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Percy Deas, a Maxim Detachment man with the Natal Police & Captain, M.G.C in WWI 2 years 11 months ago #75987

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Percival Bruce Deas – Mentioned in Despatches for WWI

Trooper, Natal Police
Lieutenant, 43rd Coy., Imperial Yeomanry – Anglo Boer War
Lieutenant, Bloemhof Commando – German South West Africa
Captain, 66th Machine Gun Corps – Salonika - WWI


- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Relief of Ladysmith, Tugela Heights and Transvaal to 1760 Tpr. P.B. Deas, Natal Police
- [Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to Lt. P.B. Deas, 43rd Coy., I.Y.]
- [1914/15 Star to Lt. P.B. Deas, Bloemhof Cdo.]
- [British War Medal to Capt. P.B. Deas] – Returned unclaimed
- [Victory Medal to Capt. P.B. Deas] – Returned unclaimed


Percy Deas was a product of his times, a chap born in the Victorian era who was old enough (and willing enough) to play a part in the conflicts of the day. He saw service with the Natal Police before being commissioned into the Imperial Yeomanry, where he saw out the Boer War. After the “12 year lull”, he then saw service as an officer in the Bloemhof Commando, active in both the internal rebellion in South Africa, as well as in German South West Africa, before going on to the Western Front where he fought as a Captain in the Machine Gun Corps.

Born in Macclesfield in the county of Cheshire in 1876, he was the son of Peter Maury Deas, a Scotsman by birth and both Physician and Medical Superintendent of the local Lunatic Asylum, and his wife, Margaret. The first glimpse we have of him comes courtesy of the 1881 England census where he was “In the Institution on the night of Sunday, April 3rd”, according to the census return. He wasn’t alone of course, with his parents as well as siblings, Mary Rollo Deas (10), Lionel Maury Ross Deas (9), twins Margaret McPherson Deas and Jeanie Lindsay Deas (7); and three servants making up the household.

Ten years later, at the time of the 1891 England census things were little altered. Granted everyone was ten years older but they were still all “at home” in the Institution. Percy, now 15 was still a schoolboy whilst older brother Lionel was a Gentleman Cadet at Sandhurst. With his brother going into the Army, it fell to Percy to follow in his father’s footsteps. He dutifully obliged and, on 34 November 1893 at the age of 17, registered as a Medical Student at the University of Cambridge.

We will probably never know the reason, but Percy decided that the life of a Medical Doctor was not to his liking and, having made his way to South Africa, he enrolled with the Natal Police at Pietermaritzburg on 30 October 1896. He came well prepared, with references from the Rev. J.L Kitchin, M.A.; J.E. Laws, F.R.C.S. and A.H. Madden, Secretary (these last two of St. Mary’s Hospital in London.) Now aged 21, he was a strapping 6 feet in height with dark hair, a pale complexion and dark brown eyes. A Protestant by way of religious affiliation, he provided his next of kin as his father, Dr. P Maury-Deas of Wonford House, Essex. Confirming that he had been a Medical Student, he acknowledged that he could speak no other language than English. By way of distinguishing marks, he had a scar on his left forearm.

Assigned the rank of Trooper and no. 1760, Deas started his police career as part of the Richmond detachment (a village some 18 miles outside of Pietermaritzburg.) Perhaps tiring of this life, he applied, unsuccessfully, for a posting to the Ceylon Police in 1898. If he was thirsting for adventure this was probably just as well for, within the short space of a year, he was to be on active service. Long simmering tensions between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State boiled over into open war on 11 October 1899, with the conquest of Natal being very firmly in the sights of the Boer High Command. Local regiments were placed on a war footing a few weeks prior to the declaration of war and the Natal Police were divided up into three distinct groupings – those that were to form part of the Natal Field Force and take part in the Relief of Ladysmith (which was under siege from 1 November 1899), those that were caught up in the Defence of Ladysmith and those that formed part of the Melmoth or Zululand detachment, tasked with keeping any Boer infiltration into that part of the Colony, at bay. The remainder were to continue with their normal policing duties.



