TOPIC:

I would welcome help in trying to identify Private W Darbyshire of the1st Division Ammunition Column.

The only clue I have is the following letter published in the Blackburn Standard 12 May 1900. It might help if I know his regiment .

Many thanks, Tony

Private W Darbyshire, of the 1st Division Ammunition Column, Ladysmith Relief Force, writing to friends at Darwen from Elandslaagate, under date April 9th, says: -

“A letter from Old England puts new life into a man out here, for everything is so very dull; we have nothing really to see except jungle and hills all around us, and the air resounds with the barking of guns and rifles. We have received the papers you sent, for which we thank you very much. It is quite a treat to have a paper sent from home, for we have not very much to read, when we get an hour to spare, except our Prayer Book, and there is not very much in that about when the war is going to come to an end. That is what we are all anxiously looking for. The papers evidently think it will not be long now before it is all over. I dare say you have seen the accounts in your papers about the Ladysmith relief column. We have belonged to it since we arrived in South Africa, and have been in every engagement in the relief of Ladysmith, which we accomplished on the 28th of February. When we marched into the town, the troops were overjoyed to see us, and they told us that if they had not been relieved within another week they would have died of hunger, as they had only been having one biscuit a day and a small portion of horseflesh, for they had killed nearly all their horses to keep themselves alive. The poor chaps were nothing but skin and bone, and as we marched through Ladysmith they formed a guard of honour for us on each side of the road. We went all through the streets, and had a splendid reception. I should like to have been at home when you heard the news; I’ll bet you had a good day of it.”

? 83280 Walter Mason Darbyshire 68th battery RFA ?

Pete

Hello Tony
This may be your man?

Gunner WM Darbyshire 83280 68th Battery R F A
Attached to the 2nd ammunition column.

Dave.......

Medal roll 83280 Gunner Darbyshire.

Walter also served in India with the 51st Field Battery RFA and was entitled to the I G S medal with Punjab Frontier & Tirah claps 1897/ 8.

His QSA entitlement was Orange Free State, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith & Laings Nek.

2 entries for his KSA medal
Sent home on the 21st March 1902 ....Number 6 Depot RFA
Also Gunner Darbyshire KSA roll, 14th Brigade Division- Staff, RFA.
All the above information pertains to 83280 Gunner W M Darbyshire.