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John George Clayton

Private, 1st battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment – Sudan campaign
Private, 2nd battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment – Anglo Boer War

- Queens Sudan Medal to 2893 Pte. J. Clayton, 1/Lin. R.
- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Paardeberg and Johannesburg to 2893 Pte. J. Clayton, 2/Linc. Rgt.
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to Pte. J. Clayton, Lincoln. Regt.
- Khedives Sudan Medal (unnamed as issued) with clasps The Atbara & Khartoum.

John Clayton was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, England on 21 March 1874 the son of James Stephen Clayton, a Farm Labourer and his wife Ann. At the time of the 1881 England census a 7 year old John was at home with his parents at 2 Booths Passage in Boston along with siblings George Charles (9) and Stephen (1).

He had been enrolled in the local elementary school along with his brother George Charles Clayton on 25 October 1880 where he was to remain until leaving the school on 12 June 1885 at the age of 11. It is to be supposed that his parents felt that he had been educated sufficiently to equip him for life in Victorian England and that any further effort or expense would be fruitless for the son of a Farm worker with little or no prospects to look forward to.

The census of 1891 revealed that Clayton, now a lad of 17, was employed as an Agricultural Servant on the farm “West End” belonging to one William Parkinson. This farm was in the Wyberton area of Boston. It was obvious that Clayton was tiring of this life and, later that same year, on 23 October 1891, he completed the Short Service (7 Years with the Colours and 5 with the Reserve) Attestation papers for services with the Lincolnshire Regiment at Lincoln.

Claiming to be 18 years and 7 months old he confirmed that he was a Farm Servant. Physically he was 5 feet 5 ½ inches in height weighing a slender 121 pounds and with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. By way of distinctive marks about his person he had scars on the middle and front of his left thigh. Having been found Fit by the Doctor on 24 October he was enlisted with no. 2893 and the rank of Private.

From the Depot Clayton was transferred to the 1st Battalion on 19 February 1892 before being moved to the 2nd battalion on 14 December 1893 and then back to the 1st battalion on 19 April 1895. The period of 1 year and 128 days spent with the 2nd battalion was whilst they were stationed in the Straits Settlement (a group of British territories in South East Asia.) From there Clayton moved to be with the 1st battalion for a stint on the island of Malta from 10 April 1895 until 2 February 1897 – a period of 1 year and 29 days.

It was to Egypt next where the Lincs were to take part in the battles of Atbara and Omdurman as part of Kitchener’s efforts to roll back the tide of Muslim influence in the region as well as to reassert Anglo-Egyptian control and, lest it be forgotten, to avenge the defeat and death of General Gordon in the first Nile Expedition in the mid 1880’s.



The advance of the British forces at the Atbara

The Battle of Atbara took place on 8 April 1898 on the bank of the Atbara River, near to is junction with the Nile, in the Sudan and pitted the British and Egyptian forces against the Dervish army of the Khalif Abdullah. The Anglo-Egyptian force numbered around 10,000 including 500 cavalry, and some 24 guns whilst the Dervish army numbered around 15,000, including 5,000 Baggara mounted men.

In January 1898, British troops had begun to arrive in the Sudan from the garrison in Egypt – these were the 1st Royal Warwickshire, 1st Lincolns and 1st Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, and from Malta; 1st Seaforth Highlanders – all brigaded under Major-General Gatacre.

Kitchener concentrated his force of British, Egyptian and Sudanese troops at Berber, sending a Sudanese brigade further up the Nile to the mouth of the Atbara River to build a fort. The Khalif’s general, the Emir Mahmoud, commanding the force of Dervishes holding Metemmeh, around 100 miles up the Nile from Berber, on the west bank, was keen to lead his forces into action against the invading Egyptian army and therefore agreed that Mahmoud should move down the river, and attack Kitchener’s troops at Berber. Mahmoud crossed to the east bank of the Nile, where he joined the army of Osman Digna, from the eastern Sudan.

Mahmoud and Osman Digna finally began their advance north on 13th March 1898, marching along the east bank of the Nile, watched by Kitchener’s steamers. To meet the threat, Kitchener moved his army up the river, to concentrate behind Atbara Fort. On 15th March 1898, Mahmoud changed the direction of his march to the east-north-east, away from the Nile and towards the Atbara River, upstream of the Nile junction. His intention now being to cross the Atbara River, and circle around behind Atbara, to attack Berber from the eastern desert. He no longer entertained the prospect of a head-on clash with Kitchener.

