TOPIC:

I have posted White's story here because, although he is missing his QSA, he earned one for the Defence of Kimberley.

John White

Third Class Private, Cape Police, District 2
Third Class Sergeant, Cape Police, District 2 – Bechuanaland Campaign
Sergeant, Cape Police, District 2 – Anglo Boer War
Lieutenant, Cape Police, District 2
Inspector, Kimberley Urban Police District

- Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal to 16 Serg. J. White, C. Pce.

John White was an Irishman born to Thomas White, a Farmer and his wife Hannah in Donohill, Tipperary, Ireland in about 1859.

Despite later choosing a career in Law Enforcement his early years were spent, certainly at one point in time, on the wrong side of the law. According to the Clonmel Gaol Registry he was committed on 18 October 1875 to one calendar month’s Hard Labour for Assault. Only 16 years old at the time this must have been a traumatic experience for the young man who was described as being 4 foot 8 ½ inches in height with blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion. Having served his time he was discharged on 15 November that same year.

Whether it was this incident or something else that decided him we don’t know but White elected to leave his family and country of birth and journey to South Africa where, on 3 September 1883, he enlisted with the Cape Police (District 2) as a Third Class Private with no. 16. District 2 was headquartered in Kimberley, by this time a bustling town and the epicentre of the diamond mining industry. Fortunes were to be made and lost and there was, for obvious reasons, the need for a strong Police Force who were able to fulfil a military function as well. Recognising his potential White was promoted to Third Class Sergeant on 23 July 1889

Thirteen years after he had enlisted White was to take part in his first operation this to quell an uprising which spanned the 24 December 1896 to the 30 July 1897. This uprising stemmed from an edict to slaughter native livestock to prevent the spread of virulent cattle disease in April 1896. The revolt rapidly gathered alarming momentum and the local troops under Lt Colonel Dalgety were hard pressed to contain the uprising. A large force was required to subdue the fighting and troops and volunteers were mobilized for the Bechuanaland Field Force. Actions were fought at Gamasep Kloof, Riet Kloof and finally at Langberg on the 30 Jul - 1 Aug 1897 before peace was restored.

The cattle disease referred to, a serious epidemic of rinderpest, broke out in Bechuanaland affecting many herds. The government took drastic measures and issued regulations to combat the outbreak that included the slaughtering of infected herds. The Bataplin tribe from the former Crown Colony land objected to the regulations and refused to implement them. Also a minor Bataplin chief named Galishiwe fired on a Cape Police party that came to arrest him at Pokwani in connection with the murder of a German trader living nearby.

The police then sent 600 men to arrest Galishiwe but as they arrived the Chief’s men dispersed and he escaped in the confusion. These “rebels” then killed another European trader and looted his store. Once again the police party sent to deal with the matter failed to apprehend Galishiwe; this led to a troop of Cape Mounted Riflemen under Captain Woon riding in support of the police, but by now the Batlaro natives had also risen in revolt. Woon decided that the rebels were too strong and so he withdrew. Finally in mid-February 1897 the Cape Government decided to form the Bechuanaland Field Force and despatch it to deal with the rebellion. Meanwhile the rebels, about 2,500 in number and armed with good rifles and plenty of ammunition, had fortified very strong defensive positions in the Langeberg mountain range that runs in between Kuruman and the German South West Africa border. Large herds of cattle had been driven into these hills. The uprising was eventually put down and those who had assisted in this process were awarded the Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal although this was only issued just prior to the Boer War. White, in the meantime was promoted to the rank of Second Class Sergeant on 23 July 1897.

With peace restored White returned to his daily activities but illness overtook him and, on 10 September 1898 he succumbed to a bout of Influenza which prostrated him until 27 September. After this he suffered with Colic for two days – the 21st and 22nd of October 1898. Having recovered from his travails it wasn’t long before he was caught up in yet another conflagration – this time on a much larger scale and of a more serious nature – the Anglo Boer War. War between the two Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and Transvaal was declared on 11 October 1899 and, in one of the first actions of the war, commandoes from the Orange Free State headed for Kimberley with the objective of capturing that town deemed, in their minds, to be of major importance and significance. The added bonus was that Cecil John Rhodes was known to be holed-up there and what a prize his capture would be!

