TOPIC:

John Albert Riches: Durban Light Infantry, 1st Rifle Bde and Gloucestershire Regiment

Born: October 1879
Died: 15th October 1949

John Riches was born during the 3rd Quarter of 1879 in Greenwich. Greenwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created. At the time of the 1881 census he is recorded as living with his parents John and Louisa Riches and his seven siblings, 2 Brothers and 5 Sisters. They lived at 74 Fawcett Road in the Borough of Deptford.

The family was still living at the same address at the time of the 1891 census but by now the family had grown with the addition of another son. John was recorded as being a Scholar at the time.

John was by all accounts working as a Clerk in 1896 and was probably thinking about exploring the world and his choice was to travel to South Africa and enlist into the Durban Light Infantry.

John Riches embarked at Southampton on the 2nd May 1896 and set sail for Durban aboard the “Spartan” aged 17 years. He worked as a clerk locally for a few months until he decided that he needed an adventure. So in March 1897 he enlisted into the DLI and was posted as a Private to ‘C’ Company of the Durban Light Infantry with the Regimental number No380. During this time frame in South Africa feelings between the Boer Republics and the British Colonies of Natal and the Cape Colony were tense. There was a distinct feeling that sooner rather than later things would come to a head. This duly occurred and on the 9th October 1899 the South African Republic issued an ultimatum to Britain and two days later, on 11th October 1899 war was officially declared between Britain and the Boers.

The DLI was the largest local volunteer unit from Durban and was heavily involved in the Relief of Ladysmith and will always be remembered for the armoured train incident on the 15th November 1899. Although John Albert Riches was not part of the half company from the DLI involved in the incident, a short piece will follow on the incident:

On Wednesday the 15th November 1899 an armoured train was derailed near Chieveley and attacked. The escort was composed of half a company of Dublin Fusiliers, and another half company of Durban Light Infantry, 120 of whom are missing. Mr. Winston Churchill is amongst the missing. The armoured train consisted of, in the front, a flat truck with a seven-pounder gun, manned by a petty officer and five bluejackets from Her Majesty's ship Tartar. It contained 100 men in all. The train was despatched for the purpose of reconnoitering the Boer positions near Colenso and to ascertain the truth of reports that railway track had been destroyed. The troops were entrained and left Estcourt at six o'clock in the morning. The train ran forward to Chieveley, where a body of the enemy was seen. The enemy opened a cannonade at a range of about 2,000 yards. The Boers also had tilted a rail. Instantly two of the trucks were overturned and the third was derailed. Many of our men were injured. Mr. Winston Churchill bravely summoned the train hands and volunteers, detached the locomotive, ran back to the front trucks, and then, pushing and pulling, drove through the wreckage. The infantry opened a rifle fire on the Boers, who were advancing on the west side of the line, and held them in check. Mr. Churchill set to work heroically with the engine hands and cleared the debris, and put many of our wounded men upon the locomotive and tender, which, though shelled, got back at ten in the morning. Mr. Churchill remained at Frere to assist the other soldiers. Meanwhile our bluejackets fired their seven-pounder, the petty officer bravely laying and serving the weapon against the cannonade. He sent three shells bursting among the enemy, who numbered some 500. The Boers poured shot and shellfire into the crippled train. A shell struck and hurled the seven-pounder away, overturning the truck. The only newspaper correspondent present was Mr. Winston Churchill, who distinguished himself by his courageous conduct, as did also Wagner, the driver, and Stuart, the stoker of the engine. The troops, who had maintained a hopeless fight with great courage, were overpowered. A few managed to escape, but the majority were either killed or wounded or taken prisoners. Mr. Churchill was last seen advancing with a rifle among the Dublin Fusiliers. He is believed to have surrendered himself to cover the retreat.




The spot where Winston Churchill was captured






Chieveley Military Cemetery

As far as John's involvement was concerned, he was part of the relief force that relieved Ladysmith on the 27th February 1900 and was also on operations in the Transvaal this is confirmed on (WO 100/260 page 200). The supplementary roll (WO 100/260 page 211) confirms him as eligible for the Cape Colony and SA 1902 clasps.

Riches would have seen the war out and must have made some sort of an impression. He was by now a Corporal and was chosen to be part of the DLI Contingent which formed part of the Natal Contingent which travelled to the UK for the Coronation of King Edward V11on the 9th August 1902. Confirmed on (WO100/111 page 143) as one of 17 men from the DLI to attend the Coronation.

It is not known whether or not he visited his family whilst he was in England but he returned with the rest of the Contingent and carried on with his military life. Unfortunately it is also not know yet as to when he took his discharge from the DLI but on the 10th October 1914 and with Europe now at war he set sail from Durban bound for England aboard the SS Runic.

The history of the Durban Light Infantry tells us that the DLI was the first South African Regiment to be allied to the Rifle Brigade and as such it is no surprise that John Albert Riches attested into the 1st Rifle Brigade for service in France. He entered France on the 1st June 1915 as a Private with the Regimental number S/6652. He would have seem far worse horrors in France than he ever experienced in South Africa but he survived and was then transferred to the Gloucester Regiment as a Private with the Regimental number 34456. With the war over John went back to Civilian life in England and from surviving records it would seem that he sailed from the UK back to South Africa aboard the Arundel Castle on the 29th October 1926. This is conjecture at this point as there are no initials on the shipping list but the age fits the profile. What is known though is that John never married and went on to live in Durban, the city he obviously had fond memories of from his time in the DLI. He resided at 80 Essenwood Road in Durban and made this his home. He lived here until he died on the 15th October 1949 and the age of 70 years. He left much of his estate to his surviving Brothers and Sisters. The estate amounted to £7200. This was a decent sum of money for the time. It is also recorded that both his Father and Mother are buried in Stellawood Cemetery in Durban. When they traveled to South Africa is as yet unknown.

John Albert Riches full medal entitlement is:

As mounted on bar;

1902 Coronation Medal
QSA with 4 clasps
1914-15 Star
1914-18 BWM
Allied Victory Medal

Thank You for this interesting piece on the Durban L.I. ……

Mike

Adriaan

C Company, or part of it were on the Armoured Train, although his presence would only be confirmed if he appeared on the casualty list, a lovely group never the less.

Jon