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William George Denny

Private, 18th Hussars – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Transvaal & Laing’s Nek to 4471 Pte. W.G. Denney, 18/Hrs.
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to 4471 Pte. W. Denny, 18th Hussars

William Denny was born in Stratford, Essex on 23 September 1873 the son of William Denny, a Horse Keeper by occupation, and his wife Elizabeth. According to the 1881 England census, a 7-year-old William was resident with his family at 37 Cullum Street, Stratford, West Ham. William was the oldest-born followed by Ada (4) and Thomas (1).

Ten years later, at the time of the 1891 England census, the family make-up was unchanged the only difference being that Mr. Denny had taken his family to live at 83 Roman Road, in the London borough of Islington. The family stayed in the Back Yard of these premises, most likely because Mr. Denny was still employed as a Horse Keeper or Groom. William was now a strapping lad of 17 and a Coachman to boot whilst little sister Ada, at 14, was already a Flower Maker.

On 26 April 1894 a 20 year and 7 month old Denny completed attestation papers at the Recruiting Office in London for service totaling twelve years with the Corps of Hussars of the Line. Confirming his age and that he was a Groom by occupation, he was described as being 5 feet 7 ¾ inches in height with a weight of 149 pounds, a medium complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. By way of distinctive marks his “eyebrows met” and he had scars on his right elbow and a cross on his left forearm. His next of kin, his father, was resident at 3 George’s Yard, Blundell Street, Caledonian Road, Islington.

A member of the Church of England, he was declared Fit by the Doctor on the same day and was assigned no. 4471 and the rank of Private. Two days later, on 28 April 1894, he took himself up to Canterbury where he joined his regiment, initially the 7th Hussars but, on 1 February 1895, the 18th Hussars where he was to spend the remainder of his military career. It was whilst as Canterbury that he contracted Follicular Tonsillitis, the removal of which ensured his presence in hospital for a period of 5 days. He was released on 27 June 1894 and declared Fit for India.

Having served 1 year and 137 days at home, he was posted with his regiment to India on 9 September 1895, aboard the S.S. “Victoria”, where he was to remain until 14 October 1898 – a period of 3 years and 35 days. This sojourn was also not without incident – on 28 July 1896 he was admitted to hospital at Umballa with the Ague. After bed rest and treatment, he was released to duty on 5 August 1896 – nine days later. Having arrived at Lucknow on 21 December 1896 it wasn’t long before he was admitted to hospital with Boils – this happened twice – for 6 days (from 4 August 1897 until 9 August and again for a longer spell of 17 days (from 4 July 1898 until 20 July)

Denny was posted to South Africa on 15 October 1898, sailing with his regiment aboard the S.S. “Simla”. Neither he nor any of his comrades would have suspected that they would become a small but essential part of the limited Imperial force on hand to combat the Boers exactly a year from the date he landed.

Trouble, it has to be said, had been brewing for some time between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and the might of Imperial Britain. Things finally came to a head on 11 October 1899 when war between the two protagonists was declared.

Almost immediately the Boers invaded Natal from the Transvaal. To meet this threat Sir George White, stationed in Ladysmith as the most northerly base of operations, had a woefully inadequate number of men to counter the threat. To make matters worse he had appeased Penn-Symons who was stationed in Dundee with 4000 men who, he felt, would be able to manage the Boers. At this juncture it would be instructive to provide an account of the first battle of the war in the Natal theatre – that of Talana Hill .



An Account of the Battle of Talana Hill:

The regiment, 623 strong, arrived in South Africa on 28 October 1898 and was quartered in Ladysmith from 9 November 1898 until 25 September 1899 on which day they hurriedly left Ladysmith for Dundee, via the Biggarsberg Pass. Word had reached the Command that the Boers were approaching Dundee prior to the declaration of war. The 18th were, along with others, to form the aforementioned 4000 under Penn Symons. Denny was part of ‘A’ Squadron under Captain Marling and, later, under Major Knox.

