TOPIC:

Private 4405 Joseph Walker, Worcestershire Regiment.

Joseph was born in Dudley in December 1875 but raised and educated in neighbouring Smethwick. The education was at Crocketts Lane School (which still stands) and it is interesting to note, based on his birth certificate, that his mother was illiterate. At the time he enlisted in July 1895 his large family were living at 9 London Street, Smethwick. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion and his service record is detailed below:



Comparing the dates to the write-up on the 2nd Worcesters on this website, Joseph departed for South Africa at the right time but seems to have left prematurely. There is then nearly an 18 month gap in his service record, I can find no record of him being invalided home etc nor find him on the 1901 census back in the UK. The Medal Roll for the 2nd Worcesters shows he was awarded two clasps, “Cape Colony” & “Orange Free State”. In the “Remarks” column it says “To England” along with 7 others on the page although they all only seem to have received the “Cape Colony” clasp. The previous "Statement of Services" sheet in his records indicates that on 1st August 1900 he was transferred to the 4th Battalion - so should the gap show "Home" service with a home battalion? Can anybody explain his “premature” return and the apparent subsequent gap?

When he was discharged from the Army in 1907 he decided to emigrate to the USA where, according to his 1954 Obituary in the Kokomo Tribune, he found employment with the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company at Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana. After a few years he returned to the UK and the 1911 census found him once again living in Smethwick with one of his married sister’s and her family. In 1914 he answered the call and served in World War 1 but, sadly, his service papers appear not to have survived the WW2 fire. In 1919 he married a Smethwick spinster, can’t call her a lass as she was 39 at the time, who had once lived nearly next door to him in London Street. Her name was Annie Barnes and her mother was Irish.

In 1922 Joseph & Annie returned to Kokomo where he once again found employment at the glassworks. They never had any children but devoted their lives to helping to bring up their nephews and nieces when two of Joseph brother’s and their families joined them in Kokomo. Joseph died in March 1954, aged 77, and Annie in July 1962, aged 81. Both their Obituaries mentioned that Joseph had served 12 years in the British Army before serving in WW1 and was a veteran of the Boer War. As you can see from his headstone, Joseph and his family were proud of his British roots.

Private 4405 Joseph Walker, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.

A letter Joseph wrote home to his parents on 27th January 1900 was reported in the Smethwick Telephone newspaper of Saturday 31st March 1900 as follows:


“Private J Walker, of the 2nd Worcestershire Regiment, has been campaigning in the Rensburgh district under General French. Writing to his parents who reside in Smethwick, under date of 27th January, he says: “I have arrived at the seat of war, and I am thankful for it, as our regiment got sent up here in the place of the Suffolks who got cut up. We are very fortunate in being sent up to the front, for there are some of our chaps 30 or 40 miles out who came before us, and they are jealous of us. The first day we got a rest, and the next day we were put on outpost duty at a place outside Rensburgh, and then a 13 mile march over hot sand to the enemy’s trenches. We have a rather ticklish job to keep them out of our lines at night, but as soon as they hear a shot they fly for their lives like dogs with their tails burnt. We are under General French, and I can tell you he knows what he is about. On the 25th he sent three companies of ours, a pair of the Life Guards, and a couple of guns, to try to draw the enemy’s fire, while he went round on their left flank with a larger force of cavalry and infantry, and he did give it them, I believe. As soon as the enemy saw our blokes advance he opened fire with all his guns, “Long Tom” included, and a perfect hail of rifle fire but all the damage they did was one New Zealand scout killed and nothing else. Our guns then began to bark, and it is said that one shell killed 21 Boers. Boers total loss estimated at about 85 killed, British 1. But I did not take part in it, I am sorry to say, but our company was on outpost on a hill called ‘Worcesters Koppies’ about a thousand yards from the trenches, and we saw it all, and we were itching to put a volley into them, but we were not allowed. Don’t believe the yarns about the Boers being crack shots, for it is a lie. Our chaps were within 800 yards of them when they opened fire, and they were on for quite 20 minutes hard and fast, and they only hit that one man. They are the biggest cowards in the world, for they won’t fight. We are expecting a big battle in a day or two, and then you will see the result. . . . . . . . . We have hard times to get writing paper. . . . . . . . . . I might tell you the Boers are firing as I write this letter, but we take little notice of them. Now, please don’t fret over me, for I shall come out of this all right, don’t fear. . . . . . . . I write this letter on my rifle for a desk.”

Smethwick,
Thank you for posting Pte. Walker's letter from the front which finds him itching for action.
He didn't have long to wait before he got a taste of it when the Boers attacked Worcester Kopjes on 12th February.
Fortunately for 4405 Walker he came through that unscathed, assuming he was still present when the skirmish occurred.

Moranthorse1

What do you think of his 85 Boers killed to 1 British score, apparently for the 25th January 1900? Seem a bit suspect to me.

On the 12th February - two Smethwickians died - Corporal 4232 J Pritchard & Private 4203 J Carrington. I have to admit both do not have the strongest of ties with Smethwick. Pritchard was born and raised near Droitwich but by the time of his death his parents and siblings had moved to Smethwick and his death received a mention in the Smethwick Telephone. He may never have lived in Smethwick but I cannot find his service records to prove it one way or the other. Carrington was a Dudley man and appears on their Boer War Memorial. Again his death was reported in the Smethwick Telephone as follows:

Smethwick Telephone 10th March 1900 "HERE AND THERE"
"Victims of War – The War has claimed another Smethwick Reservist as a victim. His name is Private Carrington, and the widow resides in Union Passage. We understand that Mrs Carrington and Mrs Neale have each received £20 from the “Daily Telegraph” Fund and that each will receive an annuity of £15. Private Carrington was employed at Dudley previous to being called up, and some effort is being made in that town for the benefit of his widow. The concert in aid of Mrs Neale will take place in the Town Hall next Wednesday evening, and we have no doubt there will be a full audience."

