TOPIC:

Officers of the 2nd Worcesters, undated and unnamed. The image appeared in the Transvaal War Album, part 8.

Cuningham is seated to the right of the man in the centre?

David - once again just ticking a box is inadequate - the Transvaal War Album photo of the Officers of the 2/Worcesters deserves written thanks and a WOW!

I agree 100% with your identification, if not your spelling. I believe the photo can be dated to 12th December 1899 plus or minus four days, with the emphasis on the plus side. To get to that date your need to reread what Mildred Dooner had to say about Coningham and study the service records of the men who served under him in South Africa. This link takes you to the words of Mildred Dooner:

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/2-introductio...ia-dow?start=6#98540

Below are some names for others in the photo and I think Ernest Charles Forbes Wodehouse may be two to the left of the centre sitting man. Others should be fully identifiable given a bit of time.

Major (Brevet. Lt.-Col.) G. Hacket Pain
Major W. F. G. Hardisty
Captain C. M. Edwards
Captain H. de B. Hovell
Captain G.W.Lewis
Captain M. J. J. Sweetman
Captain B. H. Thomas
Brevet. Major A. K. Stubbs
Lieut. W. R. Chichester
Lieut. H. J. Bartholomew
Lieut. B. K. W. Bacon
Lieut. H. A. Carr
Lieut. R. G. D. Nivison
Lieut. E. B. Hankey
Lieut. H. A. Lang
Lieut. R. A. C. L. Leggatt
Lieut. J. H. M. Arden
2/Lieut. G. M. C. Davidge
2/Lieut. M. R. Carr
Lieut. & Adjutant E. C. F. Wodehouse
Captain (Quartermaster) J. Ralston.

Amongst the above in addition to a schoolmate of Kipling you have a great, great grandson of the Josiah Wedgwood. The medals of H de B Hovell are a prized possession of QSAMike but you have to go back a decade to discover that - calling Canada!

Further to last post and photo previously posted by David Biggins.

The diary of the battalion adjutant has survived and he listed the following 22 officers of the 2nd Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment as embarking for South Africa on the SS Tintagel Castle on 17th December 1899:

1 Lieut.-Colonel C. Coningham = Charles Coningham (1851-1900) Killed in action ABW
2 Major (Brevet. Lt.-Col.) G. Hacket Pain = George William Hackett-Pain (1855-1924)
3 Major W. F. G. Hardisty = William Frederick James Hardisty OBE (1858-1924)
4 Captain C. M. Edwards = Clement Maitland Edwards (1860 –1946)
5 Captain H. de B. Hovell = Hugh de Berdt Hovell DSO (1863-1923)
6 Captain G. W. Lewis = George White Lewis (1864–1951)
7 Captain M. J. J. Sweetman = Michael Joseph James Sweetman (1864-1915) Died of wounds WW1
8 Captain B. H. Thomas = Basil Hardinge Thomas (1865–1900) Died of wounds ABW
9 Brevet. Major A. K. Stubbs = Arthur Kennedy Stubbs (1867-1900) Killed in action ABW
10 Lieut. W. R. Chichester = Walter Raleigh Chichester OBE (1870–1940)
11 Lieut. H. J. Bartholomew = Hugh John Bartholomew CMG, DSO (1872-1938)
12 Lieut. B. K. W. Bacon = Basil Kenrick Wing Bacon (1872-1914) Killed in action WW1
13 Lieut. H. A. Carr = Henry Arbuthnot Carr DSO (1872-1951)
14 Lieut. R. G. D. Nivison = Richard Gordon Douglas Nivison (1874-1908)
15 Lieut. E. B. Hankey = Edward Barnard Hankey CB, DSO (1875-1959)
16 Lieut. H. A. Lang = Henry Astell Lang (1874-1915) Killed in action WW1
17 Lieut. R. A. C. L. Leggatt = Robert Anthony Cleghorn Lillington Leggett (1874-1959)
18 Lieut. J. H. M. Arden = John Henry Morris Arden DSO (1875-1918) Died during service WW1
19 2/Lieut. G. M. C. Davidge = Guy Mortimer Coleridge Davidge DSO & bar (1878-1956)
20 2/Lieut. M. R. Carr = Martin Raymond Carr (1877-1914) Killed in action WW1
21 Lieut. & Adjutant E. C. F. Wodehouse = Ernest Charles Forbes Wodehouse DSO (1871-1915) Killed in action WW1
22 Captain (Quartermaster) J. Ralston = All that is known at the moment is that he retired from the army in 1909 with the rank of Major.

Summary analysis excluding the Quartermaster:

February 1900 Killed in action/Died of wounds in ABW = 3

1908 Died of blackwater fever during expedition in Africa = 1

Served in a theatre of war during WW1 = 16

Killed in action/Died of wounds during WW1 = 5

Died of unknown cause during service in WW1 = 1

Most of those who survived WW1 were wounded at some tome, a few more than once, one three times. One had a leg amputated as a result.

Awarded DSO = 7, one twice.

Nearly all were mentioned in despatches in one or other conflict, some in both.

Awarded OBE = 2

Knighted = 2

Nearly all those who survived rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and commanded a Worcestershire Battalion before they retired.

Mainly the sons of army officers but at least one son of a naval officer, two sons of clergymen, one son of a surgeon & one son of a prison governor. One had a father who fought in the Crimean War and another father was involved in the Indian Mutiny.

Most, if not all, enjoyed the attention of domestic servants during their upbringing.

The Carr brothers were the great-great grandsons of the Josiah Wedgewood and the sons of a former Colonel of the Worcester Regiment.

Photos of most of them can be found on-line - currently attempting to match them up with those shown on photo posted by David Biggins.