On 20th October 1899 at around 5am the Boer commando of General Meyer appeared on Talana Hill to the east of Dundee, following a night approach march.

The British spotted figures moving on Talana Hill. As it was expected that the first Boer incursion would arrive from the direction of Newcastle it was assumed that these figures were members of the Dundee Town Guard.

At 5.40am the Boer artillery opened fire from Talana Hill on Dundee and the British camp. After the 18th Hussars had been formed, Colonel Moller ordered them to proceed in advance with ‘A’ Squadron, and try and get in rear of enemy’s position. During this advance the enemy fired on them with his guns, but they did no damage, and an excellent position, about 1200 yards in rear of the enemy’s, was reached. One Squadron and some Mounted Infantry were sent up about twenty minutes later, followed later on by the rest of the regiment, but Colonel Moller would not allow the Maxim Gun to open fire, although it was in an excellent position.

General Penn Symons was not impressed by the readiness of the British troops in Natal and worked them hard. His battalions were falling in for a day’s training when the first artillery rounds came in from three 75 millimetre guns, the first of J’ouvert’s new European acquisitions.
There was a delay before fire could be returned, the British artillery horses being at water. The batteries harnessed up and hurried through Dundee, coming into action in the open ground beyond the town, quickly silencing the outnumbered Boer guns.

As his artillery bombarded the Boers, Penn Symons prepared to attack their positions on Talana Hill with his infantry, forming with the Dublin Fusiliers massed in the front rank, the Rifles in support behind them and the Royal Irish Fusiliers in the third rank. Penn Symons insisted his regiments attack in conventional close order, an unrealistic tactic against an enemy armed with modern magazine rifles.

While his deployment of the infantry is considered to have been conventional, Penn Symons use of his mounted troops was imaginative and daring. Penn Symons directed his cavalry force, the 18th Hussars and Mounted Infantry, to advance around the western end of Talana Hill. Lieutenant Colonel Möller, the commanding officer of the Hussars and in overall charge of the mounted units, was instructed to await directions there, unless he saw a good opportunity to cut off the Boers’ retreat from Talana Hill.

The mounted units adopted what one of the experienced squadron leaders described as an ‘A1’ position overlooking the Boers’ led horses and ammunition supply, being passed up the hill. This officer, Major Marling, begged Möller to dismount his men and fire on the Boers with carbines and the Mounted Infantry machine gun. Möller refused, telling Marling to mind his own business.

The infantry assault went in on Talana Hill, the first lines reaching a wood at the base of the hill where in the face of heavy fire the attack stalled. Penn Symons arrived at the wood, dismounted and led the advance himself, until he was mortally injured, receiving a bullet in the stomach.

The British infantry attack regained its momentum and continued up Talana Hill in the face of heavy fire, gathering below the peak for the final assault. As the troops stormed the top of the hill the Boers retreated. One of the British batteries firing from the open ground outside Dundee failed to identify the troops on the top of Talana as British and continued to fire on the crest, inflicting unnecessary casualties and hindering the assault. Several senior British officers were killed or seriously wounded by British artillery fire.

The Boers could be seen mounting their ponies and streaming away across the valley on the far side of the hill. Penn Symons had sent the 18th Hussars and Mounted Infantry around Talana Hill to take advantage of just such a situation, but there was no sign of them.

Instead of staying in his ‘A1’ position Möller led his mounted units off to the north, in spite of the objections of his senior regimental officers. Finally, Möller agreed that two squadrons of the 18th led by the regimental second in command Major Knox might return to the base of Talana Hill. When the opportunity came for the cavalry and mounted infantry to attack they were no longer in place and the opportunity to cut off the retreat of the Boers from Talana Hill was lost.

The loss of Penn Symons prevented the main British force from taking advantage of its success in storming Talana Hill. The British batteries came forward but due to a misunderstanding of their orders or a failure to identify the Boers, did not open fire on the retreating commando.

