TOPIC:

Henry George Rowland

Severely Wounded in Action, Colenso, 15 December 1899

Private, 2nd Battalion Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal (Tugela Heights/Relief of Ladysmith/Transvaal/Orange Free State) to 4625 PTE H.G. ROWLAND. RL: WT: SURREY REGT

Harry Rowland was born in Polling, Surrey in about 1877 the son of Henry Rowland, a General Labourer, and his wife Mary, born Weller. At the time of the 1881 England census the family were living in the deeply rural enclave of Capel near Dorking in Surrey. Other villages nearby were Beare Green and Coldharbour. Henry was four year old and by no means the youngest – being followed by William (3) and Mark (1), whilst on the flipside was older sibling Mary (6).

Ten years later, at the time of the 1891 England census the family had relocated to Leatherhead and were living in Kingston Road off Leatherhead Common. Sister Mary had moved on leaving Harry (14) the oldest child at home, followed by William, Mark and a host of others (Mr and Mrs Rowland didn’t allow dust to gather under their feet in the children department) – to wit Ellen (7), Spencer (6), Martin (5), Robert (4) and Frederick (1). Poor Mrs Rowland must have been exhausted!



At some point Harry decided to escape the late Victorian version of “the rat race” and seek greener pastures. The Queens Shilling looked like an attractive proposition and he duly attested for service with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal West Surrey Regiment, known to all and sundry as “The Queens.” Assigned no. 4625 and the rank of Private he little knew what lay in store for him as the 19th century wound to a close – war was looming and, with it, the prospect of having to leave the safety and comfort of Old England for the harsh, sun-baked climes of far away South Africa where, after gathering up a head of steam combined with a dash of vitriol, Oom Paul Kruger of the Transvaal Republic and his more passive neighbour in the Orange Free State, declared war on the might of Great Britain on 11 October 1899. The game was afoot!

Rowland and the 2nd Battalion sailed for South Africa and the war on the Yorkshire about 19th October 1899, and arrived at Durban about 14th November. Along with the 2nd Devons, 2nd West Yorkshire, and 2nd East Surrey, they formed the 2nd Brigade under Major General H Hildyard. Before the brigade landed at Durban, Ladysmith had been invested and Estcourt threatened. No time, therefore, was lost in pushing the men to the front. The brigade formed a most important part of the Natal Field Force, taking part in practically all the engagements fought with the object of relieving Ladysmith.

About 18th November it was seen that there was a chance of the Boers cutting in between Estcourt and Mooi River. Accordingly the 2nd West Yorks were sent to Willow Grange, about six or seven miles down the line from Estcourt; but General Hildyard thought it would be too dangerous to have the battalion there, so he brought them back, and Joubert's men occupied a position west of Willow Grange on the 20th. General Hildyard determined not to leave them there in peace. On the 22nd he occupied Beacon Hill, half-way between Estcourt and the Boer position, with half of the 2nd Queen's, the 2nd West Yorks, seven companies 2nd East Surrey, and the Durham Light Infantry, a naval 12-pounder and the 7th Battery RFA, the whole under Colonel W Kitchener, whose orders were to attack the Boer position on the night of the 22nd.

The 2nd West Yorks led the attack and were the last to retire, suffering most of the casualties. The East Surrey were in the second line, the Border Regiment and 2nd Queen's being in reserve. After lying some hours in a downpour of rain our men advanced and stormed the Boer position, but the enemy had removed their guns. It was not intended to hold the hill, and while Colonel Kitchener's troops were retiring Boer riflemen reoccupied the crest and were able to do a good deal of damage. However, Sir Redvers Buller, given to hyperbole, stated that "the operations resulted in a strategical success of the greatest value". The enemy's force, "7000 men, led by the commandant-general in person", was so severely handled that they returned "at once to Colenso in a manner that was more a rout than a retreat".

Buller now devoted all his attention to massing his troops about Frere and Chieveley. By 14th December this was accomplished, his force consisting of the 2nd Brigade (Hildyard's), 4th Brigade (Lyttelton's), 5th or Irish Brigade (Fitzroy Hart's), 6th or Fusilier Brigade (Barton's). On 13th and 14th December the Boer positions round Colenso were shelled but no response was elicited.



