TOPIC:

Neville saw service in the ABW and, after his outfit returned home, came back to South Africa where he went on to fight in WWI.

William Henry Neville

Gunner, 83rd Battery, Royal Field Artillery – Anglo Boer War
Gunner, M.G.C. (Machine Gun Company) – German South West Africa – WWI
2nd Class Warrant Officer, 5th S.A.H. (South African Horse) – German East Africa – WWI

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal & South Africa 1902 to 8254 Gnr. W.H. Neville, 83rd Bty. R.F.A.
- 1914/15 Star to Gnr. W.H. Neville, M.G.Detacht.
- British War Medal to 2nd Cl W/O W.H. Neville, 5th S.A.H.
- Victory Medal to 2nd Cl W/O W.H. Neville, 5th S.A.H.

William Neville was born in the Parish of Southam near the town of Rugby in the County of Warwickshire on 18 December 1882 the son of John Neville, a Labourer at a Cement Works by occupation, and his wife Mary Jane.

The 1891 England census provides us with our first glimpse of a seven year old William resident at home with his parents in Leamington Road, Southam. His younger brother George J (3) completed the little family unit.

A young boy of that age was not to know that in less than ten years from that date the British Empire would be embroiled in a protracted war in South Africa far from home. On 31 March 1900 Neville attested at Warwick for service in the war with the Royal Field Artillery. According to the Short Service forms (7 years with the Colours 5 years with the Reserve) that he completed he was 18 years and 3 months old (he lied by one year about his age) and was already gainfully employed as a Labourer. A diminutive 5 feet 5 ½ inches in height he weighed a mere 121 pounds and had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. A member of the Church of England he had a scar on the back of his neck by way of distinguishing features.

Having been passed as Fit by the Army Doctor Neville was assigned no. 8254 and the rank of Driver. Initially posted to No. 6 Depot at Seaforth he was mustered as a Gunner on 18 June 1900. The war had, in the meanwhile, been raging on and was not “over by Christmas” as predicted by the pundits of the time. Neville, however, was to remain in England until 6 December 1901 – a total of 1 year and 251 days after enlisting – before being sent out to South Africa. At first he was with the 147th Battery but, on arrival in South Africa, was posted to 83 Battery which is where he saw out his service earning for himself the Queens Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1902 (he only entered the conflict at the tail end of 1901 thus didn’t qualify for that date clasp). A Supplementary Medal Roll on which he appears also confirms that he was one of the R.F.A. Details attached to No. 2 Local Ammunition Column about which not much is known save that they were, at least for some time, based at Pretoria and was attached to III Brigade, RFA and commanded by Capt. C.St.M. Ingham. To return for a brief moment to England – according to the 1901 census Neville was stationed at the RA Hut Barracks at Ewshot in Hampshire.

Despite only arriving “late in the game” so to speak, Neville would have seen plenty of action during the second or guerrilla phase of the Boer War. The other interesting thing about the 83rd Battery was that, unlike most British soldiers, regular army of volunteers, they were not repatriated to England at the end of the war on 31 May 1902 but stayed on in South Africa until 30 March 1908, a period of 6 years 115 days before being sent home. Neville, after a lengthy spell of exactly 4 years back in England took his discharge from the Royal Artillery on 30 March 1912. He had served for 12 years and had determined that that was enough.

The roll his medal was awarded from was signed by Captain Birch in Standerton in the Transvaal which is where the 83rd must have been based and it was to Standerton that Neville returned taking up the pursuit of farming, something he knew very little about.
Neville now faded into the background and would probably not have been heard from again, in a military sense, were it not for the Great War which broke out on 4 August 1914.

Initially he joined up with his local Standerton Commando as a Private and served with them from 15 October until 16 November 1914. He was then enrolled as Gunner no. 151 with the Machine Gun Detachment, a small unit which operated with the Infantry in German South West Africa. It was with them that he saw service until 18 June 1915, literally three weeks before the campaign was over with the German surrender at Otavi on 9 July 1915. For his efforts he was awarded the 1914/15 Star which was posted to him on 7 March 1921.

