TOPIC:

Alexander Scully was the father-in-law of one of the greatest cricketers South Africa and the world has ever known - Dudley Nourse. But in his own right he took up the fight against impending Boer infiltration into Natal and joined the Durban Light Infantry.

Alexander Scully

Private, Durban Light Infantry – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasp Relief of Ladysmith to 189 Pte. A. Scully, Durban Light Inf.

Alex Scully was born on 18 November 1879 in Ceylon. At some point in time he, and possibly other family members, made his way to South Africa where he was to be found on the eve of the Anglo Boer War.

The two Boer Republics had been at logger heads with the might of the British Empire for quite some time and it was only a question of when the animosity would spill over into open conflict. This happened in October 1899 and the country was thrown into a war which was, according to the pundits, going to be “over by Christmas”.

Natal, to the east of South Africa was one of the first Boer targets and a badly depleted force under Sir George White was the only buffer between the advancing Boers and the highly sought after prizes of first Pietermaritzburg and then Durban.

After initial success at Talana in Dundee and a rout of the Boer forces at Elandslaagte the British were forced to fall back on Ladysmith which was then laid siege to by the Boers.

Scully, no doubt imbued with patriotic fervour, enlisted with the Durban Light Infantry for service in the war and was awarded the rank of Private and no. 189 with “D” Company. Entraining in coal trucks the 476 strong D.L.I. were sent up to Colenso on 30 September 1899 where they pitched tents on arrival and tried to remove the “coal black” from their kit and faces.

The D.L.I. were tasked with the all- important duty of protecting the road and rail bridges over the Tugela River. A local store-keeper at Colenso complained to the Officer Commanding that certain men of “D” Company had milked his cow and taken some eggs. Whether or not Scully was among their number is unknown.

The Boer approach after they had encircled Ladysmith was rapid and, significantly outnumbered, Colonel Wylie of the D.L.I. was ordered to fall back on Estcourt. From then the D.L.I. was involved in a series of skirmishes with the marauding Boer forces – among them Wagon Hill. On 9 January 1900 they were ordered to Mooi River which, reports tell us, was the closest point the Boers ever reached in relation to Pietermaritzburg. They then moved back to Estcourt on 4 March 1900 – a few days after Ladysmith had finally been relieved – and then on to Talana in Dundee on 17 May where they were to spend a frustrating 5 months with occasional excursions against the enemy. On 7 October they entrained for Durban and, having played their part and been demobbed – their war was over.

Scully was awarded the Queens Medal with Relief of Ladysmith clasp for his efforts. Back in civilian mode although still on permanent stand-by should his services be needed, Scully turned his attention to pursuits of a more romantic nature wedding Lilian Helen Smith in Durban on 19 October 1901. There were to be three children of the union including Eunice Elizabeth who married the internationally renowned Springbok Cricketer, Dudley Nourse on 9 April 1938.

In civilian life Scully was a Joiner as well as a Building Contractor. The family, once they had settled into their home at 10 Shuter Road, Durban; seemed to have remained there for most of their lives. The Natal Directory of 1948 has Mr A. Scully, carpenter, at that address. Peter Nourse, Scully’s grandson recalls that everyone knew that house and that Scully himself was quite a character.

Alexander Scully departed this life at the Entabeni Nursing Home in Durban on 21 July 1949 – he was 69 years and 8 months old. He was survived by his wife and three children – Eileen Gertrude Paul; Albert George Scully and Eunice Elizabeth Nourse. His estate, for the times, was a large one at £6 500.

Very nice indeed Rory, I've always rather liked the DLI, they don't turn up all that often really and they are certainly worth buying on the few occasions when they do, although, to be quite honest, I do believe the same to be true of all the Natal Volunteers and Militia, sadly, I very seldom buy any these days.

Thanks Frank

My only wish when it comes to the Natal-based outfits is that, by a stroke of very good fortune, someone unearths the attestation papers for them. It has been a constant source of frustration to not be able to learn more about the individual in the absence of these forms - even the muster rolls contain the bare minimum of information and don't even provide the chaps christian name.

Still well worth collecting. It is a great pity that you no longer buy many medals - just as long as you pounce on the odd "good one" that happens along.

Regards

Rory

Indeed, but, sadly all I have is a wretched third rate cracker, which will, doubtless, upon being "pulled" merely contain a dull paper hat!
You should consider yourself quite lucky!

Oh dear you are in need of a bit of festive cheer Frank

Perhaps you might consider something I have taken to doing of late - swap out a medal or two with a friend - thereby creating a new research project for yourself - it certainly helps to relieve the monotony until the next "fix" comes along.

Regards

Rory

Hello Rory,
I do still collect medals, but, I meant that I don't buy very many Natal Volunteers and Militia, simply because there are not very many to be bought, their numbers were rather small in the first place, Natal was not a rich colony, so you would never expect to see them in huge quantities here anyway. I think the last I bought was just a simple Relief of Ladysmith to a member of the Natal Royal Rifles in the summer, but, they are all lovely things.
Research is indeed far more on the genealogical side rather than the military one because of the lack of individual papers, but, so often these men came from established Natal families that had actually been present in the colony for a generation or so, but, I don't feel that this detracts too much, as you know, some of these medals are very rare indeed.
As a collector, I can honestly say that I don't think that I've ever really sold or swapped any medals, I choose each recipient very carefully before actually deciding to include him in my collection and I always buy each for a particular reason, it might just be a particular regiment or a clasp combination to a particular regiment, a casualty or perhaps a prisoner at a particular engagement and so on.
It might even be a very basic medal to someone uninteresting, but, if that medal is untouched with it's original ribbon and has a pleasing patina, then it will always get a second glance from me.
So often, the best and most rewarding medals can be the simple ones, they need not have even been expensive either, of course, that can be an issue here, simply because, there is absolutely no shortage of medals whatsoever, but, when I started collecting, you could go out with a bucket and fill it with QSA's, very few people really wanted them, it was considered a poor mans hobby by very many established Victorian collectors.

Yes I do need a bit of festive cheer though, it is not only cold, but, so bloody wet too, really very wet indeed, so Frank remains fed up!
(And green with envy given the "low thirties" in Johannesburg!)