TOPIC:

The British Army under Gen Warren crossed the Upper Tugela on 17th-18th January, as part of an attempt to relieve Ladysmith.
in many accounts of the crossing, there is mention of a soldier drowning:
The Natal Carbineers crossed first - they were composed of local men who knew the area well, and att noon on 17th January 1900, the Carbineers waded on horseback across Trichardt’s Drift, led by Maj. Duncan Mackenzie.
A typical account reads:
The river was full but the Carbineers showed the rest of the Mounted Brigade where and how to cross: "Horses' heads upstream; don't look at the water; keep your eyes on the opposite bank." The rest of the Mounted Brigade followed, and the troopers were soon in difficulties. Lieutenant John Tremayne was swept away in a vain attempt to rescue one of the 13th Hussars who drowned. Trooper Sclanders rescued Tremayne and another Hussar, and the Carbineers, forming a human life line, rescued several more. Sclanders was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal in Silver, and Tremayne the medal in bronze.

However, in the casualty list there is no Hussar dying or drowning on or near 17th January.
However,
In Rangeworthy Military Cemetery, just north of Trichardt's Drift, there is to this day the grave of Private Watson of the 14th Hussars, "drowned on 19th February 1900". However, by 19th Feb the British Army was at Colenso, 25 miles away, and had completely withdrawn from the upper Tugela.
It is tempting to say there was a confusion in dates, and Pte Watson was the Hussar who drowned on 17th January. But if so, why is he not on the casualty list? And why is he a private and not Trooper Watson?
Could anyone resolve this for me, perhaps from the medal roll or from a more comprehensive casualty list.
Where, how, and when did Pte Watson die? If he died at Colenso, why was he re-interred at Rangeworthy?
many thanks
Rob
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The only Drowned Watson I could find in FMP.....

First name(s) J
Last name Watson
Service number 3860
Rank Private
Regiment 14th (King's) Hussars
Year 1899-1902
Biography
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Event detail Died Drowned on 19/02/1900 at Mooi River (Official casualty roll location: Natal)
Event unit 14th (King's) Hussars
Gazetteer [2928: 2912-3000] a village in Natal Colony (Mooi River district; KwaZulu-Natal), 30 km south-east of Estcourt, lying on a right bank tributary of the same name of the Thukela River. Variant: Mooi Rivier (original Dutch name and that of the post office to 17 April 1933). By 22 November 1899, Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, a battery and two sections of the Royal Field Artillery and some 4,000 infantry had assembled there under the command of Maj-Gen G. Barton. On that and the following day, Cmdt D.J. Joubert's commando shelled the station yard from the ridge north-east of the village. The railway and telegraph to Estcourt* were repaired on 26 November when the bulk of the troops in the village marched there. A large camp to which the inmates of the hospital at Intombi Camp* were transferred after the relief of Ladysmith* was established there in March 1901. HMG I p.269 (map no.4), III p.251; Times II pp.311 and 317-318 (map facing p.316).
Event source NFF
Event notes [Bell]
Country Great Britain
Notes QSA Clasps: RoL


Mike

Rob
WO100/117 page 318, a marginal note shows "3860 Pte. Watson, J of 14th H" as "deceased" - at least that is what it looks like - and the date is 18/2/00. This could well have been a non-battle casualty.
I have attached two cuts from WO100/117; the first showing the marginal comment alongside "3860 Pte. Watson J of 14H" and the second showing the marginal comment alongside "4563 Pte. Williams F also of 14tH".
Both presumably made by the same hand when compiling/editing the 14H roll.



Regards
IL.

Thanks very much indeed.
Does the casualty list indicate where 3860 Pte. Watson, J of 14th H, was buried?
I wonder whether his body lies at Rangeworthy or Mooi River.
It seem quite possible that his cast-iron grave marker was erroneously sent to Rangeworthy instead of Mooi River [which is 100 km away]. And if so, the error could perhaps be, in part, because of the widespread belief that a Hussar had drowned at Trichardt's Drift...
Rob

Watson appears to have drowned on the eighteenth at Springfield, Little Tugela and was subsequently buried at Rangeworthy after exhumation from his original grave at Winterton, his rank of Private is correct and was perfectly normal throughout the Corps of Hussars at that point in time.
An excellent photograph and pleasing to see this particular Chambermaid's grave with it's original marker in good condition and unmolested in these strange times when people seem to have little concern about history.

Rob D wrote: The British Army under Gen Warren crossed the Upper Tugela on 17th-18th January, as part of an attempt to relieve Ladysmith.
in many accounts of the crossing, there is mention of a soldier drowning:
The Natal Carbineers crossed first - they were composed of local men who knew the area well, and att noon on 17th January 1900, the Carbineers waded on horseback across Trichardt’s Drift, led by Maj. Duncan Mackenzie.
A typical account reads:
The river was full but the Carbineers showed the rest of the Mounted Brigade where and how to cross: "Horses' heads upstream; don't look at the water; keep your eyes on the opposite bank." The rest of the Mounted Brigade followed, and the troopers were soon in difficulties. Lieutenant John Tremayne was swept away in a vain attempt to rescue one of the 13th Hussars who drowned. Trooper Sclanders rescued Tremayne and another Hussar, and the Carbineers, forming a human life line, rescued several more. Sclanders was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal in Silver, and Tremayne the medal in bronze.

However, in the casualty list there is no Hussar dying or drowning on or near 17th January.
However,
In Rangeworthy Military Cemetery, just north of Trichardt's Drift, there is to this day the grave of Private Watson of the 14th Hussars, "drowned on 19th February 1900". However, by 19th Feb the British Army was at Colenso, 25 miles away, and had completely withdrawn from the upper Tugela.
It is tempting to say there was a confusion in dates, and Pte Watson was the Hussar who drowned on 17th January. But if so, why is he not on the casualty list? And why is he a private and not Trooper Watson?
Could anyone resolve this for me, perhaps from the medal roll or from a more comprehensive casualty list.
Where, how, and when did Pte Watson die? If he died at Colenso, why was he re-interred at Rangeworthy?
many thanks
Rob

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Thank-you, Frank
Could you let me know where you obtained this info from?
Springfield is called Winterton today, and is not too far from Rangeworthy, so not hard to see why his grave was moved. many many Natal front graves, on both sides, were colected together in the 1960s - early 1970s.
The explanation as to why his death is recorded as Mooi River [100 km away] could simply be that Mooi River was the administrative capital of the district. The Little Tugela river at Winterton is quite difficult to drown in, as the unfortunate Watson did.
What is very interesting to note is that, even whilst the breakthrough at Tugela heights was already in progress, elements of the Natal Field Force were patrolling 25 miles upstream!
Thanks again, and thanks for letting me know the source.
Rob