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2367 Sergeant James Candy 1st South Lancashire Regiment 24.1.1900
Sergeant J W Robertson Gordon Highlanders
Corporal William Thomas Holden Royal Field Artillery
Corporal T Moore R L Regiment
Trooper J Garsden Wellington District Mounted Troops
3854 Trooper R Keegan 14th Hussars 13.10.1900
Trooper Watson 18th Hussars
1414 Sapper William Bland 23rd Company Royal Engineers 6.1.1900, aged 25 Son of Harry Bland, of Hall Moss Farm, Whitehall, Darwen
7441 Private E Pomfret 1st Volunteer Battalion East Lancashire Regiment
3216 Private J Day 1st East Lancashire Regiment 29.3.1900
2526 Private T Dooley 1st East Lancashire Regiment 29.3.1900
7789 Private J Eccles 3rd East Lancashire Regiment 9.6.1900
9685 Private F C Payne 3rd East Lancashire Regiment 16.7.1900

"THEIRS NOT TO REASON WHY
THEIRS BUT TO DO AND DIE"
. .
Captain A W Huntington D.S.O. Duke of Lancaster's Own Imperial Yeomanry
Captain E L Carus 1st Volunteer Battalion East Lancashire Regiment
Captain F Howard 1st Volunteer Battalion East Lancashire Regiment
Sergeant Instructor P Adams
Sergeant A Fraser
Sergeant J Hewitt
Sergeant T Peake
Corporal D Almond
Corporal W Fish
Lance Corporal J Gregory
Lance Corporal W Turbut
Bugler A Farren
Bugler J Croft
Private W Aspden
Private G F Ainsworth
Private A Babbington
Private G Bentley
Private G Birnie
Private D Brown
Private J Chamberlain
Private H Cowell
Private T Crook
Private E Edge
Private R Entwistle
Private A Farren
Private D Foulkes
Private T Fowler
Private T Hall
Private T Hewitt
Private F Naylor
Private R Paul 1st East Lancashire Regiment
Private J Plant
Private T Procter
Private W H Roscoe
Private J T Shipstone
Private J Smith
Private R Southworth
Private G Tomlinson
Private R Torrence
Private J Turner Imperial Yeomanry
Private J Wakefield
Private E E Whewell
Private H Whittle
Private W Whittle
Private W Wild
Private W Williams

St. John Ambulance Corps
W Crook
W T Duxbury
T H Stone

"HONOUR THE BRAVE"
Robert Paul's brother, Gunner John Paul, 76th Battery Royal Artillery, served as a Regular.

....In the great fight at Ladysmith on the 6th inst. there was among the killed Sapper W. Bland. This young soldier was the eldest son of Mr. Harry Bland, of Hall Moss Farm, Whitehall, Darwen. Concerning his death the following official intimation from the War Office reached the bereaved parents on Wednesday evening :- "R.E. Record Office, 23rd January, 1900. Sir, - It is with deep regret that I have to inform you that a telegram has been received stating that your son, 1,414 Sapper W. Bland, 23rd Company R. Engineers, was killed at Ladysmith on the 6th inst. - Yours, obediently H.G. Harvey."
....William Bland was 25 years of age, and was brought up at Culvert School. He joined the colours in November, 1897, and went out to South Africa in June. The deceased soldier's last letter home was received by his parents in October last. The following were some of its contents : - "We have commenced the war, and are fighting for all our worth. At Dundee yesterday we had a terrible fight. We captured some of the Boer guns and put the rest out of action in less than 15 minutes. To-day we commenced at ten o'clock, and the artillery, cavalry, and infantry are fighting. They are fairly slaughtering the Boers. If they don't mind they will have no men left when we get into the Transvaal."
The Darwen News, 27th January 1900


The Blackburn Times, in reporting his death, headlined it as "A Blackburn man killed at Ladysmith." It would seem that William and his wife resided in William Henry Street, Blackburn.
....DEATH OF A SOLDIER.—Mr. T. Holden, of Cotton Hall-street, Darwen, has received intimation of the demise of his son, William Thomas Holden, 65th Battery Royal Field Artillery, who died of enteric fever at Bloemfontein on June 9th. Corporal Holden was 28 years of age, and was unmarried. He had been in the army almost eight years, and had served five years in India.
The Blackburn Times, Saturday 16th June 1900

Another remarkable monument, Berenice. Thank you for showing it.

Sapper Bland was one of seven Royal Engineers killed in the Battle of Wagon Hill on 6/1/1900. These men were in a desperate hand-to-hand fight with the Boers at Wagon Point. Their senior officer, Lt R J T Digby Jones was amongst those killed, and he was later awarded the VC. Digby Jones is buried in the Ladysmith Cemetery, while Sapper Bland's grave is on Wagon Hill.

Regards
Brett