On the 15th the attack, to be known as the Battle of Colenso, was launched and failed.

General Buller in his despatch stated that he intended that Hart's brigade on the left should cross at the Bridle Drift, up the Tugela from the Colenso Bridge; Hildyard in the centre should cross at the bridge, Lyttelton being between Hart and Hildyard to support either as occasion required. Barton on the right to move near Hlangwane Mountain, which, although on the south or near side of the river, was known to be held by the enemy.

Major General Hart seems to have kept his troops too long in close order, at any rate before extending they came under a heavy rifle-fire and suffered severely. Notwithstanding this, they opened out and advanced towards the river in the most gallant way. No drift was found – there had been an enormous blunder made – relying on the word of a native guide who was clearly clueless.

While the Irish Brigade was advancing on the supposed drift General Hildyard's 2nd Brigade was moving on the bridge. In his despatch General Buller says: "General Hildyard was advancing on the bridge, and as I was proceeding in that direction to superintend the attack and also ascertain what Colonel Long's brigade division (RFA), which was heavily engaged on the right, was doing, I received a message that he had been driven from his guns by superior infantry-fire. I believed at the moment that the six naval guns had shared the same fate, and that without guns it would be impossible for me to force the passage. I directed General Hildyard to divert the right of his two leading battalions to the east of the railway and direct it upon the guns, his left battalion to advance on Colenso but not to become too hotly engaged".



It was difficult to restrain officers and men who did not know all that was passing in the mind of the Commander-in-Chief, and the 2nd Queen's and 2nd Devons actually pushed into and held Colenso village. This was the farthest point the infantry were destined to reach. The general's attention was now engrossed with Colonel Long's artillery, which instead of a help had become a hindrance. Colonel Long took his field batteries away from their infantry and away from the naval guns, "and coming into action under Fort Wylie, a commanding trebly intrenched hill, at a range of 1200 yards, and I believe within 300 yards of the enemy's rifle-pits". The result was that the 14th and 66th Batteries were put out of action, the gunners being mostly killed or wounded. Many attempts were made to withdraw the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries. Two guns were rescued but ten were left. When the general saw that further attempts to rescue the guns would only result in loss of life he ordered a retirement. This was carried out with little molestation, the big naval guns keeping down the enemy's shellfire.

Towards the close of his despatch General Buller remarks: "Considering the intense heat, the conduct and bearing of the troops was excellent. I especially noticed the Royal West Surrey, the Devonshire, and the Border Regiments, but all were good". Our losses were approximately 9 officers and 140 men killed, 45 officers and 709 men wounded, and 21 officers and 220 men missing or prisoners. The 2nd Queen's had 2 officers wounded, 3 men killed and 88 wounded (4 of these died next day).

Harry Rowland was one of those Severely Wounded at Colenso – in a letter home to his brother dated December 29th 1899, which appeared in the Dorking & Leatherhead Mail of 3 February 1900 he wrote as follows:

“I am glad to say I am getting better. I expect you will have seen by the papers that I got wounded on December 15th at the Battle of Colenso. I got hit just above the muscle of the left arm close against the shoulder. I was in hospital ten days, and came out the day before Christmas, but I still have to attend hospital every second day to get my wound dressed. I cannot do much with it yet: I expect I shall be going up to the front as soon as I get well. I shall be glad when it is all over, but it looks to me as if it will last another six months, for it is such a job to shift the Boers off the hills. There is such a lot of sickness among the troops – enteric fever and dysentery – which makes it very bad. I see they are sending a lot more troops out here, but we shall want every one of them, for we have not got such an easy job as we thought, but we shall get our own back in the end.”

After the debacle of Colenso General Buller decided to await the arrival of Sir Charles Warren's force before making a fresh move which would have suited Rowland who was still convalescing from his wound. On 8th January orders were issued which betokened that the next attempt to relieve Ladysmith would be by crossing the Tugela to the left, or west of the Boer lines.