In response to this move, Kitchener marched his army north, up the Atbara River, to intercept Mahmoud’s force, arriving at Hudi on 20th March 1898. Apparently in response to Kitchener’s move, Mahmoud’s force again changed direction, this time to an easterly route, to cross the Atbara even further up the river. The next day, Kitchener arrived at Ras-El-Hudi, some 15 miles south of the point where the Dervishes were crossing to the east bank of the Atbara River. At this time of year the Atbara River did not contain a consistent flow of water and could be crossed on foot.

Mahmoud’s plans were in disarray. He was now too far south for his army to march through the desert to attack Berber, his water carrying capacity being inadequate, even for a force of desert dwellers equipped with camels. As it was clear to Mahmoud that he was likely to be attacked, he ordered his Dervishes to build a zariba of thorn fences, trenches and rifle pits on the east bank of the river, where he awaited the arrival of the Anglo-Egyptian army.
Kitchener’s infantry, including Clayton and his Lincolnshire Regiment comrades, waited in their make-shift camp at Ras-El-Hudi, while the cavalry under Colonel Broadwood scouted along the Atbara to find Mahmoud’s force which was discovered at Nakheila on 30th March 1898. On 4th April 1898, Kitchener’s army moved a further 4 miles towards Nakheila.

At sunset on 7th April 1898, the British, Egyptian and Sudanese troops of Kitchener’s army, marched out of camp, heading south towards the Zariba, the 4 infantry brigades each in a square, with the 4 British battalions leading. At around 4am the force halted on a plateau 1200 yards from the zariba. At dawn, the army prepared for the assault on the Zariba, the brigades forming with the British on the left, MacDonald’s brigade of 3 Sudanese and 1 Egyptian battalion in the centre, and Maxwell’s Sudanese brigade on the right. The flank brigades each deployed a battalion in line, with the remaining 3 battalions following in column.

To the front of the attacking brigades was the line that marked the thorn fence of the Zariba. A war correspondent reported that there was a haze of dust above the Zariba, as if rifle pits and trenches were still being dug. At 6.20am, Kitchener’s 4 artillery batteries opened fire, methodically bombarding every part of the Dervish camp. After a bombardment lasting some 75 minutes, the artillery ceased firing, and the infantry began to advance on the Zariba, halting to fire volleys into the Dervish positions. At about 300 yards distance, the Dervish riflemen in the Zariba opened a return fire on the advancing infantry. With rising casualties, Kitchener’s battalions reached the Zariba. The Camerons, the front-line battalion of the British brigade, fired into the camp, while the Seaforths pulled the thorn hedge aside and rushed through into the positions behind. The battalions along the line stormed through the Zariba, and engaged the Dervishes, as they emerged from their trenches and rifle pits.

Kitchener’s troops fought through the camp to the river, where they found the Dervishes escaping across the dried river bed to the west bank, and opened fire upon them. The Baggara horse escaped south, along the Atbara River, with Osman Digna, the commander of the eastern Dervish forces.

At 8.30am the battle was over and the bugles sounded the ‘Cease Fire’. Mahmoud, rescued by British officers from the Sudanese soldiers who had captured him, was brought before Kitchener. After ransacking the Dervish camp, Kitchener’s army formed up and marched back to their positions at Atbara Fort and Berber. In excess of 2,000 Dervish dead were found inside the Zariba – the 1st Lincolns sustained 13 casualties.

The Battle Honour of ‘Atbara’ was awarded to the 4 British infantry regiments present. After the return to Berber, Kitchener awaited the reinforcements of British troops considered necessary to complete the defeat of the Khalif and the capture of Khartoum, the capital of the Sudan.

The wait was now on and Clayton and his comrades in the Anglo-Egyptian army went into summer quarters, around Berber, to await the arrival of the substantial reinforcements mentioned above. The wait was a long one and they were to see action again (in earnest) only on the 2nd September 1898 to the north of Omdurman along the west bank of the Nile in the Sudan in what became known as the Battle of Omdurman.


The Lincolnshire Regiment during a lull in the fighting

I won’t bore readers with all the background detail to this battle but, suffice it to say, it was the charge of the 21st Lancers which immortalised the action that took place. Confining ourselves to the role the Lincolns played, we must move along to the second attack which took place after the famous charge with the Dervish forces having scattered to the hills to the rear. Winston Churchill, an officer with the 21st Lancers and a correspondent is to be relied on for a further account.

In Churchill’s view, Kitchener’s move towards Omdurman was premature. He lists the Khalifa’s forces still on the field and undefeated, even, in some cases, unengaged; the Khalifa’s own ‘Black Flag’ force behind Jebel Surgham, Ali-Wad-Helu and his Red Flag behind the Kerreri Hills, and Osman reforming his men after the First Attack: in all some 35,000 men still ready to do battle as the British marched on Omdurman.

