TOPIC:

Robert James Cunningham

Lance Corporal, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles – Anglo Boer War
Private, 5th Battalion, Royal Garrison Regiment
Private, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Private, 16th (Transport Workers) Worcestershire Regiment – WWI

- Queens South Africa Medal (CC/OFS/TVL/SA1901) to 2340 PTE. R. CUNNINGHAM. R.IR.RIF
- 1914 Star to 7115 PTE. R. CUNNINGHAM. R.IR.RIF.
- British War Medal to 7115 PTE. R. CUNNINGHAM. R.IR.RIF.
- Victory Medal to 7115 PTE. R. CUNNINGHAM. R.IR.RIF.

Robert Cunningham was an Irishman, born in Shankhill, Belfast in the County of Antrim in what is now Northern Ireland on 2 July 1874 the son of Sarah Cunningham and brother to Elizabeth and Annie of 40 Portello Street, Belfast.

At the tender age of 14 years and 11 months, on 30 June 1888, he attested for service with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Already a serving member of the 4th (Militia) Battalion he was, understandably, of no occupation. Diminutive, as a grudging concession to his age, he was a mere 4 feet 7 inches in height, weighed in at 68 lbs and had a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He was a member of the Church of England although changed to the Church of Ireland as the years went by.

Having been declared Fit by the doctor he was assigned no. 2340 and became, with the rank of Boy, the newest member of the 2nd Battalion, R.I.R. Initially posted to the Depot, he was appointed Bugler to the 2nd Battalion on 9 May 1891, having attained the age of 18. A dizzying round of promotions and demotions then ensued for the next few years until, finally, he was back to being a Bugler on 6 April 1899. This had all been going on during his various postings overseas – to Egypt from 29 November 1889 until 21 March 1891 followed by Malta from 22 March 1891 until 17 November 1894 and finally before returning home, to India from 18 November 1894 until 15 February 1899.

By this time rumours will have filtered through the ranks that all was not well down in the tip of Africa and that many regiments would soon be put on a war footing. What was the extent of the trouble? The patience of the two Boer Republics in far away South Africa was wearing very thin. Naturally suspicious of “Uitlander” intentions, and with the abortive Jameson Raid of 1896 fresh in his mind, President Paul Kruger had finally decided that enough was enough and, on 11 October 1899 declared war on Great Britain followed, albeit reluctantly, by his Orange Free State ally.

Two weeks after that auspicious date, on 26 October, Cunningham had been promoted to Lance Corporal and, seven weeks later, on 19 December 1899 had embarked for South Africa and the front. Possibly still on board ship, Cunningham was tried by Regional Court Martial for Conduct Prejudicial to Military Discipline and sentenced to 7 days Hard Labour. Something else must have transpired to delay his departure - his battalion had sailed aboard the Britannia on the day he was promoted but, as we have seen, his departure was delayed. This meant that he missed out on one the earliest of the 2nd R.I.R.’s engagements, the disaster at Stormberg where they sustained a number of casualties. Lady Luck would appear to have been smiling on Cunningham.

The battalion, strengthened by drafts from home, remained with General Gatacre in the Queenstown-Molteno district of the Eastern Cape until Lord Roberts' advance from Modder River to Bloemfontein scared the Boers out of Cape Colony. General Gatacre then moved north via Stormberg and Burghersdorp, and crossed the Orange River about the middle of March 1900. The general's headquarters were at Springfontein, and in accordance with Lord Roberts' desires columns were sent out from the line to distribute proclamations. The enemy, taking heart at the halt which had to be made after the occupation of Bloemfontein, swooped down first on Broadwood at Sannah's Post and then farther south to Reddersburg.

It was in this vicinity that the engagement took place that Cunningham would be least likely to forget – it is also where the aforementioned Lady Luck turned her back on him and many of his comrades. On 2 April 1900 three companies of the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles (424 men) and two companies of mounted infantry (167 men under Captain W.P. Dimsdale, Royal Irish Rifles) left Dewetsdorp in the Orange Free State for Reddersburg under Captain W.J. McWhinnie of the Royal Irish Rifles. In heavy rain the column made slow progress, the horses were not fit and needed resting. The column halted at 5:45 p.m.

