Lt John Cecil Hylton-Jolliffe, 3 (West Norfolk Militia) Bn, Norfolk Regt, attached Norfolk Coy, 7 Mounted Infantry Bn, South Africa, 1899 -1900
“When darkness was in and our troops commenced to retire I heard a groan and went forth and found a wounded officer [Jolliffe] of the Norfolk regiment. I saw in the dark he was badly wounded . I gave him some water and asked the poor fellow if there weas anything I could do for him. “Oh,” he said, “if you will.” I set about his wounds at once as best I could in the dark, after putting my helmet down for his pillow. I found he had six bullet holes in his legs, so I took off his putties and bandaged them up, scooped out a hollow in the ground for his hip, and did all I possibly could then asked him if I could do any more. “You are kind.” he said, “I shall never be able to repay you for your kindness.” He asked my name and regiment, and begged me not to leave him. I promised him I would remain with him and do all I could. I asked him if I could carry him, as I could not see any stretchers and the troops had all gone back. “I don’t think I can bear the pain” he said but anyhow I tried and carried him a few paces when the Boers opened fire on me in the moonlight, having seen me against the skyline. I quickly put him on the ground and lay with him. He asked me to get him a blanket, but I could not, the nearest being about two miles away, so I took off my coat and put it around his stomach he being in great pain, and the night was a bitterly cold one for me in shirt sleeves and especially for him, who had lost a great quantity of blood. Poor fellow, I felt sorry for him and that I could not do any more. He said, “I think I shall die. I wish you would shoot me to put me out of the pain.” I cheered him on as well as I could, hoping the ambulance would come, but not so. He asked me a second time to shoot him or give him his rifle and he would do so. After a little while, he put his arm around my back, and cried like a child, saying, “Oh, you are kind”, and we remained together like that until about one o’clock on Monday morning, when he died in my arms.”
Sgt Charles Glasson George, DCLI. Extract from a letter home to Mylor, Cornwall, 24 February 1900 and published in an unknown but probably Cornish newspaper, 22 March 1900. (DCLI Regimental Museum, The Keep, Bodmin, Cornwall)
Hylton-Jolliffe joined 3 Bn, Norfolk Regiment in 1898. The following year he volunteered for service in South Africa. He was attached as a galloper (mounted messenger) to Norfolk Coy, 7 Mounted Infantry Bn (formerly H Coy, 2 Bn), an ideal job for a man with barely any time with the regiment but who was familiar with the local conditions, having been recently in Matabeleland. The Battle of Paarderberg began on Sunday 18 February 1900. “Bloody Sunday”, a bad day for the British, has its own entry in Wikipedia. Jolliffe was wounded on the Sunday and died in the early hours of Monday morning. Hylton-Jolliffe was mentioned in the despatch of Field Marshal Earl Roberts, 28 February 1900, from Paardeberg, London Gazette, 8 February 1901. QSA with Relief of Kimberley and Paarderberg clasps, although he (and other 7 MI men) initially received the Cape Colony clasp instead of R of K. I cannot confirm he received the latter in return for the former as requested.
Catalogued but not online image. If he is in uniform it was taken in1898 or early 1899. Platinum print 14.4 x 10.1 cm (image) , RCIN 2502181.
www.rct.uk/collection/2502181/lieutenant...iment-died-of-wounds
Paardeberg Memorial - Vendusie Drift Garden of Remembrance (
www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memor...an-war/vendusiedrift
)
7 MI Officers’ Memorial, Cathedral of St. Andrew & St. Michael, Bloemfontein (
www.graves-at-eggsa.org/main.php?g2_itemId=4872112
)
Wall plaque, west tower, St Peter's, Petersfield, Hants. (
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/21157
)
Boer War Memorial, Lupton Chapel, Eton College. (
www.angloboerwar.com/forum/17-memorials-...-chapel-eton?start=6
)
Norfolk Boer war Memorial, Norwich. (
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/names/search?fi...0214%29%5D=on&page=9
)
Hylton-Jolliffe (with a dodgy initial) is on the Norfolk Roll of Honour (
www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/NorwichNorfolkBoerWar.html
)