The choice that faced anyone who had served in German South West Africa was threefold – they could either return home (an option to consider for Neville who was now 33 years old) or they could continue the fight either by joining the soon to be established Mounted Brigades destined for German East Africa or they could set sail for the Western Front and join the slaughter on the fields of France and Flanders. Neville chose to go East and, on 6 April 1916 joined the ranks of the 5th South African Horse of the 2nd Mounted Brigade at Roberts Heights outside Pretoria. In completing the Attestation forms for the S.A. Expeditionary Force he provided his father, John Neville of No. 4 Tolgate House, Kenilworth, England as his next of kin. He confirmed that he had spent 8 years with the 83rd Battery of the R.F.A. and that he, as part of the Standerton Commando, had been deployed to see off the internal threat posed by rebellious Boers who were still bitter about the outcome of the Boer War some 12 years before.

Physically he was 5 feet 7 inches in stature, weighed 161 pounds and had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He now had a scar on his right cheek and a mole on his left arm. Having been found Fit for service he was assigned no. 3315 and the rank of Trooper. On 5 April 1916 his leadership skills were recognised and he was promoted to Troop Sergeant. Just over a month later, on 18 May 1916 he embarked at Durban aboard the “Laconia” destined for Kilindini in Kenya where he disembarked on 24 May 1916 entering the conflict against the Germans and their Askaris ranged against them there.

Like almost every man of European descent the tropics was a very unhealthy place to be. Malaria, Black Water fever, flies and pestilence lurked around every corner and the vast majority of white personnel succumbed to one or the other debilitating conditions.

Neville was no exception and, on 5 September 1916, was admitted to 52 Casualty Clearing Station at Morogoro with Diarrhoea. After 2 days of treatment he was dismissed to a nearby rest camp to recover.

Back in the field he was promoted to the rank of Squadron Sergeant Major on 10 November 1916 and it was in this rank, the highest he was to attain, that he was later discharged. At some point Neville was attached to the Cycle Corps (this could be the S.A.M.C.C.) but was returned to duty on 19 January 1917. In keeping with his promise to the troops General Smuts repatriated the troops from South Africa back to the Union commencing in December 1916. Neville’s turn came early in 1917 when he disembarked at Durban from the H.M.T. “Aragon” on 11 February. He was finally discharged “Temporarily Medically Unfit” at Durban on 16 April 1917.

The Proceedings on Discharge form completed in his respect confirmed service of 1 year and 13 days and that his Military Character was Very Good. The British War and Victory Medal he had earned were posted to him on 4 July 1922.

Out of uniform and back in Civvy Street October 22 of 1921 was a red-letter day in Neville’s life. It was on this day that he took the plunge and married at St. Paul’s Church in Durban. A 37 year old bachelor Farmer he was resident at Klipfontein 57 Cedarmont in the Standerton Magistracy of the Transvaal. His 29 year old bride, Dorothy Edith Price, was a Clerk by occupation and hailed from somewhere in England. Quite what the pair were doing in Durban so far away from where they normally resided will remain a mystery.

At some point the Neville’s moved to Amanzimtoti on the Natal South Coast where William continued to farm. He passed away at Addington Hospital in Durban on 12 April 1956 at the age of 72 years and 4 months from Congestive Heart Failure. Resident in Lewis Road, Amanzimtoti at the time he was survived by his wife and two children, Joy Dorothy and Howard John. The estate he left behind was a sizable one and included, apart from farms and land, the following items:

- Garden tools
- 1 Double barrelled shotgun
- 1 Mauser rifle
- 1 .22 gun
- 1 Pye wireless (old)
- 1938 Studebaker Registration NU 2225
- 1 Heifer, 2 Cows
- 3000 banana trees
- 380 laying hens

Good heavens Rory,
Given your original post on this man, I am glad that you managed to find him in WO97 and WO100/137, but, I trust you are not suggesting that every member of the Church of England has a scar on the neck!
I don't!
Regards Frank

I think I should say that I do think that is a lovely group and is certainly unusual for more than one reason, very nice indeed!