 August 1934. He would have been 62 years old. In 1937 the matter of Edwardes age – was he born in 1872 or 1876? - was finally put to rest with a note on his card that an amendment of year of birth – birth certificate – was produced. His hair was also described as “turning grey” although other physical features seemed to be the same they were in the early 1920’s.On 17 September 1936 he was posted aboard the “Dunvegan Castle” – an ill-fated move perhaps given the fact that the ship, completed in August 1936 as motor passenger ship for Union-Castle Mail SS Co Ltd, London was sunk by a German U-boat on 27 August 1940. The story of what happened is best described in a contemporary report at the time: On 27 August, U46 was west of Ireland, and heading for an operations area off the north-west Irish coast. Her log book showed that it had been a relatively quiet day. Endrass (the German Commander) stated that he had not even received messages from other U-Boats. The day continued to be uneventful, only disturbed by two alarm dives when aeroplanes were spotted, and U46 continued her passage to Endrass’ intended destination, north-west of Ireland. That evening, however, just after 19:00 hours, Endrass discovered the British ship H.M.S. Dunvegan Castle. A British twin screw steamer of 15 007 grt., with a length of 540 feet, Dunvegan Castle was built in Belfast by Harland & Wolff for the Union Castle Mail Steamship Co. Ltd. She was requisitioned in September 1939 and converted by Harland and Wolff to an armed merchant cruiser with her identical sister, Dunnottar Castle. On 27 August, she was steaming off the western Irish coast as a part of a Freetown convoy, under the command of Captain H. Ardill, R.N. At 19:08, the log book notes, "A steamer on the starboard. Steering a general course of 70-90°, large zig-zags...high speed (15-16 sea-miles)". Endrass decided to wait for sunset before getting closer. The log continues, "Enemy is a large passenger steamer, light gray, 16-20 000 tons, armed, probably merchant cruiser. Due to his extreme zig-zags, we can keep up well despite his high speed". As darkness fell, Dunvegan Castle decreased speed, but she was easily visible, the night sky making a clear shadow of her form. Endrass prepared to attack, but Dunvegan Castle became aware of U46’s presence and commenced a strong but short course of zigzags. At 21:47 Endrass fired a single torpedo, at a distance of 400 metres, which struck Dunvegan Castle at the quarterdeck. He notes in his log that nothing significant occurred and that Dunvegan Castle continued her passage slowly and in a large circle. He prepared U46 for a second attack but dived suddenly when he believed Dunvegan Castle was preparing to open fire on her. Ten minutes later, U46 resurfaced and found her still moving in a large circle but at an even slower speed. Endrass prepared for another attack. The log continues, "22:12 second surface attack, single shot, hit engine-room. We wait a while to observe the results. Nothing special to see, suddenly come under artillery fire, alarm". Endrass dived U46 and kept her submerged for 30 minutes before resurfacing and observing, "Enemy lies there stopped, but seems to float well under the circumstances". Then, "Steered closer again, 22:51 third attack, single shot, hit forward quarterdeck. Enemy begins to burn, sinks significantly deeper, heavy list. Now I think he’s had enough. Not even the best steamer can survive three hits, as well as a fire on board". Endrass noted that during a period of some 2 hours several, sometimes large explosions were observed on board Dunvegan Castle. However, he had not yet identified her, noting further that "the form of the ship was very similar to that of the steamer Strathmore...[but]...it could not be definitely ascertained if it was her". Dunvegan Castle had been severely damaged. Although she managed to stay afloat during the night, she sank early the next morning at 54° 50" N, 11° W. Considering that she had been torpedoed three times, she remained afloat for a long time, and her casualties were relatively light; four Officers and 23 Ratings were killed, and 12 were wounded, but 250 survived. H.M ships Primrose and Harvester picked up the survivors and landed them in Gourock, Scotland. Thomas Edwardes, aged 68, would have been among them. H.M.S. Primrose's Commanding Officer, an unnamed Lieutenant Commander, R.N.V.R., filed the following report on the incident to the Secretary of the Admiralty, dated 4 September 1940: "Report on Survivors of H.M.S. Dunvegan Castle" "When in position 54° 58'N, 12° 03'W at 0140 on 28th. August, Primrose was ordered by C. in C. W.A.'s" [Commander in Chief Western Approaches] "2351/27 to attack" [a]"submarine in position 55°N, 11°W (reliable fix). At 0300, having reached the indicated position, a light, subsequently identified as a burning ship, was observed as a loom only, bearing 075° and as Primrose" "A/S gear was not working, course was altered for the light, full speed, to render assistance. At 0500 the Dunvegan Castle was reached and found to be on fire fore and aft in position 55° 8'N, 9° 54'W. Communication was established with a patrolling aircraft which was requested to report the presence of submarines while Primrose was stopped picking up survivors. A total of 160 ratings and 32 officers were picked up from a motor boat, three life boats (one waterlogged), two rafts and isolated swimmers, Primrose's seaboat being sent away. 0700 Harvester arrived, and at 0715 Primrose proceeded leaving the remainder of the survivors, believed to be one boat only, to Harvester. An issue of rum, food and clothing was[sic] supplied to survivors, who were all landed at Gourock Pier which was reached at 2300/28. Reports in the press that aircraft directed rescue ships to the scene are incorrect so far as Primrose is concerned." Cold and wretched Edwardes, after his narrow escape and as far as the records show, never returned to sea. He was awarded the 1939/45 Star and War Medal for his efforts. What became of him thereafter is unknown. [/size] 
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A Bedroom Steward from the Boer War to WWII - T.H. Edwardes 8 years 4 months ago #44479
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