The troops marching to Springfield were the 2nd Division under Clery, consisting of the brigades of Hildyard and Hart. The Vth Division under Warren, consisting of the 4th Brigade (Lyttelton), and the 11th or Lancashire Brigade (Woodgate), the 10th Brigade, 2nd Dorset, 2nd Middlesex, and temporarily the 2nd Somerset Light Infantry, and the Imperial Light Infantry raised in Natal: cavalry under Lord Dundonald, consisting of the 13th Hussars, 1st Royal Dragoons, part of the South African Light Horse, Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, part of Bethune's Mounted Infantry, some regular Mounted Infantry, one squadron Natal Carbineers, one squadron Imperial Light Horse, Colt Battery, four guns.

The troops marched off on the 9th, but were greatly impeded by torrential rain, which made the road a quagmire and rendered the spruits passable only with great difficulty. On the 11th the mounted troops seized Spearman's Hill, commanding Potgieter's Drift. On the 13th the force was massed at Springfield and Spearman's.

Supply having been got up, General Warren was ordered by Sir Redvers Buller to move to Trichardt's Drift, six miles up the river from Potgieter's. Warren took the 2nd and Vth Divisions and 10th Brigade, the Mounted Brigade, and practically all the artillery except the naval guns. Lyttelton's brigade was left to hold Spearman's Hill and Potgieter's Drift.

In his despatch of 30th January 1900 Sir Redvers Buller says: "The arrival of the force at Trichardt's was a surprise to the enemy, who were not in strength. Sir C Warren, instead of feeling for the enemy, elected to spend two whole days in passing his baggage. During this time the enemy received reinforcements and strengthened his position. On the 19th he attacked and gained a considerable advantage. On the 20th, instead of pursuing it, he divided his force, and gave General Clery a separate command".

On the 20th the fighting was most severe on the right, especially about the right centre. Sir Francis Clery acted as divisional commander here. Before evening a number of ridges had been taken, and that night the enemy evacuated a further portion of their position. On the left the 2nd Brigade occupied the hill which the cavalry had boldly seized. That brigade had no casualties on the 20th.

On the 21st it was found that although Clery's division had won much ground, what they had gained was commanded by higher ridges which the Boers still held in great force, and which were very closely trenched. Between the two positions was a bare glacis. A frontal attack would have been attended with enormous loss. This part of the Boer position was subjected all the 21st and 22nd to a very heavy artillery and long-range rifle fire, but no substantial gain was made on these days. From the 19th till the 25th, when Spionkop was evacuated, the artillery were under the disadvantage that much of the Boer position was invisible from the ground on which it was possible to post our guns.

On the 21st the 2nd Brigade were heavily engaged. General Hildyard made an effort to seize a position which would cut the Boer line in two. Colonel W Kitchener was placed in command of a force consisting of the 2nd Queen's, 2nd West Yorks, and 2nd East Surrey. These troops were able to gain some ground, but without much advantage, as here, as on the right, they found between the positions gained and the Boer trenches a glacis which they could not cross, although some gallant attempts were made. That day the Queen's lost 1 officer and four men killed, and 5 officers and 31 men wounded.

On the 22nd and 23rd the British held the ground already gained, and there was some desultory firing, but no attempt to fight closely. On the 22nd it had been decided that Spionkop, which seemed to be the key to the Boer position, must be taken. Taken it was on the night of the 23rd. It was held all the 24th, notwithstanding very great losses, but it was abandoned that night. Recognising that his second attempt to relieve Ladysmith had failed, on the 25th Buller decided to withdraw across the Tugela, and this was accomplished by 4 am on the 27th.

Within a few days General Buller was to commence his third attempt to relieve Ladysmith. On 3rd February preparations were being made for an attack on Vaal Krantz, a hill some little distance down the river from Brakfontein. On the 5th General Lyttelton's 4th Brigade, assisted by the 2nd Devons from Hildyard, captured the position, and held it that day and the next day under a very heavy fire. So far as the nature of the ground would admit defences were made or improved. On the afternoon of the 6th the Boers made a determined attempt to retake the hill, and the farthest out line was driven in, but the enemy were eventually repulsed. On the evening of the 6th General Hildyard's 2nd Brigade relieved the 4th Brigade. The 2nd Queen's held the left facing Brakfontein, the East Surrey the centre, and the West Yorkshire the right; the 2nd Devons being in reserve on the inner slope. "Linesman "in his marvellously graphic account of this action, in which he was present with the 2nd Devons, says, "The Queen's, whom no artillery in the world would move, suffered heavily up on the left crest, keeping their discipline, than which there is none finer in the British Army, intact under an absolutely ceaseless visitation of projectiles". On the evening of the 7th General Buller, being satisfied that the character of the ground prevented intrenchments and gun-emplacements from being made on the hill, withdrew the 2nd Brigade, and his third attempt ceased.