As Kitchener’s column moved off, Dervish horsemen began to emerge from the Kerreri Hills. Leading the column was the British Division, with the battalions marching in parallel columns; Wauchope’s brigade on the left; Lyttelton’s Brigade on the right. Maxwell’s brigade marched behind the British battalions, while moving more to the right, towards the Jebel Surgham.

Kitchener, accompanying Maxwell, looked back from his position on the lower slopes of the Jebel Surgham, and saw that, instead of following on in column, Macdonald was deploying his brigade into line, and bringing his batteries into action. It was apparent that Macdonald could see that he was about to be attacked by the Dervish force hidden to the west of the Jebel Surgham, out of sight of the rest of Kitchener’s brigades.

Macdonald formed his 4 battalions with 3 in line facing to the south west, and the fourth, still in column of companies, on the right flank, so that his brigade formed an inverted L. Within minutes, out from behind the Jebel Surgham, surged the Black Flag force under Yakub, comprising the Khalifa’s bodyguard and ‘All the Glories of the Dervish Empire’, some 15,000 men, heading for Macdonald’s line.

The firing was now general across the battle area. The advance of the 3 brigades up to the crest of the Jebel Surgham forced the Khalifa to divert part of the Black Flag force from the assault on Macdonald in the plain, to defend his flank with an attack up the hillside. This Dervish counter caused some shakiness in Lewis’s right flank Egyptian battalion. But this was dealt with, when Hunter took control, and brought up some reserve companies.

Substantial casualties were inflicted on the Dervishes, several Emirs being killed, and the Dervish formations attacking Macdonald’s brigade and the Jebel Surgham began to break up. Yakub and the guard of the Black Flag were mown down.

It was at this point that the Dervish force of Ali-Wad-Helu emerged from the Kerreri Hills to attack Macdonald’s brigade in the rear. Although this attack was just too late to co-incide with the main Dervish attack from behind the Jebel Surgham, the wisdom of putting a commander of Macdonald’s calibre in the rear was born out.

Churchill states that Macdonald’s soldiers began to fire wildly, and that they were saved by the Lincolnshire Regiment coming up on their right, forming a line at right angles to Macdonald’s line, and firing in enfilade on the advancing Dervishes. Other accounts state that the Lincolns arrived after Macdonald’s infantry and guns had destroyed the Dervish attack. Either way it was a close action, the Dervish charge coming within 300 yards of Macdonald’s line. His men fired an average of 60 rounds each during the action; a considerable amount for single shot weapons.

Once the Dervish attacks ceased, Kitchener’s line advanced to the west, with fixed bayonets, and drove the survivors out into the desert, away from the road to Omdurman. They then turned their attention to the city of Omdurman, entrance to which was gained by the gate on the eastern side.

The Khalifa ordered his beaten army to retreat into Omdurman to hold the city against Kitchener’s troops. This instruction was largely ignored, the Dervishes by-passing Omdurman, and carrying on south towards their homes. Realising that he did not have the force to hold the city, the Khalifa left Omdurman on a donkey with a handful of attendants, and headed south.

The casualties were immense – Kitchener’s army lost 20 officers and 462 men killed and wounded. The Dervishes suffered losses of 9,700 dead, probably around 12,000 wounded, and some 5,000 prisoners.

There was an official dispute as to whether the battle was to be called ‘Omdurman’ or ‘Khartoum’. The battle is widely called ‘Omdurman’, but the battle honour ‘Khartoum’ was awarded to the 21st Lancers, Grenadier Guards, Northumberland Fusiliers, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Lincolnshire Regiment, Lancashire Fusiliers, Seaforth Highlanders and Cameron Highlanders.

Clayton received the campaign medals the Queen’s Sudan Medal 1896-1898 and the Khedive’s Sudan Medal 1896-1908, with the clasp on the Khedive’s medal of ‘Khartoum’ and “The Atbara”

Clayton was invalided to England on 14 October 1898 where he spent the next 1 year and 67 days before, on 4 January 1900, sailing for South Africa to play his part in the Anglo Boer War which had flared up between the two Dutch or Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal and Great Britain. Here the British Army was to find that their adversaries were a different kettle of fish to the Dervishes in the Sudan. They were now confronted with European men, just like themselves, who were skilled horsemen and even better shots.

