TOPIC:

Joseph McWaters

Trooper, 39th (Berkshire) Company, 10thBattalion, Imperial Yeomanry
2nd Class Detective Sergeant, South African Police

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 & 1902 to 23494 PTEJ. MCWATERS, 39TH COY IMP: YEO:
- South African Police Medal for Faithful Service to NO 3056 (F) 2/C DET/SERGEANT J. MCWATERS.

Joe McWaters was born in The Bridge, Frodsham, Cheshire on 11 June 1878, the son of Henry McWaters, a Joiner by trade, and his wife Annie. Growing up, certainly in the early stages of his life, couldn’t have been very pleasant for young Joe – according to the 1881 England census, his father was unemployed whilst his mother, only 20 years old, was bringing in what little income she could with her skills as a Dress Maker. Fortunately for the young family they lived two doors away from Joe’s grandfather, James McWaters, in Main Street, Frodsham. The older Mr McWaters was a successful Mariner and Provisions Dealer.

The dawn of the 1891 England census revealed that a 12 year old Joseph had come to stay with his now widowed grandfather at The Bridge in Frodsham. Of his parents there was no sign. After a rudimentary education which equipped him with the ability to read and write, a young Joe followed in his grandfather’s footsteps – becoming a Grocer.

It was in this capacity that he strolled into the Recruiting Office of the Imperial Yeomanry at Chester on 4 February 1901. Aged 22 years and 7 months he had decided, no doubt filled with patriotic zeal, to enlist with them for service in South Africa where, since October 11, 1899, the Anglo Boer War had been raging between the two Dutch-speaking Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and the Transvaal and the might of Great Britain.

The Imperial Yeomanry had been raised since the beginning of 1900 as a measure to assist the Regular Army with their martial efforts in a country where, certainly for the first few months of the war, the British war machine had been on the back foot, experiencing a number of military reverses against what was now seen as both a competent and determined foe. Almost every county had raised a company of men for the front – in the case of McWaters – he attested for service with the 39th Company (Berkshire) of the 10thBattalion.

The Short Service (One Year with the Colours) forms he completed revealed that he was, physically, 5 feet 7 inches in height, weighed 123 lbs and had a dark complexion, brown hair, and brown eyes. A member of the Church of England, he had no distinguishing marks about his person. Having been passed Fit by the Doctor, he was assigned no. 23294 and the rank of Private.

Having spent a short while on home soil, adjusting to life in uniform, he set sail for South Africa as part of the first contingent of Yeomanry, landing at Cape Town on 16 March 1901 whereafter he entered the theatre of war.

But just who were the Berkshire Yeomanry? They were raised as the 39th and 58th (Berkshire) Companies, which landed in South Africa on 28 February and 4 April 1900 and served in 10th and 15th Battalions, IY, respectively, alongside Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire companies (10th Bn was commanded by Lord Chesham of the Buckinghamshire Yeomanry). Upon arrival, the battalions were sent throughout the zone of operations.

Chesham's 10th Bn IY was attached to 1st Division under the command of Lord Methuen with Chesham becoming Brigadier-General of the division's mounted troops. By May 1900 both the 10th and 15th Bns IY were serving in Methuen's Column, which quickly became known as the 'Mobile Marvels'. Several engagements, primarily in what was termed the Great De Wet Hunt had been fought by the time McWaters took to the field.

Unless an enlisted man was wounded in action, taken prisoner, or killed in action, the chances of following his movements around South Africa are very slim indeed. Fortunately, as was the case with McWaters, many friends and comrades wrote home providing some detail of their adventures under the African sun. We now turn to some of these to determine where McWaters was in action against the Boers.

The first extract comes from the Weekly News of April 25th, 1974, where the diary of Lance Corporal Frank Jones of the Cheshire Regiment was quoted from. Particular reference is made to McWaters in the following paragraph:

“November 9th, 1901 – The King’s birthday. There is a lot of Boer activity now. Rumours are flying around that a battle is brewing. A party of Boer horsemen raided a post during the night. A kaffir spying for the Boers was brought in. He told of lots of fighting to the north. Apparently Colonel Hickey and 60 Yeomanry had been captured. Commandants Kemp, De la Rey and Kritzinger with about 1500 men are stopping our column reaching Hartebeesfontein.

Troops are flooding into Klerksdorp. Among them is Lord Methuen’s regiment. I took the opportunity to seek out Joe McWaters from Frodsham Bridge. He was very glad to see me and Heffern. Conditions are getting quite bad. There is little fresh water and the heat makes things worse. Many of the volunteers are sick in hospital, some with dysentery, some with fever.”



The second extract comes from the pen of the aforementioned Heffern who, sadly, was killed in action later in the war. His letter home appeared in the Cheshire Observer of Saturday, 28th December 1901 and read thus:

“Private Charles Heffern, writing home from Klerksdorp, South Africa on November 27th says – I and Private Youd are in charge of the telephone station up here, and it is a good billet, as we have every night in bed. We had Lord Methuen’s column up here, and I saw J. McWatersof Frodsham Bridge. He belongs to the Yeomanry and looks very well.”