Early the next morning they started out, at about 10 a.m. the advance scouts reached a ridge on the farm Mostert's Hoek (Mostertshoek) and came under fire. McWhinnie occupied three kopjes, a front of 3/4 mile which was too long for his force. Immediately, Commandant C.R. de Wet called on McWhinnie to surrender because he was seriously outnumbered; this was turned down. Four guns were brought into action to shell the British troops. Surrounded and without water the British positions were rushed on the morning of 4 April, the Boers had crept to within 30 yards of the Mounted Infantry.

As McWhinnie consulted with his officers one infantry company on a kopje waved white handkerchiefs and two men near McWhinnie did likewise. McWhinnie was compelled to surrender; losses were ten killed, 35 wounded and 540 taken prisoner. Lt-Gen Sir W.F. Gatacre was sent to assist, but arrived too late and after a short occupation of Reddersburg retired to Bethanie. Courts of Inquiry into the conduct of Captain W.J. McWhinnie and other officers and a number of NCOs and soldiers exonerated all concerned.

The publication “With the Flag to Pretoria" which appeared weekly carried a more comprehensive report for the benefit of their subscribers: -

“The Boer Commando seen towards Dewetsdorp, moving south, was 1400 strong and intended, in co-operation with another commando, 800 strong with 6 guns, to attack a small British force which had been receiving surrenders in the Dewetsdorp district (these would have been surrenders from Boer farmers wishing to return to the land.) The British detachment consisted of three companies of the Royal Irish Rifles, which had left Smithfield on 29 March, and two companies of Mounted Infantry. The latter joined the Royal Irish Rifles unexpectedly on the evening of April 1, and were at first taken for Boers, and all but fired upon by the Infantry. The detachment belonged to General Gatacre’s division, it had with it no guns, was outside the reach of prompt support, and is said to have received no orders as to what it was to do. In command was Captain McWhinnie.

On April 1 the British had entered Dewetsdorp and received from the Landrost the keys of the public buildings. Several of the inhabitants took the oath of neutrality, Captain McWhinnie received the order to retreat at 3.30 p.m. of April 2, and without any delay began to move towards Redderburg and Bethanie. The weather was most unfavourable; rain fell in sheets; and on the muddy roads the teams and horses began to show signs of exhaustion. Slow progress was made, and the force was compelled to camp at Kelly’s farm east of Reddersburg, that night.

It was followed by De Wet and the Boers, who kept touch with it. Though themselves out of sight. On the morning of the 3rd the retreat was resumed, when, while passing to the south of a long line of kopjes at Mostert’s Hoek, an ominous cloud of dust was seen to the north-east. Fire, too, was suddenly opened from the south on the Mounted Infantry. On this Captain McWhinnie ordered his men to seize the long line of kopjes, at either end of which was a spur. The western spur was occupied by the Mounted Infantry, the eastern spur and the ridge connecting the two by the Royal Irish Rifles.


Battle Map of Mostert’s Hoek

Under the eastern spur were parked the six ox- waggons, the water cart, the two ammunition carts, and the three ambulances which formed the baggage of the little column. Almost as soon as this had been done the Boer attack began. A rifle fire was opened by the enemy upon the eastern and western spurs, and about noon a cannon arrived and began to bombard the kopjes. It was clear from the first that the position was hopeless unless reinforcements should arrive. There was no water except that in the carts and in the men’s drinking bottles, the enemy were on all sides in superior force, and they had artillery. De Wet sent in a letter by a flag of truce, stating that he had 2200 men and six guns – which seems to have been the truth – and urging surrender to prevent bloodshed. Captain McWhinnie very properly tore the missive to shreds and answered with indignant refusal.

