TOPIC:

Why very rare? - Well there were only ever 20 men who comprised this unit during the Defence of Ladysmith and who were involved in the desperate fight at Wagon Hill - Hicks was one of them.

John Augustus Hicks

Gunner, Natal Volunteer Hotchkiss Detachment – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasp Defence of Ladysmith to GNR. J. HICKS, NATAL VOLS.

John Hicks was born in St. Pancras in the County of Middlesex, England on 30 August 1878 the son of Robert Hammond Hicks, a Clerk by profession, and his wife Rosina Frances Hicks, born Temple. At the time of his baptism in the Parish of St. Jude on 22 September 1878 the family were living at 69 Swinton Street, Middlesex.

An early sketch of 69 Swinton Street

According to the 1881 England census a 2 year old Hicks was at home with his parents (who were by now middle aged at 46 and 41 years respectively), and sibling Louisa (6). The family had taken in no fewer than five lodgers in what was an impressively large house built by the Swinton Brothers in the late 1700’s. Mr Hicks must have been fairly affluent and is recorded as being an Accountant in the census.

Of Hicks in the 1891 census there is no sign and he was most likely away at a Boarding School. At some point in the dying years of the 19th century Hicks made a decision to move south to South Africa finding himself in Natal at the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War on 11 October 1899.

The Anglo Boer War was essentially a battle between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State against the might of the British Empire. It had its origins in the stand-off between President Kruger of the Transvaal, an irascible old gentleman who, despite the growing number of foreigners in his country, refused to allow them the franchise or any say in the running of the economy which was, ever increasingly, dependant on the gold mining sector. Decrying them as “Uitlanders” Kruger was vehemently opposed to anyone who wasn’t “of his “volk” (people)” – those of Dutch ancestry – despite the fact that these very “Uitlanders” were contributing most of the tax revenue to his small country. President Steyn of the Orange Free State, whilst not as a ardently opposed to foreigners, had common ground with Kruger and a pact that said that any war fought would be a joint effort. This it was that the century closed out with at least part of the world at war.

One of the first targets for the Boer forces was to try and take Natal, a British Colony, and the port of Durban in the process. This involved the taking of the strategic towns of Ladysmith on the way to the coast. Within the first few days of war having been declared Boer Commandos invaded Natal fighting at Talana outside Dundee and Elandslaagte where after, despite taking the laurels, the British troops retreated to Ladysmith and were invested there by a superior Boer force leading to the 3 month long siege of that town. Various, some of them half-hearted and ill conceived, attempts were made by the British and Colonial forces holed-up in Ladysmith to extricate themselves and left the siege but these all achieved minimal success and ultimately failed.

The (Pietermaritzburg) Hotchkiss Gun Detachment had been raised in September 1899 on the eve of war by a Captain Walker, a native of Pietermaritzburg of Scottish descent. Never a large outfit they numbered 19 men and 2 officers at any given time and were a very small but important cog in the Natal Volunteers machinery. They had been present in Ladysmith from the 3th October, a week before hostilities commenced, and were thus caught up in the siege.



This artillery unit which was called a battery, though consisting of only two guns comprised two 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns on field carriages, which were man-handled although adapted for animal draught. Their projectiles were grape, common and armour-piercing shell. The unit was attached to the Natal Naval Volunteers for several weeks before being attached as a brigade unit to the Natal Volunteer Brigade, later being posted on Wagon Hill, under the command of the Imperial General Officer Commanding that sector of the defences.

Whilst it was true that the British made several attempts at liberating themselves it was also true that the Boers made several attempts to carry the day and invade Ladysmith – the most serious of these efforts took place on 6 January 1900 at Wagon Hill and the N.V.H.D. were in the thick of it. Hicks had joined their ranks as a Gunner with no. 13. During the heavy attack by the Boer forces on Wagon Hill and Caesar's Camp the guns were rushed early in the morning and captured by the enemy who tried to use them against the defenders, but their efforts were ineffective. Some fierce fighting took place around the guns in attempts to recover them, and it was not till the end of the day that they were retaken by the Gordon Highlanders and Imperial Light Horse, and then re-used against the retiring enemy at a range of a few yards, doing much execution with grape shot. The unit sustained casualties of two killed and five wounded. Casualties, for such a small force, were high with Gunners Kinloch and Bodtker killed and three men wounded – thankfully Hicks was not one of them. During the battle Captain Walker, having become a casualty by illness, was replaced by the senior sergeant until it was disbanded.

Another similar account of the role played by the detachment in the battle was described in the Natal Field Force History as follows,

“On Wagon Hill the Hotchkiss gun manned by Volunteers under Captain Walker, was very heavily attacked. Case shot was used with some effect, but the gun detachment, having lost 2 killed, were driven back. Captain Walker succeeded in dismantling the breech before leaving.”

