TOPIC:

Thomas Whitehead

Killed in Action - Observation Hill, Ladysmith, 21 February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal (2) Talana & Defence of Ladysmith to 4898 PTE T. WHITEHEAD, I: LEIC: REGT

When Tom Whitehead left England to fight in South Africa he would have had every expectation of returning to his family. Sadly he was never to see the green fields of home again.

Born in Leicester St. Mary in Leicester in 1879, he was the son of Thomas Whitehead, a Boot Maker and Shoe Finisher by trade, and his wife Sarah Ann. At the time of the 1881 England census the family lived at 46 Chestnut Street, Leicester St. Mary. Perhaps unusually for the times Sarah was also employed – as a Boot Machinist, thereby providing an additional income for the family which consisted of 2 year old Thomas and siblings Florence Ann (9) and Harry (7).

Ten years later, when the 1891 England census called round, the family had moved to Ruby Street, New Found Pool, Blaby, Leicester. There had been a change in the family arrangements with it being revealed for the first time that Florence and Harry were Thomas’ stepsister and stepsister – their surname being Bray as opposed to Whitehead. There had also being additions to the family in the forms of Arthur (10), Beatrice (7), Joseph (6), Archibald (4) and Amy (1). With all these new mouths to feed Mrs Whitehead had given up her employment and was at home to look after the children.

It was no wonder then that, at the age of 18, on 1 February 1897, Thomas completed the Attestation forms for enlistment with the Leicestershire Regiment at Leicester. Confirming that he was a Tip Hand by occupation, he was found to be 5 feet 3 ¾ inches in height with a fresh complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. He weighed a slender 115 lbs. and was of the Wesleyan persuasion. Having been found fit by the Doctor, he was assigned no. 4898 and the rank of Private. Initially posted to the Depot, he was transferred to the 2nd battalion on 28 May 1897 and to “A” Company, 1st battalion on 13 May 1899.

Although he wasn’t to know it, Whitehead and his battalion, posted to South Africa for service, were to be thrust into the boiling cauldron of war before the year was out - the long festering tensions between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State and Great Britain burst into a declaration of war on 11 October 1899 and the Leicester’s were one of the few regular army battalions in the country at the time.

The 1st Battalion was stationed at Glencoe, in the north of Natal, when the war broke out and the Boer Commandos, already massed on the Natal/Transvaal border, poured into Natal. It thus formed part of the brigade of General Penn Symons, the other battalions being the 1st King's Royal Rifles, 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, and 2nd Dublin Fusiliers. There were also at Glencoe the 18th Hussars and the 13th, 67th, and 69th Batteries RFA. Penn Symons with about 4000 men under his command had been ordered by General Sir George White to fall back on Ladysmith but had, somehow, persuaded that gentleman that he could withstand any Boer onslaught in the Dundee area with the men at his disposal.

Actual fighting commenced at 3.20 am on the morning of 20th October, when a Mounted Infantry picquet of the Dublin Fusiliers was fired on and driven in. At 5.50 am the enemy occupied Talana Hill with artillery, and commenced shelling the camp. The troops were soon set in motion. To the Leicester’s and 67th Battery was assigned the duty of guarding the camp with its great quantities of stores. The general decided to attack with his other infantry and artillery. These moved away and were soon in extended order advancing to a wood, which the commander had decided to use as a breathing place. The wood was gained between 7 and 8 am, the 13th and 69th Batteries meanwhile keeping up a heavy and accurate fire on the enemy's positions. About 8.50 the infantry again advanced, and as they left the wood had to face a terrible rifle-fire both from their front and flank. Sir W Penn-Symons, who had been exposing himself with rash bravery, fell mortally wounded about 9.30; Brigadier General Yule, now in command, directed the infantry to move to a wall stretching some distance along the hillside, from which wall a very heavy fire was being kept up by the Boers.

The two batteries redoubled their efforts. The 1st King's Royal Rifles on the right first reached the wall, followed by some companies of the Irish Fusiliers; the Dublin Fusiliers also made their way up a little later. After another breathing space under cover of the wall the troops jumped the wall and scrambled up the steep face. At 1 pm the crest was gained and the enemy fled. Within easy range of the British artillery were to be seen "clumps of 50 and 100 men on which guns could have inflicted great loss. The enemy, however, displayed a white flag, although they do not appear to have had any intention of surrendering, and in consequence the officer commanding Royal Artillery refrained from firing". The Leicester’s lost 1 officer killed, 1 wounded, and 1 man wounded.

On the 21st General Yule moved his camp to a better position. On the 22nd he resolved to retire on Ladysmith. At nine at night in silence, without bands or pipers, the force set out by the east or Helpmakaar road, the dying general, the other wounded, and the doctors being left behind. A great mass of stores had also to be left to the enemy, as its destruction would have made him suspect the intended retreat; while, on the other hand, a twelve hours' start was absolutely necessary. To have fought their way to Ladysmith would have been an impossible task for Yule's column in that hilly country. As it was the elements were not favourable. The rain at times fell in torrents; roads knee-deep in mud and swollen spruits made marching very heavy work, while but little sleep was obtainable between the 21st and 26th.

On the 30th, in the battle of Ladysmith, the Leicester’s were with Colonel Grimwood on the right and had a very trying day. They had about 24 casualties before they, together with the remainder of Grimwood’s force retired on Ladysmith, having been ordered to retreat by General White.

The Leicester’s, according to the defensive plan put in place, were quartered in Section B, under Colonel (local Major-General) F. Howard. Section B. Boundaries were from Gordon Hill across the northern salient to the junction of the Klip river with the Flagstone Spruit, including Observation Hill, Cove Redoubt, Leicester Post, King's Post, Ration Post, and Rifleman's Post. This section, which formed the northern defences, was in the first instance garrisoned as under :— Six companies, 1st Leicestershire regiment, 2nd King's Royal Rifles, 2nd Rifle Brigade, and, until November 9th, the 1st King's Royal Rifles.


