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The Armoured Train at Mafeking - Capt. A.H. Wallis 6 years 10 months ago #53708

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Alfred Harry Wallis, M.I.D.

Captain, Western Division, Southern Rhodesia Volunteers – Anglo Boer War
Captain and O.C. 1st Armoured Train – South African Rebellion (1914)
Captain, South African Engineer Corps – WWI (German South West Africa)
Lieutenant, 281 Railway Company, Royal Engineers – WWI


- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Rhodesia and the Relief of Mafeking to Capt. A.H. Wallis, S. Rhod. Vol.
- 1914/15 Star to Capt. A.H. Wallis, S.A.E.C.
- British War Medal to Lieut. A.H. Wallis
- Victory Medal (unilingual) to Lieut. A.H. Wallis


Alfred Wallis was a highly intelligent man and a Civil Engineer by profession as events will show. Born on 28 December 1869 in the leafy suburb of Claremont, Cape Town he was the son of George Wallis, a highly respected Architect and Builder and his wife Agnes (born Hall). His baptism, in St. Saviour’s Church in Claremont came on 2 March 1870.



As a young man Wallis attended the well-known South African College School (S.A.C.S.) in Cape Town after which he obtained his first appointment in the Cape Civil Service on 12 Jan 1897 where he was an Engineering Assistant in the City Engineer’s Office, Cape Town.

At some point he transferred to the Cape Government Railways and was an Assistant Engineer, Construction with them from 1897 until 1901. Whist assigned to the Rhodesian system of Railways stationed at Bulawayo he joined the Western Division of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers on 1 August 1899 being appointed as a Lieutenant.

Wallis, like so many others, probably had almost no idea that in a matter of months his peace-time duties would evolve into active service facing a foe just across the border in his native South Africa. For many months hostilities had threatened between the two Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and their gold-rich ally, The Transvaal on the one hand and the British Empire on the other. This inevitably spilled over into open war and on October 9th, 1899, the Boers sent their ultimatum. On October 12th they cut the railway line south of Mafeking - at Kraaipan - and proceeded to invest Mafeking: the Territory was therefore cut off from the south.

For an eye-witness account of the role Wallis (and others) played in the relief of Mafeking, being held so bravely by Baden-Powell and his men, the Memoirs of J. Ellenberger written in 1949 and published in Rhodesiana Volume 11 are referred to. He wrote that,

“Almost at the same time as Mafeking was invested, a Boer force appeared near the junction of the Taung and Notwane rivers and proceeded to build a stone wall, or fort, on the top of the hill Sepitsi (whence the boundary between the Protectorate and Transvaal runs to Derdepoort on the Marico river) and some of the burghers, crossing into the Protectorate, cut the railway line near the hill Mohahabe (opposite Sepitsi).

Meanwhile an armoured train with Southern Rhodesia Volunteers under the command of Captain H. Llewellyn, of the British South Africa Police at Bulawayo, was daily patrolling the line as far south as the Metsimaswaana Bridge (nine miles from Gaberone's Camp). Further down the line the Boers on Sepitsi started shelling the armoured train as soon as they caught sight of it.




Coal was scarce and we used wood for the engine; its smoke was not as dark as smoke from coal and the wind was in our favour. There was one armoured truck in front with a Maxim gun pointing straight ahead, and one armoured truck at the back with a seven-pounder ready for action, the engine and a caboose in the centre. A speaking tube connected the O.C. (Captain Llewellyn, in the front truck) with the engine driver, and the whole train was camouflaged with green bushes securely fastened to it.

The Bakgatla tribe certainly kept open our lines of communication with Rhodesia and we took advantage of this to feel our way southwards. The armoured train (one of its armoured trucks was labelled "Hard Cases" and the other "Oom Paul's Pills") now patrolled to within a few miles of Gaberone's station.

A second armoured train was, by this time, running with ours. It was the Construction Train and on it was Mr. A. H. Wallis, a railway engineer, affectionately known among us as "Long Tom", owing to the length of the cigars which he was ever ready to offer to his friends.

He and his men kept the railway line in order for us, repairing all damage done by the Boers, and they had done a good deal of damage as we found on our way south later on. Among his men was a carpenter of the name of O'Shea who, in his spare time, very neatly repaired for me a Mauser carbine which Segale had brought back from one of his raids. Its stock had been shattered by a bullet and O'Shea fitted in the stock of an old muzzle loader; so good was his work that I used that carbine for the rest of the time I was in the Field, Segale supplying me with ammunition for it, and I had it for many years thereafter.

