The Coventry Veterans also figured in an article in the same paper in 1964. This was the interview with Mr Weller – his surviving service records show his memory of events was accurate although shipping records show the KRRC arriving in two batches on 5th & 9th October 1899 – so he must have been there a few days before war was declared.
Mr Weller remembers those terrible days clearly even now. “I was in the 2nd Battalion of The King’s Royal Rifles,” he said “and volunteered to go to India.”
After he had been in India for a time, he was drafted to South Africa, arriving in Durban on the day war was declared. He arrived in Ladysmith in 1899, and “we were on duty day and night. The Boers sniped at us, and we returned the fire.” he continued.
“The Boers drove us into Ladysmith and we never came out for 117 days. Conditions were terrible. We had no roof over our heads and all we had to eat was a little horseflesh, two ounces of mealies and half a biscuit. Many men died from dysentery,
“I lost so much weight that I had to cross my braces over to keep my trousers up. We were all so weak that at the end of the siege we all had to go to Colenzo to convalesce.” he added.
After they were cured Mr Weller went to Transvaal and then took a batch of Boer prisoners to Ceylon. “We were 10 months looking after the prisoners there” he told a reporter.
After being relieved, he went to India, to guard more prisoners.
In all, Mr Weller was away from home for seven years.
Samuel Weller's QSA in total bore 3 clasps - "Transvaal", "Defence of Ladysmith" & "Laing's Nek". As you can see from the photo in the 1967 article he did not earn the KSA as his South African service only totalled 314 days. Adding in his time guarding prisoners in Ceylon & India would have taken him over the 18 months.
He was obviously a bit of character as in the 1920's & 1930's he owned a motor bike and sidecar and managed to knock down a lady pedestrian, she was not injured but Samuel was done for driving without due care and attention, in mitigation he claimed he had only just brought it and was still learning how it worked. Later on he was done for driving without lights at 11.10pm in March! For both offences he was fined 10 bob. In 1964 aged 84 he married for the second time to a widow ten years his junior who was noted for her good works regarding war veterans.
Another veteran, Harry Corby, was interviewed in less depth (he must have died by 1967). During the Boer War he served as Driver 34005 in the 64th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. During WW1 he served under the same regimental number and rose to the rank of Sergeant. There is a mass of paperwork on FMP regarding him partly because there was a dispute about his pension in 1930. He was awarded the QSA with 5 clasps - “Orange Free State”, “Transvaal”, “Tugela Heights”, “Relief of Ladysmith” & “Laing’s Nek” and the KSA with both date clasps.