That he “looked very well” was good news, considering that, on 15 February 1902, he was admitted to No. XI General Hospital in Kimberley, suffering with Enteric Fever. He was discharged to duty on 18 March 1902 after 27 days in hospital. What had occasioned this illness? The remarks column on his medical sheet commented that, “Whilst on active service in South Africa on column work. Very severe but no complications. Now convalescent, not suffering from debility or anaemia. No particular treatment was adopted. Now on full diet and tonic treatments.”

His recommended treatment regime made for interesting reading: Bed. Milk, Soda Water, Tea, Stimulants, Brandy, Drugs, Castor Oil and Expectorants. It was also mentioned that ‘Sponging was frequently used in this case.’

The Medical Board which sat on 3 March 1902 recommended a “change to England”, and McWaters was despatched thence aboard the S.S. “Assaye”, sailing on 10 April 1902 – ironically two days before his IY Company comrades were fighting for their lives at the battle of Roodewal.

Having docked at Gosport on 29 April 1902, McWaters received further treatment until being discharged, at his own request, at Shorncliffe on 12 June 1902 – having served a total of 1 year and 129 days. For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps to the Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and the date clasps South Africa 1901 and 1902.

But McWaters was far from finished with South Africa – he had developed a liking for the climate and, at some point, made his way back to the country where at Potchefstroom on 12 December 1906, he attested for service with the South Africa Police. Assigned no. 3056, he was described, physically, as 5 foot 7 inches in height, with a dark complexion, light brown hair, and brown eyes. Interestingly, he now sported a tattoo on his left forearm. Mention was also made that the index finger on his left hand was missing.



On 1 September 1909 he was posted to District No. 39 (Johannesburg) where he was to spend most of his career.

McWaters rose steadily through the ranks - on 1 August 1913, as a Plain Clothes Constable, he was awarded a clerical allowance of 6d. whilst stationed at Johannesburg, part of the Transvaal Region of the SAP. Later that year, on 16 October, he was transferred to the Foot branch (as opposed to Mounted). His promotion from Plain Clothes Constable to 2nd Class Detective Sergeant appeared in SAP orders No. 3 of 1920. Elevation to 1st Class Detective Sergeant in the Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D.) came on 15 June 1921. In the same year, he took a spot of leave to visit family in Frodsham – returning to South Africa aboard the “Briton” from Southampton on 8 July 1921

On 5 June 1923 he was awarded the Police Good Service Medal.

On 3 April 1924 he received a Commissioner’s Commendation – this was for “consistently good and successful work in the suppression of illicit liquor traffic in the Roodepoort – Maraisburg and Germiston areas”

McWaters, after 22 years’ service, retired from the Force on 10 June 1928. His character rating on Superannuation, was regarded as Exemplary. His address was given as c/o No. 1 SAP Cottages, Jeppe.



Now a free agent, he undertook another voyage home to Cheshire to visit relatives. On this occasion he returned aboard the “Garth Castle” sailing from London on 30 March 1933 when he was 54 years old. As a Pensioner he found employment as a Liftman at Syfrets Ltd. in Johannesburg and it was whilst employed in this capacity that he passed away at the Colin Gordon Nursing Home in Johannesburg on 16 August 1956 at the age of 79. Termed a South African police and War Veteran, he had succumbed to Carcinoma of the Colon, the contributing cause was terminal Uraemia. He was living at 14 Donnelly Road, Turfontein.

His Last Will and Testament made for interesting reading – having never married he bequeathed £200 to Marie Denny “in consideration for providing a home for my mother, and my brother Henry in their old age.” The remainder of his assets he bequeathed to Mary Alice Bartley of 14A Donnelly Road “in consideration for providing me with a home in my old age.”

Sources:
- Ancestry Imperial Yeomanry papers and census data
- Find My Past - newspaper collection for references to Frank Jones and Pte. Heffern's letter/diary
- Military History Journal - Steve Watt for context around IY 39th Coy.
- Familysearch for Estate file and LWT.

Hi Rory

Thanks for posting this. Yet another of your interesting "man behind the medals" stories.

A small point : the force in which he enlisted in 1906 couldn't have been the SAP, which was formed only in 1913. In 1906, the Transvaal was policed by the SA Constabulary. This was superseded by the Transvaal Police in 1908, and that in turn was incorporated into the SAP in 1913. His force number of 3056 might also be an SAP number rather than his original number, as it falls within the block of numbers allocated to constables in the Transvaal in 1913.

You are, of course, spot on Arthur. He most likely served with either the Potchefstroom Town Police or Transvaal Police from appointment until amalgamation of the Police Forces in 1913. No record (that I can trace) exists of any service in the SAC which is why I made no mention of it.

Regards

Rory