Do you know why a significant number of the 2nd Worcesters returned to Blightly "prematurely"? 4405 Walker had only been in SA for about 7 months when he left, as his service record in the my original post shows, then there is a strange gap in what happened to him next.

David.

Smethwick,
Yes, the ratio of 85 to 1 does seem rather unlikely doesn't it!
Perhaps others could shed more light on this?

There is also a J. Carrington commemorated on the Birmingham Boer War Memorial in Cannon Hill Park. This shows his connection to both towns .


His Attestation documents would no longer exist, as a deceased man, they would most likely have been destroyed. However, I have QSAs to other wounded men of the Worcesters for whom I cannot raise attestation papers either. Possibly destroyed in the fire at Archive during the war. It all adds to the mystery!

I'll take a look at my docs for 2nd battalion to see if any of my blokes were returned early.

From a previous thread, some names you might need......

Mike


From the Diary of

No.4399 Private Thomas Ford, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.

February, 1900

Took part in operations round Colesberg, culminating in the attack on British outposts, Monday, Feb. 12th.

Casualties – Officers:
Killed.
Lt.-Col. Coningham.

Bt. Major A. K. Stubbs.

Wounded.
Captain B. H. Thomas (died).
Lieut. C. F. Ruxton.
2/Lieut. M. R. Carr.

Casualties - Other ranks:

Killed.
Sgts. Watkins, Carter; Cpl. Pritchard, L/Cpl. Allen, Ptes. Mason, Carrington, McNaughton, Parton, Danks, Pinner, Parker, Lammas, Weissner, Morris, Deverill, Turley.

Wounded.
28 (1 died of wounds); missing and prisoners, 19 (2 died of wounds).

The following notes are from Mr. A. Bradish who served with the battalion in the South African War. His Company Commander was Captain C. M. Edwards.

12th February 1900

The action of Sligersfontein, named after the farm there, was our first engagement exactly one month after landing in South Africa. This successful engagement with the Boers brought the first honours to the battalion—two D.S.O.'s, immediate awards to Captain H. de B. Hovell, O.C. "A" Coy., and Lieutenant H. V. Bartholomew, O.C. "E" Coy.

Three companies bore the weight of the attack, "A," "E," "C." "A" and "E" held the Kopjes, with "C" in support. Lieut.-Colonel Conningham went from the H.Q. Camp immediately he heard the Boer attack was in force. He was leading the supporting company, commanded by Captain Thomas, " C " Coy. Both fell very early, the Colonel killed and Captain Thomas severely wounded, afterwards died. The Colonel had been in command of the battalion only two months. Major Stubbs, O.C. "E" Coy., was killed and Lieutenant Bartholomew took command of the company. Captain Hovell immediately assumed command of the three companies, and the position was held against great odds without one yard of ground being yielded. Severe casualties were inflicted on the Boers. This outpost line, of which Sligersfontein was the extreme right flank, was 20 miles in length and held by four battalions of infantry, the 12th Brigade commanded by General Clements.

On 13th February the whole brigade retired to Rensburg and then on to Arundel, closely followed by the Boer General, De La Ray, and his commandoes, a distance of 30 miles. At Arundel reinforcements arrived and the Boers were halted.

On the 12th February 1900, the right flank of the British at Slingersfontein came under a strong attacked by the Boers commanded by General De la Rey's. The key of the British position at this point was a kopje held by three companies of the 2nd Worcester Regiment. Upon this the Boers made a fierce onslaught, but were as fiercely repelled. They came up in the dark between the set of moon and rise of sun, as they had done at the great assault of Ladysmith, and the first dim light saw them in the advanced sangars. The Boer generals do not favour night attacks, but they are exceedingly fond of using darkness for taking up a good position and pushing onwards as soon as it is possible to see. This is what they did upon this occasion, and the first intimation which the outposts had of their presence was the rush of feet and loom of figures in the cold misty light of dawn.

The occupants of the sangars were killed to a man, and the assailants rushed onwards. As the sun topped the line of the veldt half the kopje was in their possession. Shouting and firing, they pressed onwards. But the Worcester men were steady old soldiers, and the battalion contained no less than four hundred and fifty marksmen in its ranks. Of these the companies upon the hill (later named Worcester Hill) had their due proportion, and their fire was so accurate that the Boers found themselves unable to advance any further. Through the long day a desperate duel was maintained between the two lines of riflemen.

The Worcestershire Commander Lieut.-Colonel Charles Cuningham and his second in command Brevet- Major Arthur Kennedy Stubbs were killed while endeavouring to recover the ground which had been lost.

Hovell and Bartholomew continued to encourage their men, and the British fire became so deadly that that of the Boers was dominated. Under the direction of Hacket Pain, who commanded the nearest post, guns of J Battery were brought out into the open and shelled the portion of the kopje which was held by the Boers. The latter were reinforced, but could make no advance against the accurate rifle fire with which they were met. The Bisley champion of the battalion, with a bullet through his thigh, expended a hundred rounds before sinking from loss of blood. It was an excellent defence, and a pleasing exception to those too frequent cases where an isolated force has lost heart in face of a numerous and persistent foe. With the coming of darkness the Boers withdrew with a loss of over two hundred killed and wounded. Orders had come from General Clements that the whole right wing should be drawn in, and in obedience to them the remains of the victorious companies were called in by Hacket Pain, who moved his force by night in the direction of Rensburg. The British loss in the action was twenty-eight killed and nearly a hundred wounded or missing, most of which was incurred when the sangars were rushed in the early morning.