We eventually re-occupied Gaberone's. We could go no further for some time because the Boers had blown up the Metsimaswaana bridge and they were still on Sepitsi hill, barring the way. Then, from the direction of Tuli, where he had been operating, came an officer who was adored by all who served under him, Lieut.-Col. H. O. Plumer, later Field-Marshal Lord Plumer, who took command.

Reinforcements were now arriving fast from the north. Plumer's Column was already fairly long when we rode with it towards Lobatsi. The armoured trains could not reach the station on that day, however, as the Boers had, a few miles north of it, dug a deep hole in the track and pushed a truck into it. Wallis and his men were not long repairing the damage done there by the Boers; they worked all night, and we soon occupied Lobatsi.

We had cyclists as well now and they patrolled southwards along the railway, to report on the condition of the line and any movements of the enemy. It was not long before some of these scouts reported having been fired upon and that a Boer force was moving northwards towards Lobatsi. Colonel Plumer had, however, taken precautions: a strong detachment was posted on a ridge south of the Lobatsi Dam, on the right-hand side of the railway as one goes south, and Llewellyn had a 7-pounder on a hillock commanding the road from Sefhatlhane (Zeerust) and Dinokana to Lobatsi, which crosses the boundary between the Transvaal and the Protectorate at Gonku (Skaapkuil).

The attack came from the south, launched by the Boer force which the cyclists had sighted and which had been moving up along the foot of the hills on the left of the railway as one faces south. It was about 4 p.m. when they opened fire. The attacking Boers made no headway, however, and finally retired. Colonel Plumer must have realised that with the small force at his disposal -I think we were about 500 strong - it would be impossible to reach Mafeking by following the railway line. The Column rode out of Lobatsi, making for the Bangwaketse Reserve.

We were there two days only and then, by arrangement with Bathoen, the Column moved on to Sefhikile Pan, within the Bangwaketse Reserve, about half-way between Kanye and Mafeking. Kanye, however, remained the base for our supplies from Southern Rhodesia.

There was a fine sheet of water at Sefhikile and Colonel Plumer decided to remain there until such time as circumstances permitted an advance to Mafeking with some chance of relieving the town.

We were strongly entrenched at Sefhikile and the enemy had shown no inclination to come to the attack. It was Colonel Plumer who took the initiative at the end of March, 1900, with a view to ascertaining the approximate strength of the Boers besieging Mafeking. I believe he was about six miles from the town when the Boers fell upon him and drove him back to Ramathlabama; I am under the impression that he had left some heavy guns here, which halted the Boers.

Reinforcements had been steadily arriving while we were at Sefhikile - in small batches it is true, but by the end of April, 1900, our strength must have been about 700 of all ranks. We were crippled by malaria, however - some 200 cases a day I think the M.O. once told me - and it was horse-sickness season too.

Meanwhile Plumer knew that the defenders of Mafeking had no hope of being able to hold out beyond the middle of May. As that time-limit approached a message was received from Colonel Baden-Powell to the effect that although many of his men and what remained of his transport animals were in a state of exhaustion, yet he thought he might fight his way out if our column could assist in the operation and in the evacuation of women, children, and the sick.

May 14th and 15th were spent resting on the banks of the Molopo near Phitsane, messages to and from Colonel Baden-Powell being exchanged at night by means of runners. One message read: "May 16th. Southern and Northern Columns combined advance towards Mafeking at 6 a.m. to-day."

A halt was called at about noon. We had not met with any opposition so far and there was as yet no sign of the enemy. The day for which he had so long waited and toiled had at last come. The battle for Mafeking had begun.

Suffice it here to say that, after fighting our way forward throughout the afternoon of May 16th, on the northern side of the Molopo, and until dusk, every one of us imbued with the spirit of our Leader, we pushed forward under cover of darkness, without let or hindrance, and reached Mafeking at dawn on May 17th. A few hours later, the last of the Boers' strongholds about the town had been captured and the enemy was well on the run to the Transvaal-Mafeking had been relieved!

I believe that, when I left Colonel Plumer at Ootsi, he was busily arranging not only for the despatch of foodstuffs to Mafeking (Wallis and his men were actively engaged in repairing the last of the damage done to the railway line by the Boers) but also for the protection of the line. For months the armoured train continued to patrol and during the siege of Mafeking the trains from Rhodesia continued to operate as far south as the armoured trains could keep the line clear and in order, fire-wood being used occasionally for the engines; these trains were in the first instance "Military" trains but occasionally gave a lift to well-known civilians.”