Two days after war broke out, members of the para-military Cape Police started riding into Kimberley from abandoned outlying police posts, bringing with them two obsolete RML 7-pounder Mark IV guns and some ammunition. Eventually, Cape Police in the town totalled 478 all ranks and formed part of the garrison throughout the siege, taking an active part in the defence. Their arrival, plus recruiting for existing volunteer units and the hurried raising of new 'hostilities only' units, soon brought the garrison's strength up to about 4 600 officers and men, but more than half of these were completely untrained.

The strength of the investing Boer force varied between 3 000 and 5 000 men supported by nine field guns. In keeping with their normal practice, the Boers sited their guns singly around the town, most of them being just beyond shrapnel range of the 2.5s emplaced in the Kimberley defences, some being even beyond range of ring shell. In any event, the little 3 kg shells of the garrison's guns were ineffective against the earth banked dry-stone walling used in nearly all the Boer positions around the town. The Boer gunners could thus shell Kimberley without fear of effective counter-bombardment, and this they proceeded to do from about the end of October onwards, displaying a disregard for target selection by scattering their shells liberally throughout the residential and business areas of the town. From recorded shelling reports the Boers fired about 8 500 rounds into Kimberley during the siege causing little serious damage to property and remarkably little loss of life (only nine civilians and one soldier were killed by shell-fire), but causing a good deal of annoyance.

News that Lord Methuen and the 1st Division had left Orange River Station on 21 November, on their way to relieve Kimberley, plus further news that he had won three battles and reached Modder River Station in a week, made the inhabitants of Kimberley feel that relief could not be far off and that Boer shelling would have to be endured for at most a few more days. Hopes were dashed on 11 December by Methuen's shattering defeat at Magersfontein, only 22 kilometres away, and by messages from him to the effect that it would be some time before his advance could be resumed and enquiring whether the town could hold out. Boer shelling continued.

The relief, when it came on 15 February 1900, came not a moment too soon as the population had been reduced to eating horse meat and things were becoming very dire. On 1 August 1900 White was promoted to the rank of full Sergeant succumbing to the scourge of Enteric on 29 October of that year. This was no doubt as a result of the privations endured during the siege. For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasp Defence of Kimberley. The war ended on 31 May 1902 with White seemingly having no further role to play. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 27 June 1902.

Back in Ireland his family, according to the 1901 Ireland census, continued to farm in the County of Tipperary. His father, now 70 was in residence with his 68 year old mother and siblings Eleanor (35), Jane (33), Matthew (31) and Charles (28) – strangely none of them were married.

White was then transferred to the Dismounted Section and was still in the service of the Cape Police in 1903. He appeared in the 1910 Cape Civil list as the Inspector of the Kimberley Urban Police District at a salary of 400 pounds p.a + forage for one horse. Inspector was a captain's rank. We next pick up his whereabouts a year later sadly, on his death which took place on Wednesday, 11 January 1911 when he was 51 years of age. According to his death certificate he had been admitted from Wynberg Hospital in Cape Town to the Valkenburg Asylum. The cause of death was melancholia (better known these days as manic depression). What had occasioned this? We will most likely never know but he had apparently been suffering with this condition for a year prior to his death.

His death notice provided more detail in that he had married at some point – Sarah White, born Markham – and that he was a retired Inspector of Police from Kimberley. A sad end to a man who had given such a long period of service to the maintenance of law and order in Kimberley and its surrounds.

Great story Rory......

What's with the Irish all becoming police......

Got to be a cultural thing......

LOL

Mike

Rory
Thank you for another interesting story. I liked the bold typeface!
Regards
Brett

Good gracious Rory, what a very nice find, to think that White actually was in Kimberley and witnessed events in the town at a time when it was becoming the most important place in the whole Colony, quite remarkable.
Your post reminds me too, just what an attractive medal the Cape's "GSM" actually was, certainly not common medals.
It is most interesting that he appears to have been, in effect, "struck of charge" during the war itself, because of illness and most unfair too, interestingly, I note WO100/359 states clearly that he was "struck off kings roll when returned from Cape Town" which does tend to confirm this to have been the case, when I first read your post, with your mention of the census and his family, my eyes inserted the word "with" between "Ireland" and "his"
Have you checked if there has been any sightings of his QSA in the last couple of decades, I do hope it is extant, if found, you would certainly have a most interesting and very scarce pair.
Again a very pleasing medal.
Regards Frank

Rory wrote: I have posted White's story here because, although he is missing his QSA, he earned one for the Defence of Kimberley.