On this a second gun began to shell the kopjes. All the afternoon fighting continued. There was good cover, and the men at the officers’ orders made the best use of it, so that they exposed themselves but little to the enemy’s projectiles. Neither side in fact could see the other. The British fire was cool, slow, and accurate under very trying conditions. Towards evening the Boer shells began to fall among the British transport and inflicted some loss. A third piece of artillery opened and the shrapnel threw up the stones and dust along the ridge, while the enemy crept closer and closer. Captain Casson and Lieutenant Barclay had already been killed; Captains Dimsdale and Kelly were severely wounded, but the losses otherwise were not serious.

Night fell, but no fire could be lighted, as the enemy shot freely whenever an Englishman showed himself, and the utmost vigilance was required to prevent the small force from being rushed. The men were greatly in want of food and water, but, worn out with the strain of a long day’s fighting, they fell asleep where they lay. In the darkness the officers held a consultation. A proposal to cut their way out was considered and dismissed as impracticable – which it probably was – and it was decided to hold on another morning. A brave scout was sent through the enemy’s lines to ask for reinforcements.

At 6 a.m. of April 4, after a bitterly cold and miserable night, the Boer fire recommenced. First the rifles opened and then came the shrapnel. A fourth Boer gun had now opened fire, and from all sides bullets and shells rained on the crest and spurs held by the British. The eminence held by the Mounted Infantry was especially singled out for concentrated fire, and the men on it were forced back. The Boers seized the summit, and from it could enfilade the long ridge held by the Irish Rifles. This marked the end. First one and then another white flag showed; the fire instantly ceased on both sides, and 405 unwounded British officers and men laid down their arms. It was the first time in the war that a British force had surrendered with such light casualties.



Cunningham was “in the bag” – one of those taken Prisoner of War. Perhaps fortunately for him the Boers lacked both the resources and the enthusiasm to entertain prisoners. As it was they were now largely living off the veld and battling to keep themselves and their mounts fed. As a result prisoners were normally stripped of their equipment, denuded of their clothing and set free on the open veld to find their way back to friendly lines. Such would have been the lot of Cunningham and his compatriots.

Two such disasters as the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles had suffered seriously affected their career in the campaign, and henceforth they were to be employed chiefly on garrison work in the Orange River Colony. In the summer of 1900 they were part of the garrison of Bloemfontein, from which they were temporarily withdrawn in the beginning of September to join a column for the relief of Ladybrand, which was duly accomplished. In the autumn of 1900 two companies of the battalion were in a column under Lieutenant Colonel White which operated in the south-east of the Orange River Colony. A small detachment from the regiment were, along with three companies of the 2nd Gloucesters and one company of the Highland Light Infantry, at Dewetsdorp when it was attacked and taken by De Wet about 23rd November 1900.

Soldiering on Cunningham was sent back to England for discharge on 12 June 1901. For him the war was over. He was awarded the Queens South Africa medal with the appropriate clasps for his service.

For Cunningham the attraction of a uniform proved too much and, at Belfast on 17 April 1902, he enlisted with the 5th Battalion, Royal Garrison Regiment with no. 4989 and the rank of Private. Describing himself as a Labourer he confirmed that his previous service with the Royal Irish Rifles had ended on termination of his engagement. Now 27 years old he had scars on the inside of both his thighs and weighed 135 lbs. He was still quite small in stature coming in at 5 feet 5 inches. On 23 April 1904 he was allowed to extend his service with the Colours for a further two years. He wasn’t to see out the full term, being discharged at Netley on 30 May 1905 as medically unfit. His intended place of residence being the Union Infirmary, Belfast.

What then was this all about? There was a build-up to this. At Halifax on 29 December 1904 a Medical Board had been convened to enquire into his “Delusional Insanity.” The report stated that the onset had been gradual over the last 12 months and that,

“The patient suffers periodically from great depressions and delusions. When in this condition he will cry for hours and appeal for protection against some imaginary enemies. During the intervals he is quite rational. Re – present, he is in good health and is rational – He has no suicidal impulses and is cleanly in his habits.”