Baden-Powell too in his Despatch which appeared in the London Gazette of 9 February 1901 made specific mention of Wallis on page 896 – under the heading Armoured Trains he wrote:-

“We armoured ordinary long-bogey trucks with steel rails (iron ones not being bullet-proof) to a height of 5 feet, with loopholes and gun ports. I had three prepared at Mafeking under the able direction of Mr. More, Resident Engineer, Bechuanaland Railway, also three at Bulawayo by Mr Wallis, Resident Engineer.”

With Mafeking relieved Wallis’ war continued with his appointment in command of “D” Squadron of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers with effect from 19 December 1900. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in the field on 17 November 1900. His Queens Medal was issued off the S.R.V. (Western Division) Armoured Train roll with his name also appearing under the “D” Troop roll. Returning to his civilian occupation with the Railways Wallis was promoted to Acting District Engineer, Maintenance and then to District Engineer- a post he held from 1902 until 1905. In 1904 he was transferred to De Aar in the Northern Cape as District Engineer, in the Cape Government Railways but returned to Rhodesia where, on 13 February 1905, he was required to resign his commission on civilian transfer with the Railways from Rhodesia back to, of all places, Mafikeng, the very town he had helped to relieve 5 years before.

On 19 September 1905 he was appointed Acting Resident Engineer on a salary of £525 pounds p.a. + 100 pounds p.a. local allowance + quarters – a princely sum for those days. Wallis and the other Rhodesia System officials were the only ones who received local allowances. According to the Cape Civil List, "From Vryburg a line of railway owned by the Rhodesia Railways Ltd, extends to Bulawayo, the Victoria Falls and on to Broken Hill. The section of this line from Vryburg to Bulawayo, exclusive, is worked for the Company by the Cape Government." This was Wallis’ domain.

There was time for love and romance as well – on 31 October 1906 in the Church at Charlton Terrace in Doornfontein, Johannesburg and at the age of 36 he married Florence Jane Rogers, a 32 year old spinster. His address was supplied as Mafikeng whilst hers was 145 Van Beek Street, Johannesburg.

It was at this time that his other interests began to take prominence – in 1908 he published “a section along the railway from Cape Town to Victoria Falls (published in The Geographical Journal, 1910, Vol 36 (3), pp. 339 – 343). That same year Wallis sent a sample of calcareous tufa from Wondergat, some 30 kilometres east of Mafikeng to the South African Museum in Cape Town. This was to be a sign of academic pursuits still to come. In July 1910 he was promoted to District Superintendent in the newly created South African Railways & Harbours.

Settling down to his scientific studies and starting a family made Wallis a busy man. His peaceful existence in the rural setting of the Northern Cape was soon to be disturbed some four years later with the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914. At the age of 44 he was soon back in uniform. According to his service card in the South African National Defence Force Archives in Pretoria Wallis was enlisted as a Captain with the South African Engineer Corps and Officer Commanding No. 1 Armoured Train. His next of kin was his wife, Florence Wallis of 3 East Grove, Mafikeng and he was taken on strength on 23 October 1914.

Context of South Africa’s participation in this war is required – it must be remembered that, a short 12 years earlier the Boers had been at the throats of the British forces and people in South Africa and there were still many, especially in the old Orange Free State and parts of the Transvaal who were vehemently opposed to South Africa siding with the British in this conflict.

There old Generals Botha and Smuts were now, respectively, both the Prime Minister of a united South Africa and its Defence Minister. It was they who persuaded parliament to support the British cause and it led to a rebellion in the aforementioned places with Commandoes taking up arms against their own countrymen. Botha was now required to suppress this by using force against his own people and some of the local regiments were called out to execute this order.

There were four Armoured Trains employed for both this purpose and for service in German South West Africa – “The Scott” under Captain Dixon was with the Northern Force, the “Erin” under Captain Stanton was standing by at Bloemfontein; the “Schrikmaker” under Captain Adams was to proceed to the Northern Force and, finally, No. 1 Armoured Train “Trafalgar” under Captain Wallis was to be with Central Force but first it had to assist in the quelling of the rebellion in the Orange Free State working from Bethlehem. A source tells us that on 14 November 1914 “There was a certain liveliness on the Reitz-Frankfort line where the Armoured Trains “The Trafalgar”, “Erin” and “Schrikmaker”, excellently armed with quick firers and picked marksmen, and carrying powerful searchlights did excellent work in conjunction with the mobile forces. The rebels tried on one occasion to cut off “The Trafalgar” but a running fight ensued and the rebels lost heavily.”