John White

Third Class Private, Cape Police, District 2
Third Class Sergeant, Cape Police, District 2 – Bechuanaland Campaign
Sergeant, Cape Police, District 2 – Anglo Boer War
Lieutenant, Cape Police, District 2

- Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal to 16 Serg. J. White, C. Pce.

John White was an Irishman born to Thomas White, a Farmer and his wife Hannah in Donohill, Tipperary, Ireland in about 1859.

Despite later choosing a career in Law Enforcement his early years were spent, certainly at one point in time, on the wrong side of the law. According to the Clonmel Gaol Registry he was committed on 18 October 1875 to one calendar month’s Hard Labour for Assault. Only 16 years old at the time this must have been a traumatic experience for the young man who was described as being 4 foot 8 ½ inches in height with blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion. Having served his time he was discharged on 15 November that same year.

Whether it was this incident or something else that decided him we don’t know but White elected to leave his family and country of birth and journey to South Africa where, on 3 September 1883, he enlisted with the Cape Police (District 2) as a Third Class Private with no. 16. District 2 was headquartered in Kimberley, by this time a bustling town and the epicentre of the diamond mining industry. Fortunes were to be made and lost and there was, for obvious reasons, the need for a strong Police Force who were able to fulfil a military function as well. Recognising his potential White was promoted to Third Class Sergeant on 23 July 1889

Thirteen years after he had enlisted White was to take part in his first operation this to quell an uprising which spanned the 24 December 1896 to the 30 July 1897. This uprising stemmed from an edict to slaughter native livestock to prevent the spread of virulent cattle disease in April 1896. The revolt rapidly gathered alarming momentum and the local troops under Lt Colonel Dalgety were hard pressed to contain the uprising. A large force was required to subdue the fighting and troops and volunteers were mobilized for the Bechuanaland Field Force. Actions were fought at Gamasep Kloof, Riet Kloof and finally at Langberg on the 30 Jul - 1 Aug 1897 before peace was restored.

The cattle disease referred to, a serious epidemic of rinderpest, broke out in Bechuanaland affecting many herds. The government took drastic measures and issued regulations to combat the outbreak that included the slaughtering of infected herds. The Bataplin tribe from the former Crown Colony land objected to the regulations and refused to implement them. Also a minor Bataplin chief named Galishiwe fired on a Cape Police party that came to arrest him at Pokwani in connection with the murder of a German trader living nearby.

The police then sent 600 men to arrest Galishiwe but as they arrived the Chief’s men dispersed and he escaped in the confusion. These “rebels” then killed another European trader and looted his store. Once again the police party sent to deal with the matter failed to apprehend Galishiwe; this led to a troop of Cape Mounted Riflemen under Captain Woon riding in support of the police, but by now the Batlaro natives had also risen in revolt. Woon decided that the rebels were too strong and so he withdrew. Finally in mid-February 1897 the Cape Government decided to form the Bechuanaland Field Force and despatch it to deal with the rebellion. Meanwhile the rebels, about 2,500 in number and armed with good rifles and plenty of ammunition, had fortified very strong defensive positions in the Langeberg mountain range that runs in between Kuruman and the German South West Africa border. Large herds of cattle had been driven into these hills. The uprising was eventually put down and those who had assisted in this process were awarded the Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal although this was only issued just prior to the Boer War. White, in the meantime was promoted to the rank of Second Class Sergeant on 23 July 1897.