The Board found that his condition may have been influenced by intemperance but was not aggravated by military service. The recommendation was that he be discharged as permanently unfit which was, accordingly, carried out. This episode would guarantee Cunningham a military pension far into the future. It did not hamper his marital efforts – at Belfast on 25 June 1905 he wed Elizabeth Kirkpatrick.

He was next seen in the 1911 Ireland census where, at the age of 36 he was living with his wife, Elizabeth, at House 2 in Hooker Street, Clifton, Antrim where he was described as a Labourer who could read and write and who was a member of the Church of Ireland. On 20 November that year a disturbing incident took place which was reported on in The Northern Whig of 21 September 1911. It was a one-liner which read, “One month’s imprisonment was ordered in the case of Robert James Cunningham, who was charged with assaulting his wife.” Was this a domestic incident which had turned volatile? Whatever it was, the authorities soon got wind of it and it threatened to jeopardise Cunningham’s hold on his disability pension – a memorandum to The Secretary, Royal Hospital, Chelsea from the Governor of H.M. Prison, Belfast, dated 20 November 1911 stated that, “Pease note that the abovenamed whose committal to Prison was reported to your department on 21 September 1911 was released on bail today.”

Having successfully negotiated that issue Cunningham and his wife settled down to life together with daughter Agnes “Murray” being born to them on 13 April 1913.

Their peace, and that of millions of others around the globe, was rudely disturbed by Kaiser Wilhelm II’s territorial expansion aspirations. War was declared on 4 August 1914, on a scale far greater than the Anglo Boer War. At the age of 39 Cunningham put his hand up once more. On 12 August 1914, at Belfast, he completed the attestation papers for service with his old regiment. Having been found fit by the doctor (no mention seems to have been made of his mental health), he was assigned no. 7115 and the rank of Private.

Without much ado he was posted to France on 14 August 1914 where he was in the front line until 29 September 1915. Thereafter followed a 272 day stay in the United Kingdom before returning to the front on 29 June 1916 for a further 182 days – ending in his return home on 8 November 1916 and his eventual discharge on 14 March 1919.



He was twice Wounded in Action – on the first occasion he was wounded by a shell on 4 September 1915 and, on the second, was wounded severely incurring a gunshot wound to his left arm.

There were problems at home – his wife, Elizabeth, passed away of Cardiac Failure on 27 April 1918. She was only 48 years of age. Incidentally, the person who notified the authorities of her death was Sarah Murray who was present at her death and who lived at 76 Weir Street, Belfast. It was this same Sarah Murray (widow) who Cunningham married at St Anne’s, Belfast on 29 August 1918 – some four months after his wife was laid to rest.

Cunningham had been transferred to the 16th (Transport Workers) Worcester Regiment as a Private with no. 47673 on 7 April 1917. It was whilst with them that he was demobilised on 14 March 1919 with Myalgia.


Cunningham at age 73.

The Larne Times of 7 August 1947 carried an article, complete with photograph, wherein Cunningham appears. It read, in brief, under the heading, “Old Soldiers Gathering at St. Patrick’s," thus:

“Amongst the veterans present were…..; ex-Bugler R.J. Cunningham, Weir Street, Belfast, who joined on 30 June 1888, and saw service throughout the South African War.”

This redoubtable old soldier passed away at 65 Ottawa Street, Belfast from Bronchial Pneumonia on 11 March 1956. His daughter, Florence McCullough, was present at his death. He was 81 years old and described as a Labourer. He was buried in the same plot as his wife Sarah who had predeceased him on 26 November 1950.

Acknowledgements:
- Find My Past/Ancestry for census, military and newspaper data
- With the Flag to Pretoria periodical for article on Mostert's Hoek
- Alamy for photos.

Thank you for a very fine write up on this excellent group. It's always good to read a well researched and written article. Thank you again.
ATB, John