Clayton, who had been transferred to the Army Reserve on 7 December 1898, was recalled to the colours on 18 December 1899 and posted to the 2nd Battalion – the battalion designated to participate in South Africa. The 2nd Battalion sailed on the Assaye on 4th January 1900, arriving at the Cape on the 23rd. Along with the 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers, and 2nd Hampshire, they formed the 14th Brigade under Brigadier General Chermside, and part of the VIIth Division under Lieutenant General Tucker.

The VIIth Division took part in the advance from Modder River to Bloemfontein moving, on the 11th February 1900 from Enslin and Graspan to Ramdan; and on the 12th to Dekiel Drift on the Riet River. The 13th was occupied in getting waggons across and on the 14th the division moved from Dekiel Drift to Waterval Drift, where Lord Roberts had his headquarters. That evening the division moved to Wegdraai Drift, still on the Riet. On the 15th part of the division occupied Jacobsdal, to which place Lord Roberts moved his headquarters and on the 18th, the day of the battle of Paardeberg, the 14th Brigade, under Chermside, was ordered to march from Jacobsdal to Paardeberg, where it arrived on the evening of the 19th having reached there after a forced march of 35 miles in 20 hours.

Thereafter the 14th Brigade waited at Paardeberg till Cronje came out, but, although it had missed out on the heat of the action, it did very important work in assisting to repel and defeat the Boer reinforcements coming to Cronje’s assistance. On the 7th March the battle of Poplars Grove took place. In his despatch of 15th March Lord Roberts says:

"The 14th Brigade of the VIIth Division was ordered to march eastward along the south bank of the river for the purpose of threatening the enemy, distracting attention from the main attack on Table Mountain, and assisting the cavalry in preventing the Boers from crossing the river at the Poplar Grove Drift".

On the 8th and 9th March the army halted at Poplars Grove, but on the latter date Lord Roberts issued his instructions for his next advance in three columns on Bloemfontein. Lieutenant General Tucker commanded the right or southernmost column, consisting of the VIIth Division, the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, and Ridley's brigade of Mounted Infantry, and he was instructed to march via Petrusburg, Driekop, Panfontein, to Venter's Vlei, eighteen miles from Bloemfontein, in four marches; but on the 10th, after the battle of Driefontein or Abraham's Kraal had been fought by the left and centre columns, Lord Roberts asked Lieutenant General Tucker to halt his force at Driekop. The division did not reach Bloemfontein till the 14th, Lord Roberts having entered the town on the 13th. The long march which was eventually to lead to Pretoria was well underway.

The battalion reached Bloemfontein on 22 Mar and after some minor skirmishes set out again on 3 May. It was engaged at Brandfort and then the crossing of the Zand River on 10 May. The 2nd Lincolns reached Johannesburg on 31 May and Pretoria on 4 June. On 11 July a force of five weak companies of the 2nd Lincolns, a squadron of the Royal Scots Greys and two RHA guns was attacked by a superior Boer force at Uitvals Nek.

Outnumbered and exhausted after a full days intense fighting the survivors were forced to surrender. The battalion had five officers and 48 NCOs and men killed or wounded in this battle. The 2nd Battalion continued to serve during the guerrilla phase of the South African War until the peace on 31 May 1902.

For his South African service of 2 years and 240 days Clayton was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Paardeberg and Johannesburg along with the Kings Medal with the two date clasps. On 1 September 1902 he was placed on Reserve in South Africa where he had opted to remain after a total of 12 years service.

Now out of uniform he settled down to civilian life marrying a girl with a Dutch background – Sarah Franscina Beukes – at St. Mary’s in Johannesburg on 25 October 1902. He was a 29 year old bachelor whilst she was 22 years of age. Clayton’s occupation was provided as Foreman on the Central South African Railways. Children were to follow suit with Dorothea Mabel being born to the couple on 6 November 1907. At this point Clayton was living at No. 62 Railway Cottages in Fordsburg and was a Chief Number Taker with the Railways.

He passed away at the General Hospital, Johannesburg, Transvaal on 5 July 1923 at the age of 49 years 2 months and was survived by his wife Engela Sarah Magdalena Clayton ((born Beukes) (note the difference in his wife’s names) and their seven children. An illiterate, his wife was unable to sign his death notice, making her mark instead.

Thanks Rory.......

A great piece of research especially all that I learned about The Atbara...... The group that I have is to the Camerons and he was wounded there.......

Mike

That is certainly the way to buy medals, absolutely untouched and in superb original condition, since they were worn, it is such a great shame that so many collectors, these days, feel the need to take all that originality away.
There used to be a collector of all things Kimberley, who actually took away that degree of originality every time and insisted that the particular collection looked absolutely identical and sadly, brand new.