Möller and his now much reduced mounted force ended up in a farm building some miles from Talana Hill in the middle of the Boer force advancing from Newcastle, where they surrendered. The two squadrons led by Major Knox managed to evade the Boers and returned to the British lines. Denny, who was not taken prisoner, would have been with Knox.

British casualties were 51 killed and 203 wounded of the infantry battalions. Some 150 men were captured with Möller, around 80 of them 18th Hussars. Boer casualties were around 200. The 3 Krupp guns were left on Talana Hill, but recovered by the Boers following the British withdrawal from Dundee.

Yule, who had taken on the command on the death of Penn Symmons then ordered a withdrawal to Ladysmith; making the “conquest” of Talana Hill a pyrrhic victory as the Boers then invaded Dundee looting as they went.



Once the 18th had arrived in Ladysmith on 26 October they were quartered in Tin Town, a distinctly insalubrious section of the sprawling camp. On 30 October the 18th Hussars took part in what were to be inglorious attempts to stave off the Boers. At 2 a.m. they left for Limit Hill, where they were joined by the Imperial Light Horse and the 5th Dragoons. There they waited until daybreak when the battle started with an artillery duel which slackened off at about 7 a.m. – it was decided to then take all the mounted troops to the right flank, this included the 18th H who proceeded to Lombard’s Kop.

The 18th dismounted there and lined the summit and sides of the hill, where they came under heavy fire from the Boers, who were posted on a ridge in front of them. The cover was however good and the Boers eventually retired out of range.

The regiment remained for some hours at Lombards Kop while the infantry attack on Farquhar’s farm was developing, but the terrain behind the Kop was too difficult to be of assistance to them, leading to their retirement at about midday, and their return to camp in Ladysmith.

What followed from this moment on was an almost endless number of patrols and small, ineffective demonstrations against the enemy. The siege was now in full swing with the Boers having completely surrounded the town. The opportunity to use cavalry was now almost gone and the horses would soon be put to an altogether different use – that of meat for the townspeople and the garrison as the food supplies dwindled and then disappeared.



Life became rather tedious and humdrum, interrupted only by the odd thunderstorm which broke the back of the insufferable heat and the Boer guns which rained shells down on Ladysmith every day except on Sundays.

The 18th were out on reconnaissance work when the attack on Gun Hill took place on 6 December and thus missed out on this occasion.

The 6th of January 1900 was the day the Boers decided on to bring the long drawn out siege to an end by seizing the town by the scruff of the neck, thereby effecting its full surrender. The 18th were ordered out at 10 a.m. and proceeded to a little beyond Range Post in small parties, so as to avoid the fire from the guns on Telegraph Hill and Blaubank. From here ‘A’ Squadron went on to the foot of Waggon Hill which was being held by a handful of the I.L.H., with the Boers on the outer edge of the hill. ‘A’ Squadron dismounted and held the extreme western end of the hill and the slopes towards the nek which lay between Waggon Hill and Middle Hill.



At about 1 p.m. the Boers made a concerted effort to sweep our men off the top of the plateau, and some of the enemy penetrated as far as the gun sangar which was erected near the centre of the hill. The slow retirement of our forces faced with this onslaught soon evolved into a rush and Major Knox ordered up the 18th’s Squadrons to fill the gap, with ‘A’ Squadron extending along the whole of the top.

The rush by the Boers had, however, proved ineffective, those who reached the gun sangar were all killed and the remainder of their force contented themselves with desultory fire in to men fleeing from the hill. At the same time their gun on Blauberg kept pouring shells into our backs, as the north face of Waggon Hill was completely exposed to their fire. Eventually the stalemate was broken by a severe hails storm which cooled the ardour on both sides. The Boers then gradually left the hill and, after a cold and very wet night, the 18th were relieved and returned to camp at about 09h30.

After 118 days the siege was lifted when and advance party of Buller’s relieving force entered Ladysmith. From that day on, until 28 May, the Regiment busied itself in finding new mounts and gathering strength from the supplies that started to flood into the town.

