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A Carbineer in the Defence of Ladysmith - Sutherland 5 years 9 months ago #59428

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William Sutherland

Trooper, Ladysmith Contingent, Natal Carbineers – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Defence of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laings Nek, South Africa 1901 and 1902 to 550 Tpr. W. Sutherland, Natal Carbnrs.

William Sutherland was born in Walls, Orkney in about 1867 the son of William Sutherland, a Farmer, and his wife Barbara. According to the 1871 Scotland census the Sutherland family lived at Little Bull, in the parish of Walls and Flotilla, Orkney, and was quite a large one – aside from William (4) and his parents were siblings Barbara (19), George (13), Willa (11), Jessie (9), Anderson (7) and James (3).

Ten years later at the time of the 1881 Scotland census the family lived at Bei in Orkney where Mr Sutherland farmed. Owing to the passage of time the domestic arrangements were somewhat different with some of the older children having moved out leaving a 14 year old William with his parents and siblings George, Jessie, Anderson, James and two new additions since the last census, Mary (9) and Isabella (5).

By the time the 1891 Scotland census came round William was 24 and already a Farm Manager on the farm Blanster in the South Ronaldsay and Burray district of Orkney. He had no family members around him, only fellow employees on the farm.

At some point he must have decided that life in Scotland was no longer for him and, making the decision to seek out a future for himself elsewhere, he headed for South Africa where he settled in the Ladysmith area of the Colony of Natal. Taking up the trade of Carpentry he set about making a life for himself in his new country.

The peace and tranquillity prevailing at the end of the 19th century was, however, about to be shattered – on 11 October 1899 long simmering tensions between Great Britain and the Dutch-speaking states of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal burst into fully-fledged war. One of the first orders of business for the Boers was to invade Natal from the Transvaal to the North and the O.F.S. to the West. Initially the fight was in the Dundee and then Elandslaagte areas but, with the Imperial and Colonial troops having fallen back on Ladysmith in disarray, it soon became apparent that the Boers would surround and invest the town.

This happened at the end of October 1899 and Sutherland was one of those caught up in the Siege. As a resident of Ladysmith he had joined the only regiment with a presence there on 17 September 1898 – before war was even contemplated. At the time of attestation he was 32 years of age and was assigned no. 550 and the rank of Trooper with “J” Squadron. He was described as being 5 feet 10 inches in height with a 38” chest and by occupation, a Carpenter resident in Ladysmith.

Sutherland together with some mates

The Carbineers mobilised on 29 September 1899 and proceeded to Ladysmith (Sutherland didn’t have far to travel). Initially they were tasked with patrolling the border with the Orange Free State – a suspected invasion route – in the vicinity of Van Reenen’s Pass. The Ladysmith Squadron were in demand as Guides for the various other regiments soon to be stranded in Ladysmith on account of their invaluable local knowledge.

The Ladysmith-based Squadrons were ordered to take up position with their scouting parties near Bester’s Station on the Ladysmith-Harrismith railway line but, after an initial skirmish with invading Boers, were ordered to retire on Ladysmith.

On 24 October they joined a force that was sent out to Tinta Inyoni on the Newcastle Road in order to escort the retiring column from Dundee and to protect it from Boer attack. There was a substantial clash as the Boers did indeed attack in what was, for most of the men, their baptism of fire.

Back in Ladysmith, the siege having commenced, the Carbineers, as part of the Natal Volunteer Brigade, were put to work holding the line of defence between Caesar’s Camp and Devon’s Post on the Helpmekaar Ridge on the south-eastern perimeter of the town. The total complement of officers and men in Ladysmith were 22 of the former and 370 of the latter.

On 3 November they were involved in a skirmish in the vicinity of End Hill, when a Boer convoy was attacked north of the town, suffering a number of casualties. It wasn’t long though and the men began to suffer the effects of the siege and the poor diet that accompanied it. Men began to contract enteric fever and the hospital at Intombi soon resembled a battleground. Daily routine was tedious and boring and it took some imagination on the part of the officers to keep the mens’ morale high. Sports days and other activities were planned, most taking place amidst the incessant bombardment from the Boer guns which peppered the town and its inhabitants.

An opportunity to relieve the boredom came in the form of a nocturnal sortie on the night of 7/8 December against Gun Hill – the site of one of the Boer big guns which made everyone’s’ lives a misery. The regiment was assembled, dismounted, in front of the Brigade office at 9 p.m. departing shortly before midnight to rendezvous with the other units involved along the Helpmekaar Ridge.

Absolute silence and secrecy was maintained with 100 of the Carbineers selected for the final assault. The foot of Gun Hill was reached at about 2 a.m. after a six mile march. Colonel Royston, with a force of 300 men (including some Carbineers), was detached to guard the right of the attacking force. The assault group, including about 100 Carbineers men, moved forward scrambling over rocks and other obstacles. A Boer sentry issued a challenge which was followed by a fusillade of bullets followed by the successful capture of the gun which was disabled by the Engineers where it stood.

The siege was eventually relieved on 28 February 1900 and the besieged were tasked with pursuing the now retreating Boers – this was a bridge too far for the “cadaverous troopers on emaciated horses” who had survived the siege. On 7 March the regiment departed for a well-earned rest at Highlands outside Estcourt where they remained until 5 April being joined by 111 fresh recruits.

Thereafter a large proportion of the men returned to Ladysmith, rejoining Buller’s relief column pressing on to Elandslaagte and then Dundee which they reached by 15 May. On 9 June they patrolled the battlefield of Laings Nek where Sutherland earned the Laings Nek clasp to his Queens Medal. The Ladysmith troop were then put back to work patrolling the western borders of Natal.

Sutherland was finally discharged at the end of the war on 31 May 1902 but continued to serve until parting with the Carbineers on 13 March 1903. That he had returned to his civilian occupation was borne out by an extract from the Ladysmith Burgers Roll of 1904 which list a W. Sutherland, Carpenter, as a resident (Renter) of Ward 1.

At some point in time thereafter he took up farming on the farm “Christiana” in the Dannhauser area outside Newcastle which is where he passed away, at the age of 75 years 6 months, on 28 February 1941 – forty one years to the day that the siege in which he had played a part came to an end.

He was survived by his wife, Christina and children, William Sutherland, Isabella Bruce Taggart, John Browning Sutherland, James Kenneth Sutherland and Elsie Agnes Caister.

Today he is remembered in the attached photo as a pipe-smoking chap playing a game with comrades to relieve the monotony of life on patrol.