At Vaal Krantz the Queen's had about 25 men wounded.

The army now marched back to Chieveley, Colonel Burn-Murdoch's cavalry brigade and two battalions of infantry being left to guard Springfield Bridge.

General Buller's next move was to be by the Boer left, via Hussar Hill, Cingolo, Monte Cristo, Hlangwane; the possession of the last - named mountain would, it was clear, render untenable Fort Wylie and the trenches near Colenso.

On the 12th February Lord Dundonald with the South African Light Horse and other troops reconnoitred Hussar Hill. On the morning of the 14th the hill was seized by Lord Dundonald's men and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. On the 17th Lord Dundonald's mounted men, a regiment of Mounted Infantry, and the South African Light Horse, forming the extreme right of the army, moved away to the eastward, then circling back, came in on the east side or end of Cingolo. Dismounting, they led their horses through thick bush up the precipitous side; when they reached the top they were fired on, but the Boer garrison did not stand. Hildyard's men were on the left of Dundonald, the Queen's being next him, and simultaneously attacked on his inner flank, arriving at the top about the same time; the 2nd Queen's leading and "bivouacking that night on the northern crests "of Cingolo.

On the 18th the advance continued, Dundonald again out on the right flank; Hildyard's brigade advancing along the neck between Cingolo and Monte Cristo, "the steep crags of which were brilliantly carried, after considerable resistance, by the West Yorkshire and Queen's Regiments". On the 19th General Hart moved forward from Chieveley towards Colenso; Barton's brigade took Hlangwane Mountain, and that night the Boers abandoned the last of their positions on the south of the Tugela. In his telegraphic despatch of the 20th General Buller said: "The energy and dash of the troops have been very pleasant to see, and all have done well. The work of the irregular cavalry, the Queen's, the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and the Rifle Brigade was perhaps most noticeable".

By the 28th February, after much hard fighting, the road to Ladysmith was found open – the town was relieved the next day.

During the latter part of 1901 four companies were the infantry of Colonel Rimington's column, which did very good work in the north of the Orange River Colony. Rowland, with his Orange Free State clasp, would have been one of this number. For the remainder of the war the Queens were used for garrison and convoy work – after so much hard fighting they could be forgiven for not being pressed into further action.

Rowland returned to England and was placed on the Reserve. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph of 7 August 1902 carried an article entitled “Returned From The Front – Mr Brodrick and the West Surreys”, which read, in part, thus:

“The Pembroke Castle arrived at Southampton yesterday with a large number of officers and men from the front. They included reservists of the ….2nd Royal West Surreys… and various details. The detachment of the 2nd Royal West Surrey Regiment, numbering two officers and 100 men, met with a cordial reception on returning to Guildford yesterday. The regiment was one of the first which left for the front, and it took part in the engagements at Willow Grange, Colenso, Spionkop, Pieter’s Hill, and Monte Christo, losing in killed and wounded over 400 men, though not a single one was captured by the enemy. The members of the detachment were entertained at dinner on arrival.”

Life for Harry Rowland now settled down and he was able to marry. A child, Louise Bertha Mary, was born to the union on 10 November 1904 at which point his address was provided as Kingston Road, Leatherhead and his occupation as Brickmaker.

According to the 1921 England census he was, at the age of 44, a Brickmaker in the employ of the Dorking Brick Company in North Holmwood and was at home with his wife and two daughters – 16 year old Louise had been joined by 15 year old Ellen.

Harry Rowland passed away at the age of 56 on 31 May 1933 at Beare Green Brickworks. His home address was Angel View, Beare Green.

Acknowledgements:
- Our Regiments in South Africa 1899-1902, John Stirling
- FMP/Ancestry for medal rolls, census data etc.
- Various newspapers credited in the body of the work