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In Parkside Cemetery, Kendal, Westmorland.





It is only about three months since Private William Bindloss, of the 2nd V.B. Border Regiment, returned from South Africa with the remainder of the Active Service Company, and when the company had landed in Kendal on April 30th it was common remark that he certainly had not lost weight or smartness of appearance in consequence of the hardships which he had had to undergo along with his comrades. He looked extremely fit and well and a "lease of his life" might have been taken. A few days ago, however, his health broke down and he suffered severely from an internal complaint. On Sunday he was removed to the Memorial Hospital for the purpose of an operation, but he succumbed there the same evening. The news of his death was received with general regret. The deceased volunteer, who was only 27 years of age, was highly respected. He joined the Westmorland Battalion in 1892, and when the call to arms was made in the early part of last year, was among the first of the local volunteers to offer his services, and he proceeded to Carlisle, embarking from England for the Cape on March 5th of last year. He was a smart young soldier, and a good comrade. The funeral took place on Wednesday, and was of an imposing character, the volunteers taking part in it. They met at the Drill Hall at two o'clock, and mustered in good force, there being in addition to Captain Illingworth, Lieutenant Cartmel, and Sergeant-Major Esler, and 40 rank and file, a number of the returned active service company, a firing party of 14, and 23 members of the band under Bandmaster V. S. Smith. They marched through Abbot Hall and up Gillingate to the Memorial Hospital, where they were joined by Major Thompson who had command of the Active Service Company, and the relatives and friends of the deceased. The coffin, which was covered by a Union Jack, and a number of handsome wreaths, was borne from the hospital to the Parish Church gates by returning Active Service Volunteers, nearly all of whom wore the pretty ribbon indicating their connection with the war on the breast of their tunics. As the procession came down Gillingate, the band playing Chopin's funeral march, the sight was an impressive one, and the large crowd which had assembled on the route was much affected. The firing party marched with arms reversed as is customary on such occasions. At the Parish Church gates the Active Service men were relieved of the coffin which was carried into the church by his fellow workmen. The preliminary part of the burial service was read in the church by the Rev. A. M. Moss and afterwards the coffin was borne to the cemetery by the Active Service men, and from the cemetery gates to the grave side by his fellow workmen. The scene in the cemetery was a memorable one. The grave was surrounded by hundreds of people, and the solemnity of the service was thoroughly observed. At the conclusion the firing party fired three volleys, and "the camps" on the kettledrum added to the impressiveness of the occasion. In returning to the Town Hall, where they were dismissed, the firing party carried their rifles at the shoulder with fixed bayonets, and the band played "The Old Brigade," "The British Grenadiers," and "Red White and Blue," and in front of the Town Hall a verse of the National Anthem.
(Westmorland Gazette, 20 July 1901)

The memorial plaque in Kendal Parish Church only names those men who lost their lives in the South African War. William Bindloss doesn't seem to be named on any ABW memorials.

From the newspaper report and a similar one carried in the Lancashire Evening Post (18-07-1901) there was no connection between his cause of death and service in SA. Of course, we do not know the cause of death. However, he was not considered a fatality of the ABW at the time which is why he is not on any memorials.

A good spot, thanks Berenice.

No, his death doesn't seem to have a connection to his service in South Africa, but it struck me that he died at home of natural causes while the war was still in progress. His is the first such death I've come across, although I'm sure that there were others.

William Christopher Bindloss was my Great Great Uncle. William died three months after returning from the Boer war from a gastro-enteritis complaint related to drinking dirty water in South Africa.

Below is a single unedited extract from his diary written during his time in the Boer War.
26th November 1900

Off again, marched 15 miles, the Boer sniping us all the way, we camped for the night and set off by daybreak. We had only gone a mile when the Boers opened fire from a range of Kopyies. We formed up for attack the artillery shelling the hills with lyddite the fire slackened so the cavalry charged the hill but had to retire the fire being too heavy for them. The bullets came like rain you could see them throw up the dust as they stuck the ground. The guns then played shrapnel and the Lancashires advanced in extended order. The howitzer guns firing all the time shifting tons of rock and earth, it continued 4½ hours the Boers retiring. The heat was awful and we had no water, we continued our march going 12 miles and camped in sight of a village called Lookoff, there was no water we were nearly dried up. I went 3 miles to a house in search of water but only got what I could squeeze out of a pint of sludge through a pocket handkerchief. A Boer lay dead inside riddled with shrapnel how he got there I don’t know as it was 9 miles off where the skirmish took place. We sent into the town to ask them to surrender or we would shell the place.

A superb image, yes, sadly, just a mouthful of water, was so often all it took, life would doubtless have seemed so more easier being a joiner in Kendal, but, these were patriotic men who did not think twice about volunteering for actual service in South Africa, he may well have felt as though he would let the "side" down if he had not done so on the 16th of January 1900.

Boleyn
Diaries like that of your Uncle William are a great source of information about the life of soldiers on service in South Africa. Thank you for sharing one extract. I hope that there will be more.
Regards
Brett