With peace restored White returned to his daily activities but illness overtook him and, on 10 September 1898 he succumbed to a bout of Influenza which prostrated him until 27 September. After this he suffered with Colic for two days – the 21st and 22nd of October 1898. Having recovered from his travails it wasn’t long before he was caught up in yet another conflagration – this time on a much larger scale and of a more serious nature – the Anglo Boer War. War between the two Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and Transvaal was declared on 11 October 1899 and, in one of the first actions of the war, commandoes from the Orange Free State headed for Kimberley with the objective of capturing that town deemed, in their minds, to be of major importance and significance. The added bonus was that Cecil John Rhodes was known to be holed-up there and what a prize his capture would be!

Two days after war broke out, members of the para-military Cape Police started riding into Kimberley from abandoned outlying police posts, bringing with them two obsolete RML 7-pounder Mark IV guns and some ammunition. Eventually, Cape Police in the town totalled 478 all ranks and formed part of the garrison throughout the siege, taking an active part in the defence. Their arrival, plus recruiting for existing volunteer units and the hurried raising of new 'hostilities only' units, soon brought the garrison's strength up to about 4 600 officers and men, but more than half of these were completely untrained.

The strength of the investing Boer force varied between 3 000 and 5 000 men supported by nine field guns. In keeping with their normal practice, the Boers sited their guns singly around the town, most of them being just beyond shrapnel range of the 2.5s emplaced in the Kimberley defences, some being even beyond range of ring shell. In any event, the little 3 kg shells of the garrison's guns were ineffective against the earth banked dry-stone walling used in nearly all the Boer positions around the town. The Boer gunners could thus shell Kimberley without fear of effective counter-bombardment, and this they proceeded to do from about the end of October onwards, displaying a disregard for target selection by scattering their shells liberally throughout the residential and business areas of the town. From recorded shelling reports the Boers fired about 8 500 rounds into Kimberley during the siege causing little serious damage to property and remarkably little loss of life (only nine civilians and one soldier were killed by shell-fire), but causing a good deal of annoyance.

News that Lord Methuen and the 1st Division had left Orange River Station on 21 November, on their way to relieve Kimberley, plus further news that he had won three battles and reached Modder River Station in a week, made the inhabitants of Kimberley feel that relief could not be far off and that Boer shelling would have to be endured for at most a few more days. Hopes were dashed on 11 December by Methuen's shattering defeat at Magersfontein, only 22 kilometres away, and by messages from him to the effect that it would be some time before his advance could be resumed and enquiring whether the town could hold out. Boer shelling continued.

The relief, when it came on 15 February 1900, came not a moment too soon as the population had been reduced to eating horse meat and things were becoming very dire. On 1 August 1900 White was promoted to the rank of full Sergeant succumbing to the scourge of Enteric on 29 October of that year. This was no doubt as a result of the privations endured during the siege. For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasp Defence of Kimberley. The war ended on 31 May 1902 with White seemingly having no further role to play. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 27 June 1902.

Back in Ireland his family, according to the 1901 Ireland census, continued to farm in the County of Tipperary. His father, now 70 was in residence with his 68 year old mother and siblings Eleanor (35), Jane (33), Matthew (31) and Charles (28) – strangely none of them were married.

White was then transferred to the Dismounted Section and was still in the service of the Cape Police in 1903. We next pick up his whereabouts sadly, on his death which took place on Wednesday, 11 January 1911 when he was 51 years of age. According to his death certificate he had been admitted from Wynberg Hospital in Cape Town to the Valkenburg Asylum. The cause of death was melancholia (better known these days as manic depression). What had occasioned this? We will most likely never know but he had apparently been suffering with this condition for a year prior to his death.

His death notice provided more detail in that he had married at some point – Sarah White, born Markham – and that he was a retired Inspector of Police from Kimberley. A sad end to a man who had given such a long period of service to the maintenance of law and order in Kimberley and its surrounds.

Hello Frank

No I haven't really checked to see if his QSA is extant although with a bit of "Irish luck" I am rather hopeful that it will surface - part of my reason for posting his story is to coax it out of retirement....

As to the KSA - I am, like you, of the opinion that he wasn't awarded the medal.

Regards

Rory

Afternoon Rory,
It really does not seem at all fair, to, with the one hand rob him of his KSA and with the other, actually commission him, I suspect he was a good policeman, has Adrian seen this, what does he have to say?
Regards Frank