With the rebellion squashed Botha and Smuts could turn their attention to the conquest of German South West Africa. No. 1 Armoured train and Wallis were duly sent there as part of the Central Force embarking aboard the S.S. “Colonial” on 18 December 1914. An article which appeared in a British newspaper at this time best explains quite what role the train and its personnel played. Under the heading “In South Africa – Burton Latimer Man and German Treachery” it read as follows,

“Staff Sergeant Reg. Boardman, son of Mr J. Boardman of Burton Latimer, who is with the South African Engineer Corps, took part in several engagements in Cape Colony and the Orange River Colony (sic) during the recent rebellion, being on armoured train No. 1, “The Trafalgar”, under Captain Wallis.

Writing to his sister, Miss V Boardman, he gives the following account of his experiences:

‘I am still at Railhead (he says) on construction. We have now occupied Aus, but not quite repaired the line as far as that place. The Germans have blown up every rail, and in some places have taken away the whole lot, sleepers and everything. They have shown no fight at all and are simply retreating everywhere. We had a Captain De Meillon of our Intelligence Corps, who was shot whilst scouting. The Germans buried him at Aus, and when our troops occupied this place, they naturally were eager to visit his grave, but the dirty Germans had actually laid mines all around, knowing quite well we should go the spot, and thinking that they would get a good few of our men. However they were discovered before any had been exploded. Our men also found Hottentot scout boys strung up in a row.”

The tribulations and ardours of operating in a climate like that took its toll and Wallis was sent down to Luderitzbucht Hospital suffering with Diarrhoea on 21 February 1915. His period of active service ended on 7 April 1915 and he was released to return to the Union where, on arrival, he was transferred to the Engineering Branch resuming duty from 31 March 1916. Home again he immersed himself in his work and, according to the South African Society of Civil Engineers, Session 1917, he presented a paper (in 1916) entitled “Railway Water Supplies”.




One would think that, considering his age, his thoughts would turn to remaining at home but Wallis was made of sterner stuff – on 17 April 1918 he wrote from his home in Mafeking to Right Honourable J.C. Smuts, P.C. as follows,

“Dear General Smuts

I have no doubt you will recollect me when I tell you that I commanded No. 1 Armoured Train “Trafalgar” during the 1914 trouble in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, and was directly under your orders at Pretoria.

As you know, I am a Civil Engineer by Profession and am in the service of the South African Railways as District Superintendent at Mafeking.

I am desirous of offering my services in the National Crisis, and I enclose, herewith, some of my papers, from which you will see that I was a Lieutenant in the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers at Bulawayo in 1899, and that I was promoted in the field to be a Captain in 1900, having served with the Rhodesia Force under General Sir Herbert Plumer, in which force I was Captain commanding No. 2 Armoured Train, and was mainly engaged in repairs to the line between Mochudi and Mafeking.’

I enclose also a letter which Sir Lewis Mitchell handed me on my return from Luderitzbucht in the South West Campaign. I also enclose a Certificate from Mr S.F. Townsend the Resident Engineer under whom, I served during the 1900 War.

I am 48 years of age, but am of a hardy and tough constitution, and am especially anxious to do something in the present crisis. My experience in 1914 with the Armoured Train “Trafalgar” are well known to you, as well as my service in German South West where – an Armoured Train not being of service, I was in charge of the re-construction of the line from Tschaukaib to Aus, after whcu I was recalled to civil duties, owing to the heavy rainy season on the Vryburg – Bulawayo line.

I shall be exceedingly grateful to you if you could arrange to have my services accepted by the War Office and I will be prepared to come on receipt of a cable.

I also enclose a testimonial from Colonel Panzera, Resident Commissioner of the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and I also enclose a copy of a letter which Sir George Farrar handed me to hand to you, which unfortunately, I have never had an opportunity of presenting. Sir George tore open the letter and asked me to read it, and I kept a copy of the same by his permission. The original was posted to you in Pretoria shortly after I returned.

Yours obediently

A.H. Wallis”

(The Sir George Farrar referred to had died in an unfortunate railway related incident in German South West Africa)

The testimonial from Colonel Panzera was dated from his office as Resident Commissioner, Mafeking on 12 October 1915 and read:-

“To Whom it May Concern

I have much pleasure in testifying as follows from personal and intimate knowledge and observation extending over fifteen years, of Mr A.H. Wallis, late Captain S.R. Volunteers.

I first met Captain Wallis at the Relief of Mafeking and cannot speak too highly of his ability and untiring zeal in repairing and reopening Railway Communications. I subsequently was much associated with this Officer in Railway Work, as I was representing the Imperial Government under the Imperial Subsidy; and I know of his good and gallant work recently in connection with the Rebellion and in S.W. Africa, in the Campaign against the Germans.