Map of Section B showing the Leicester positions

Ladysmith settled down to life under siege. There was always the hope, if not promise, that Buller would prevail on his march up from Colenso and that the encirclement would be of a temporary nature. As news of each setback experienced by Buller’s army filtered its way into the town despondency began to take hold. Food supplies were running low and severe rationing was introduced. The days were hot and dry, interspersed with torrential thunderstorms which churned the fine sand that adorned every nook and cranny into a muddy paste.

The Boers, well provisioned and with some of their wives visiting from upcountry, were in no rush to press the issue and contented themselves with a constant daily bombardment of the town, its buildings and its population from their Long Toms and other guns dotted on the hills around Ladysmith. Only on Sundays, a day of prayer rigidly observed by the Calvinistic Boers, was there a respite.


Leicester’s on parade in Ladysmith

The Leicester’s, situated on Observation Hill were, like the garrison everywhere, decimated by the effects of a starvation ration and poor diet – disease took everyone in its firm grasp - many joined the ranks of the sick and dying, transferred to the hospital at Intombi with some not making the return trip.

Eventually, after an internal revolt threatened, the Boer leadership determined on an all or nothing attack to break the stalemate, take the town and force a surrender. Plans were put in place for a multi-pronged assault on Wagon Hill and a few other points for the 6th January 1900. Although the Leicester’s weren’t present at the main event – that on Wagon Hill and nearby Caesar’s Camp – they were under attack on the day.

Maurice, in Vol 2 Ch 31 of his Official History relating that: -

Meanwhile day had broken, and every Boer gun about the town had opened on the various sections of the defences, most severely at first upon Observation Hill. There the first of the pre-arranged feints began with a skirmishing attack by the Pretoria commando upon the Leicester regiment, which, assisted by the shells of the 69th battery, repulsed this feint without loss. The Caesar's Camp plateau itself came under fire of heavy guns upon Umbulwana, Middle Hill, and Rifleman's Ridge, and these raked the defences at all angles. Nor could the Naval 12-pr. on the summit, which in reply opened at Middle Hill, or the 42nd battery succeed in silencing the enemy's artillery, though the shrapnel had a noticeable effect on the musketry on Mounted Infantry Hill. At 5.30 a.m. the 53rd battery (Major A. J. Abdy), and ten minutes later the 21st battery (Major W. E. Blewitt) trotted out of Ladysmith, the former towards the eastern, the latter towards the western end of the plateau. Marching unobserved by the Boer gunners past Range Post, the 21st battery, escorted by the 5th Dragoon Guards, came into action at a point upon Sign Post Ridge, whence it was possible to shell the whole of the ground below the western extremity of Wagon Hill, which was thus, during a critical time, secured from being turned from this direction. The 53rd battery unlimbered in the scrub in the flats behind Maiden Castle, and opened both at the shoulder of Caesar's Camp and into the bushy slopes and dongas which sheltered the Boer supports, which were massed in the wake of the attackers of the crest. The 94-pr. and a 15-pr. on Umbulwana assailed the battery at once, inflicting considerable losses. But the enemy's practice was much hampered by the accurate shooting of the 4.7-in. gun at Cove Redoubt, and Abdy's gunners, disregarding all.

In concluding his piece on the battle Maurice states that, "Only against Observation Hill was there anything like a serious attack. Here the enemy advanced boldly under cover of a sustained bombardment, pressing on to within a few yards of the trenches, only to be beaten back with considerable loss by the detachment of the 1st Devon regiment, supported by three companies 1st Leicester regiment, and the guns of the 69th battery. Nevertheless, a heavy shell fire fell into nearly every British position about the town, and all the troops were kept in their sangars throughout the day."

The Boer assault having been finally repulsed, both sides retreated to lick their wounds. The pace of life reverting to what it had been a few days before, the drudgery of life under siege interspersed with the odd game of inter-regimental cricket or tug-of-war. These activities were often rudely interrupted by Boer shell fire – almost as if the Boer gunners with a macabre sense of humour were specifically aiming for these activities.

Food became even scarcer and horse meat replaced the stringy beef on offer. Chevril, a nourishing gruel made from horses became a staple as casualties continued to mount – not only among those suffering from illness but also from the seemingly random shells hurled into the dusty streets.

It was one of these shells that occasioned the death of Tom Whitehead. The day was the 20th/21st February 1900. The siege had been ongoing for 80 days and word was starting to filter through to the disbelieving populace that Buller was making yet another, and hopefully final, attempt to relieve the town. Going about his business in Section B – the Leicester Post on Observation Hill – was Whitehead when the following happened, as described on page 124 of the Green Horse in Ladysmith: -

“The weather made an extraordinary change today, it was 30 degrees colder than yesterday. Surprise Hill howitzer fired two 40-pounders at Observation East in evening, no damage done but in the morning the Leicester’s had lost one man killed and two wounded at Observation West from this gun.”


Times article

There it was in a nutshell – Whitehead was the Leicester man Killed in Action by a shell from Surprise Hill which he, most likely, never saw incoming.

Newspaper reports over the next few days, as word reached England, confirmed that he was Killed. Today he is commemorated on various memorials – one in Leicester Cathedral and another in the centre of the city. His medal was sent, posthumously, to his father, off the medal roll dated 26 November 1901.

Requiesce in pace.

ANGLICAN CHURCH LADYSMITH

Thank you Elmarie - I acquired the medal to Sgt. Pike (also featured on the memorial tablet) at the same time as that to Whitehead - will start his write-up one of these days.