The NP Maxim Gun Detachment in 1897

Deas was destined to form part of the Field Force and, on 17 October 1899, he and others were paraded at 4 a.m. in the morning for the purpose of entraining to Botha’s Hill. They didn’t know it then but they were to be part of Buller’s Field Force under Sub-Inspector Abrahams. 60 men and a Maxim Detachment of the NP FF (of which Deas was one) under the command of Sub-Inspector Abraham were posted to the Zululand border at Tugela Ferry, where they joined a detachment of 40 NP under Sub-Inspector Maxwell, and another of the Umvoti Mounted Rifles. The UMR and the NP with their Maxim skirmished with the Boers on 20 November 1899 and again a few days later, but with no damage inflicted by either side.

The remainder of this section of the Field Force, which evidently numbered about 30 to 40 men, the equivalent of one cavalry troop, formed part of the Composite Regiment of Colonial cavalry under Major (later General Sir Hubert) Gough, which in turn was part of the Mounted Brigade under the command of Colonel the Earl of Dundonald. On 15 December 1899, the NP FF took part in the attack on Hlangwane Hill. Inspector Mardall, who was the District Police Officer at Estcourt, described the action, as follows:

“At 4 a.m. the cavalry brigade, to which the Police were attached, moved out of camp to the east, accompanied by a battery of Field guns, took up a position opposite Hlangweni [sic] Hill, and formed the right of the British attack. Sub-Inspector Abraham being in charge of the Maxim gun, Sergeant Gordon and Trooper Hobson, who were well acquainted with the district, were detailed as orderlies to Lord Dundonald, and Trooper Sullivan orderly to General Hildyard during the day.

Prior to the attack commencing [Inspector Mardall] was sent forward to find a crossing place over the donga at the foot of the hill to be stormed. …..….. The Police Maxim detachment occupied the donga at the foot of Hlangweni, and, as might be expected, in trying to keep down the Boer fire and clear the way for the attacking party, drew on themselves a heavy fire from the Boers whenever they heard the rattle of our gun in action.

Sub-Inspector Abraham’s horse breaking away during the fight, it was caught and taken back to the donga by Trooper Black at a time when our attack on the hill having failed, the Boers were raining bullets on our retiring men and a nasty cross fire was coming from our right flank. The Brigade was withdrawn to the cover of a ridge …. And no other serious attempt [at attack] was made by the Composite Regiment. The whole action lasted about eight hours, during which time men and horses suffered severely from heat and want of water.”

According to Holt in his 1913 book on the Natal Police, “The police had considerable difficulty in bringing away the Maxim gun, which had been hotly engaged.” In addition, “Several of the police had narrow escapes during the day. A shell went between the legs of one of General Buller’s escort while he was resting on an anthill.”

The Mounted Brigade took no direct part in the Battles of Spioenkop and Vaalkrantz, but were again involved in Buller’s final effort to relieve Ladysmith. The Brigade temporarily seized Hussar Hill on 12 February 1900 and retook and held this hill on 14 February 1900. On 16-17 February 1900, the Brigade took Cingolo Hill, with the NP reaching the summit first. On 19 February 1900, the Brigade took Monte Christo and the last of the Boers evacuated the south bank of the Tugela River.

The Tugela Heights were finally taken by infantry attacks that began on 27 February 1900. Late on 28 February elements of the Mounted Brigade rode into Ladysmith bringing to an end the siege that had lasted 118 days. According to Clarke, who wrote in 1909, the mounted troops involved in the final gallop into Ladysmith were from the Composite Regiment and were made up of elements of the Imperial Light Horse, Natal Carbineers and Natal Police. Clarke wrote:

“On the last day of February we could see the Boers trekking in a northerly direction in small bodies, and at about 6 p.m. some cheering in the direction of Caesar’s Camp announced the arrival of the advance party of the relief column, Sub-Inspector Abraham and 15 men of the Police being amongst the number, riding sleek, fat horses. Our troubles were now at an end, but they brought no food with them.”