In the advance north from Ladysmith the 18th Hussars were brigaded with the 5th Lancers and 19th Hussars under Major General Brocklehurst. In his despatch of 19th June 1900, dealing with the taking of Botha's Pass and Alleman's Nek, General Buller said, "On the 10th the 18th Hussars gave valuable assistance and well-timed support to the South African Light Horse".

Brocklehurst's brigade accompanied General Buller to Lydenburg, and on the way had many engagements.

In the second phase of the war the 18th and 19th Hussars were chiefly employed in the Eastern Transvaal. In February, March, and April they took part in General French's great sweep to the most easterly corners of the Transvaal, in which practically all Botha's artillery was captured and his proposed re-invasion of Natal rendered an abortive intention. The regiment operated in June and ensuing months in a column under Colonel Campbell, which did further clearing up in the Eastern Transvaal. After Benson's disaster the 18th and 19th Hussars joined Allenby, and with him went in pursuit of the Boers who had attacked Benson. Towards the close of the campaign the regiment worked under General Bruce Hamilton, and contributed to his splendid results in the Transvaal. and Orange River Colony.

The war over on 31 May 1902, the Imperial troops were gradually repatriated to England and, in Denny’s case, he sailed for home aboard the S.S. “Templemore” on 31 July 1902. He had been under the harsh South African son for 3 years and 313 days and had earned both Queens and Kings Medals for his efforts.



Having arrived home, he continued in service for a further 3 years and 239 days until being placed on the Army Reserve on 21 April 1907. On 15 February 1903, in the Parish Church of Hackney in London, he wed Sarah Bird Holland, a 24-year-old lady resident at 221 Glyn Road, Clapton Park. He was 29 years old at the time and was a Groom by occupation. His father, William George Denny, was a Bricklayer by trade.

That the wedding was “hastened” can be seen by the birth of his first child, the aptly named William George, on 12 July 1903 – five months after the nuptials.

The 1911 England census revealed that Denny and his family had moved to 63 Digby Road, Homerton, he was employed as a Tramway Motorman.

Now was a time of peace but the storm clouds had been gathering, these erupted into war on a global scale on 4 August 1914. Never one to shirk his responsibilities a 43-year-old Denny enlisted for service. On account of his age he was never destined to see overseas service,
instead being assigned to ‘B’ Squadron of the XI Reserve Cavalry Regiment with the rank of Private and retaining his original number, 4471.

His Proceedings on Discharge form, dated 26 September 1916, revealed that his home address was 24 Churchill Road, Homerton, London. With a military character of Exemplary the additional comment was made – “Sober, honest and reliable. Has been employed on Police duties since beginning of war. Discharged on termination of engagement. Capable of holding any position of trust.”

Although not eligible for any medals as a result of Home service only, Denny was awarded a Silver War Badge, no. 102546, which was issued on 23 December 1916.

The 1939 household register revealed, although widowed, he was still alive at the age of 68 and resident at 15 Mildenhall Road, Hackney.

Very nice Rory, at least Denney made the long march back into Ladysmith, it does certainly make you wonder what was going on in Bernhard Moller's head, quite frankly, he should have stayed a wretched yeoman, he had certainly been promoted beyond his capability and yet, despite a Victoria Cross, the War Office appears to have had little time for a real soldier like Percival Marling.

A fantastic write-up for a lovely pair of medals, Rory. I do like the naming on the QSA.

Like Frank, you look at the route taken by Moller and wonder what he was thinking that day.

I think the engraved naming commonly found upon cavalry QSA's is particularly pleasing, however, you certainly do, on occasion, encounter medals, often a later "second" type reverse, with the wreath pointing to the letter F in the word, Africa, that have impressed naming, for no obvious reason, issued to men, serving within regiments where an engraved medal would be the normal, for example, with nothing whatsoever to suggest a later issue, upon the roll or on the recipients papers.

djb wrote: A fantastic write-up for a lovely pair of medals, Rory. I do like the naming on the QSA.

Like Frank, you look at the route taken by Moller and wonder what he was thinking that day.