He was selected in October last year to command No. 1 Armoured Train “Trafalgar” in the Free State and Transvaal, being engaged with the enemy on six occasions. After that Captain Wallis was performing arduous and responsible duty in S.W. Africa until recalled on urgent civil duty to the centre.

Of course details of his Military work are available from the officers under whom he served, but I can personally state after many years experience of officers and men, that I conscientiously believe Captain Wallis to be an exceptionally able and zealous Officer; absolutely reliable; full of resource and initiative; gallant in action, respected and a good Leader, who wins the confidence of his men.

I have always felt towards him the greatest personal friendship and can impartially strongly recommend him for any duties under the Royal Engineers, being perfectly sure that he would be of invaluable assistance from his long and varied practical knowledge and experience.
F.W. Panzera, Colonel, B.P.P.”

With connections as weighty as these it was small wonder that the High Commissioner’s Office in London (Mr Helbert) wrote to Captain Ryott. Light Railways, Room 25, War Office, Charing Cross on 1 June 1918 as follows,

“Dear Captain Ryott

I attach a copy of a letter sent to General Smuts by Mr A.H. Wallis, Mafeking

Mr A.H. Wallis is a very well-known Railway Engineer and holds excellent qualifications, and I attach copy of his record of services, together with one or two testimonials given to him by very well-known men.

General Smuts has directed me to place Mr Wallis’ name before you, and then if you wish to make use of his services perhaps it will be possible for you to cable to him and arrange his passage. Or, failing that, if you will let me know whether you can employ his services I can cable and he will have to make his own arrangements about passage.

Yours sincerely”

The upshot of all this was that Wallis was granted a temporary Commission in the Royal Engineers as Lieutenant, Railway Troops (attached to 281 Railway Construction Company) with effect from 17 July 1918. Interestingly the letter confirming his appointment was addressed to J. Boardman Esq,. The School House, Burton Latimer, Kettering. Those who have followed this account closely will recall that it was a Boardman from Burton Latimer who wrote to his sister detailing his experiences with the Armoured Train in South West Africa….

Wallis never got as far as serving in the Western Theatre of the war – he was England-based throughout the remainder of the war and was released from service on 13 July 1919 relinquishing his commission on that date. As an aside – his Attestation papers for Commissioned rank revealed that he had suffered from malarial fever at some point in his life and that he read “small print and does drawing work” with glasses. He was also 6 feet in height and weighed 141 pounds. For his efforts in the war he received the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Now having finally finished with the military he resumed his civilian pursuits with vigour. His main interests were in meteorology and climatology which led to a number of significant publications: “An investigation of evaporation over free surfaces of water in inland South Africa” was published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa in 1920, Vol 8 pp 283-292 and he continued to publish papers on a regular basis. He was a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society by 1917 and was in 1924 was a member of the Astronomical Society of South Africa. In later years he was transferred to first Windhoek and then Kimberley before retiring to Cape Town.

After a long and fruitful life Alfred Harry Wallis passed away of heart failure at the age of 76 years and 2 months on 25 February 1946 at the “Elizabeth Nursing Home” in Mouille Point, Cape Town. His wife had predeceased him having passed away on 27 November 1927. He was resident at the Civil Service Club in Cape Town and was survived by his three children – Harry William Hayward Wallis, Florence Winifred Faith De Beer and John Gusterson Wallis. He is buried in St. Saviour’s Church cemetery




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The Armoured Train at Mafeking - Capt. A.H. Wallis 6 years 10 months ago #53709

  • QSAMIKE
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Hello Rory.....

Another great piece of research..... Love the work that you do...... You should put them all together in a book called "A Few Hero's, Soldiers and Scoundrels" or something like that and I would certainly buy a few copies.......

Mike
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Military Historical Society
O.M.R.S. 1591
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The Armoured Train at Mafeking - Capt. A.H. Wallis 6 years 10 months ago #53711

  • Brett Hendey
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Rory
Thank you for another excellent post. It is contributions like this one that are keeping you at the top of the class on this forum.
Regards
Brett
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The Armoured Train at Mafeking - Capt. A.H. Wallis 6 years 10 months ago #53715

  • Frank Kelley
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Fantastic Rory, I don't think that I had ever seen a photograph of Trafalgar before either, just wonderful.
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The Armoured Train at Mafeking - Capt. A.H. Wallis 6 years 10 months ago #53728

  • Rory
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My thanks for all the positive comments.

Regards

Rory

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The Armoured Train at Mafeking - Capt. A.H. Wallis 4 years 3 weeks ago #68188

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Whilst wading through my volumes of Cresswell I encountered the attached group photo of the SRV Officers in the ABW. My man Wallis features in the photo.



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