After the Relief of Ladysmith, the NP FF remained on active service. Many of the men in the volunteer regiments were released from duty, while the remainder went to make up the Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment, which served until the end of the War.

Whilst all the action was underway, a small but telling footnote appeared in the Natal Police Orders Book on 24 January 1900 – it read as follows:

‘No. 1760 Trooper Deas, having been clear of any crime for the four months subsequent to August 5th 1899, he is reinstated to the rank of 1st Class Trooper and will draw pay appertaining to this rank from the 5th Ult.”

The Relief of Ladysmith over, Deas formed part of the contingent that was sent to Zululand under Sub-Inspector Lyttle in early April 1901. On 23 January 1902, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 43rd Company of the Imperial Yeomanry before being, according to the medal roll, invalided from South Africa on 10 April 1902 – the background to this is not provided. For Deas the war was over – he returned to South Africa at some point and joined the employ of the Transvaal Government, in the Burgher Land Settlement Department. Here he would have been part of the processing of requests from dispossessed Burghers, many returning from prisoner of war camps overseas, for land grants.

Little is known of Deas’ movements after this – he seems to have remained in the employ of the Transvaal Civil Service, post-Union, employed in various capacities. Having moved to Bloemhof in the Western Transvaal, he met and married 41 year old spinster, Ellen Alice Hedgcock at Johannesburg on 22 December 1914. He was already 39 at the time. His bride to be was resident at the Hotel Victoria in that city. 1914 was also the year the Great War broke out and Deas, never one to stand idle, enrolled for service with the Bloemhof Commando. This outfit, a far cry from the one of the same name that served in the Boer War 12 years earlier, was called upon to help with the suppression of the internal rebellion where thousands of Burghers, the memory of their defeat and humiliation fresh in their minds, revolted at the prospect of South Africa entering the war on the side of the Empire. Deas enrolled on 14 October 1914 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant, under Commandant J.J. Bezuidenhout, on 5 January 1915. He would have fought with the Mounted Brigades which saw the German surrender at Otavi in German South West on 7 July 1915 – although, in his case, he was released from service on 11 June 1915.

That campaign over, Deas turned his attention to the Western Front, embarking for England aboard the “Llanstephan Castle” and arriving in London on 8 February 1916 whereupon, on arrival, he joined 66 machine Gun Company, a part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. His South African Citizen card related that he was a Digger by occupation, in the Kameelkuil district and his address was P.O. Koosfontein, Bloemhof, Transvaal. His next of kin was provided as his father of “Trevarna ‘Budleigh’, Salterton, Devonshire.

He would have done his training at the Grantham Machine Gun School and then subsequently he would have been posted to the 66th Company. The 66th Brigade at the time the Company joined them was made up of the 9th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment, 8th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, 13th Battalion, Manchester Regiment and 12th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. There was also a 66th SAA Section Ammunition Column. In November a Trench Mortar Battery was added.

The Long, Long Trail page on the Great War Forum lists the following major engagements for the 22nd Division in Salonika, after the 66th M.G. Company joined them.

• 10 - 18 August 1916: The Battle of Horseshoe Hill
• 13-14 September 1916: The Battle of Manchukuo
• 24-25 April and 8-9 May 1917: The Battles of Dorian

The Division lost a number of units in mid-1918; they were transferred to France on 18-19 September 1918: The Battle of Doiran. An Armistice with Bulgaria was signed on 30 September 1918.

By 18-20 October, units of the Division had marched back to Stavros. Here they embarked on destroyers with the intention of a landing at Dede Agach to continue the fight against Turkey. After one attempt was called off due to rough weather, the infantry finally landed on 28 October 1918. On reaching Makri, the Division learned that an Armistice with Turkey was imminent. Demobilisation began at Chugunsi and the Division ceased to exist by 31 March 1919.