Yet another account came courtesy of an article in The Fife Free Press of March 3 1901 – entitled “Gallantry of Lieutenant Walker, formerly of Kirkcaldy it read,

“The “Natal Witness” (January26) contains a graphic account of the memorable engagement on Wagon Hill, in which the Natal Naval Volunteers took such an honourable part. Recently we mentioned in three columns from many natives of Kirkcaldy were under siege and the fire of the Boers at Ladysmith. Among them was Mr Walker, auctioneer and formerly of this town. Mr Walker raised a small company of volunteers, which was attached to another company. From the account of the Wagon Hill battle referred to, in which allusion is made to our former townsman we extract the following passages:-

“What happened on Wagon Hill will be well known to your readers by this time, but a word for the bravery of the troops which, engaged as they were against so large a force of the enemy, cannot be over-rated. Could you people of Durban and Maritzburg have seen the charges made by the different regiments time after time on Wagon Hill, in an almost blinding storm of rain, you would never have the least doubt about the pluck and endurance of the British soldier. The Volunteers have much to be proud of in the pluck shown by Lieutenant Walker and his Maritzburg men, for the way in which they worked the Hotchkiss gun on Wagon Hill. This gallant officer had just brought his gun up the hill at midnight, and had to unlimber in the open, as no gun pits were ready to receive it.

The men through their previous exertions, were exhausted, and had just lain down around the gun to get a little sleep when the firing commenced. They fought like the others until forced to retire after our infantry had lost 2 men killed and three wounded out of a party of 9 all told. This gun was never taken by the enemy, as a rumour said it was.”

In a final account provided by the same newspaper, on this occasion quoting from Walker who had come to Kirkcaldy to regale the locals about his exploits came the following about the Detachments living conditions,

“Captain Walker states that along with other batteries, they occupied exposed positions, and had to live among the rocks like rabbits. For the first two months provisions were pretty full, but from that time they were reduced, and they had siege rations amounting to one pound of horse flesh, 4 ounces of mealy bread, 4 ounces of mealy meal to make porridge, and an ounce of sugar every 24 hours. On these small rations they had to do duty day and night, never being sure when an attack was about to be made. Captain Walker’s Battery was supplied with tents but couldn’t put them up in their position, so they had just to build shelters of stones, put a covering on top, and crawl underneath on such occasions as when they could get a rest.”

Of the original 19 men of the Hotchkiss Detachment 7 men including Hicks returned to Pietermaritzburg with Captain Walker after the Relief of Ladysmith on 1 March 1900. Six others joined the Composite Regiment. Although only “in the field” for a few months they had tasted battle and, for most of them, had lived to tell the tale. For his efforts Hicks was awarded the Queens Medal with the single clasp Defence of Ladysmith. He was discharged from the service on 25 March 1900 and returned to his civilian pursuits.

On 6 July 1904, in a private house in Malvern, Durban, he wed Louisa Maria Hopkins. He was described as being a Clerk by profession. This union inevitable led to children with Eileen May Frances Hicks being born on 1 November 1905 to the happy couple – the baptism taking place in the Wesleyan Circuit on 2 January 1906.

John Hicks passed away at the age of 43 years and 2 months at Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg on 31 October 1921. He had been a Book Keeper by profession in the employ of the Natal Creamery Ltd. in Pietermaritzburg and had survived his wife. He was survived, in turn by his only remaining child, Dudley Hammond Hicks who had been born in April 1908.

Rory
This ranks with the best of the medals in your collection, and it deserves the excellent biography that accompanies it.
Regards
Brett

Hi
First of all, congratulations on an extremely well-researched and –written story!!
I have been fortunate in having had 3 of the 20 QSA’s to this elusive unit in my collection.
I sold the group to Gnr C E Sacre at the Spink Boer War Sale in Oct 1999. The unit on the QSA was impressed as NATAL VOLS:. His KSA was to the FID, a 14/15 Star to the 2nd ILH and a WM & AVM to the 4th SAI (wounded at Delville Wood). In retrospect I should have kept that group!!
I also had the pair to Sgt H J C Taylor: the QSA was impressed NATAL VOL: H.G.D. with the KSA to the ILH. This was sold through City Coins in 2007.
The QSA that I did retain is to the C/O of the unit, Capt M W Walker and is engraved in normal “Officers’ style” as Natal Vols:



Thanks to Rory (and with his permission!) I can now add the details of the Kirkcaldy lecture to my own file on Walker.
Walker and his men's performance at Wagon Hill was duly acknowledged in the London Gazette



Henk

Hi
Some finger trouble!! Here is the inside of the pamphlet

Henk

Fantastic medals. Very envious!

I second David's comments!
Regards
Brett