A LLANELLY MAN'S HEROISM.
STORMING GALISHIWE STRONGHOLD.
IN THE THICK OF THE CHARGE.
The Llanelly "Press" reproduces from East African papers the following letter from "an East London Volunteer," engaged in the expedition against the Bechuana rebel chief "Galishewe": - Luka Iantje's Laager, 2nd August. - Dear G. - "Here we are. Old 'Toto' has just gone in. The war is over. The first day (Friday) was the day the K.R.'s distinguished themselves. It was a brilliant charge. Sergt.-Major Honau was the first man on the top of the Hill to be stormed, Lieutenant Edwin Smedley Williams second. It was a splendid fight, but Sert. Hall and Private Mercer were both shot through the head. Poor Hall was such a favourite with all of us and their deaths cast quite a gloom over the column when we knew that they were gone. 'Galishiwe' is wounded and hemmed in within half-a-mile of us. The camp is full of prisoners."
Lieutenant Smedley Williams, mentioned above, is a Llanellyite, whose sister, Mrs. John Phillips, still resides at 7, Mina-street. He received college training at Carmarthen, 1892-3. He then accepted a splendid appointment at Forest Gate
[London], after which about 15 months ago, he accepted the 1st assistant mastership of the A1 Town School, East Africa, where until the recent rising in Bechuanaland he has been most successful. Subsequently he volunteered his services for the front.
The South Wales Daily Post, Thursday 9th September 1897
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"Many of our readers will remember Mr Smed Williams, when he was a student at the Training College, some nine or ten years ago. After finishing his training he went to South Africa, and during the war has evidently seen a good deal of fighting. News has just come to hand that he has been appointed to the rank of captain, and is now second in command of the Kaffrarian Rifles, a corps which is doing splendid work under General Hart.
The Carmarthen Journal, Friday 10th January 1902
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Old students of Carmarthen Training College of 1892-3 will pleasantly remember Smed Williams, one of the most popular and kind-hearted of students. A smart footballer, he was a member of the college team as a junior, and if memory fails not, was captain in his second year. Keenly devoted to volunteering in those days, his enthusiasm did not denote any future high military rank or adventure. But from letters recently received from South Africa, we find that ex-Private Smedley Williams, 1st V.B. Welsh Regt. (1892-3), is now Col. Smedley Williams. His regiment was in the railway accident to the troop train on the Hex Riviere mountain pass, and as the old Welsh saying has it, "Cynt cwrdd dau ddyn na dau fynydd," this Welsh colonel and his regiment were visited that night by a Welsh clergyman, Rev. Caradoc Davies, M.A., rector of Maitland, Cape Town, who next morning conducted a thanksgiving service for the massed regiment on the scene of the accident. Col. Williams was at one time intended for a clergyman, but becoming a teacher, he obtained a position in East Linden, Natal, whence his martial ardour broke out; and this is his fourth military campaign, being now enrolled owing to the De Wet treachery. Is there any budding colonel among the students under arms at present?
The Carmarthen Journal, 13th November 1914
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OLD CARMARTHEN COLLEGIAN. - The Chief Scout (says the "Cape Times") has awarded the merit and certificate to Colonel E. Smedley Williams for gallantry on the occasion of the lamentable accident to a troop train at Hex River in September last. Colonel Williams, who is a District Commissioner at East London, was travelling with his Regiment, the Kaffrarian Rifles, and had himself a narrow escape, but although badly shaken and bruised, led the rescue operations and at considerable risk crept under one of the wrecked cars and effected the release of two of the injured. Colonel Williams is a Welsh boy trained for the scholastic profession at Carmarthen and London - but went all through the South African war. He is a brother of Mrs. John Phillips, New-road, Llanelly.
The Carmarthen Journal, Friday 25th June 1915
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The Carmarthen Journal of 13.10.1893 shows Smed Williams as one of the forwards in a District team which played the Carmarthen Rugby Union club.
The Training College was for teacher training.
Selborne Schools, East London
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