The war over Deas returned to South Africa to pick up the pieces of his life. His 1914/15 Star had been awarded by the S.A. authorities but there is an interesting story, let’s call it a clerical blunder, by the Imperial authorities when it came to the issue of his British War and Victory medals. Having moved to “The Grange” in Hillcrest, Natal, Deas completed the application for his medals from there. The clerks processing the application issued the medals, but to “The Grange”, Hillcrest, New Westminster, Vancouver, Canada. Needless to say, these medals were never received by Deas and were, in fact, returned, along with his M.I.D. emblem, on 24 May 1938.

After a rather full life, Percy Bruce Deas passed away on his farm, “The Grange” at Hillcrest on 6 February 1945, at the age of 69 years and 3 months. There being no issue of the marriage, his wife inherited his estate. According to his Last Will and Testament, he had been a Major with the Reserve of Officers.


















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Percy Deas, a Maxim Detachment man with the Natal Police & Captain, M.G.C in WWI 2 years 11 months ago #75990

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Another nice write-up Rory.

I have been perchance researching another member of the Boer War Maxim Battery of the Natal Police.

Having earned the 2 clasps Tugela Heights and Laing’s Nek my chap went on to serve with the F.I.D. and was also awarded the KSA medal.

His story is going to have to wait awhile lest it be a repeat (with a few add-ons) of yours!

The story of Sub-Inspector Abrahams has I think already been posted on the Forum.

RobM

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Percy Deas, a Maxim Detachment man with the Natal Police & Captain, M.G.C in WWI 2 years 11 months ago #75991

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Thanks Rob, and apologies for the quality of the photos, most of my purchases in the past year have been in the UK (this one came courtesy of QSAMike (Canada)), and I am reliant on my son's photographic abilities.

Abraham's story has indeed been posted on the Forum by the previous custodian of his medals and, with his permission, parts of my story have been gleaned from that account.

I now need to find his KSA and 1914/15 Star to complete the group - as mentioned in my article, the BWM and VM were returned to the Mint.

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Rory
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Percy Deas, a Maxim Detachment man with the Natal Police & Captain, M.G.C in WWI 2 years 11 months ago #75992

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Great piece Rory..... Will look forward to the others...... Have you thought of obtaining an un-named original War and Victory medal (not a copy) and using them with a notation in your documents.......

Again great research......

Mike
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Percy Deas, a Maxim Detachment man with the Natal Police & Captain, M.G.C in WWI 2 years 11 months ago #75993

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You raise an interesting point Mike. I subscribe to the school of thought which says - "leave it as you found it" - this applies to replacement ribbons, making up groups and cleaning of medals.

I have thought about adding the missing medals (they would have to be named singletons who are also short of their mates) but there is just something depressing about it. I would far rather focus on the named medals to the recipients I do have. Fortunately, over the years, I have narrowed down the number of incomplete groups I have, partially to avoid having to grapple with the scenario described above.

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Rory

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Percy Deas, a Maxim Detachment man with the Natal Police & Captain, M.G.C in WWI 2 years 11 months ago #75994

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Rory wrote: You raise an interesting point Mike. I subscribe to the school of thought which says - "leave it as you found it" - this applies to replacement ribbons, making up groups and cleaning of medals.

I have thought about adding the missing medals (they would have to be named singletons who are also short of their mates) but there is just something depressing about it. I would far rather focus on the named medals to the recipients I do have. Fortunately, over the years, I have narrowed down the number of incomplete groups I have, partially to avoid having to grapple with the scenario described above.

Regards

Rory


Rory

I understand fully and agree but it was only a suggestion...... A couple of the groups that I had from the estate had added miss matched named medals which I returned to their original state..... Two had been taken apart completely. he had mounted the QSA and put the WW1 trios in his miscellaneous tin since one QSA was to Damant's Horse and the other was to a Brit. unit but the WW1 medals were to a Canadian unit...... I don't know why he did the split......

Mike
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