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The third of the three ABW memorials that are in St Catherine's Church, Pontypridd, Glamorgan. Unveiled not far off 6 years after his death.

Under the notice of the War Office, a copy of which is placed outside the Pontypridd Police-station, Police-constable Bowen, Treorky, and Police-constable Ryan, of Ferndale, an ex-corporal in the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, will have to join their regiments for active service in South Africa. Police-constable Walkley, of Pontypridd, formerly sergeant in the Royal Wilshire Regiment, and Police-constable Garrett, of Tonypandy, corporal in the 8th Hussars, are also Reserves, but, as their regiments have not been ordered out, they are not at present affected.
Evening Express, Monday 9th October 1899

A farewell meeting was held at the Pontypridd police Station on Wednesday evening in honour of their comrade P.C. Walkley, who has been called out to the was as a Reservist of the Wiltshire Regiment. A jolly evening was spent, and the police, through their popular Sergeant Rees, presented their soldier comrade with a silver-mounted pipe, a handsome tobacco pouch, and a plentiful supply of "weed." The final farewell scene was witnessed at the Railway Station this morning, when soldier Walkley left to join his regiment amidst the good wishes of the large number who went to see him off.
Glamorgan Free Press, Saturday 9th December 1899

Sergeant E. Walkley, 2nd Battalion Wilts Regiment, whose name appears among the list of killed at Rensburg, came home on reserve some six years ago and joined the Glamorgan Constabulary stationed at Pontypridd. Sergeant Walkley left the service as lance-corporal, and on rejoining the colours he was promoted to sergeant.
South Wales Daily News, Saturday 24th February 1900

. Mrs Potter, of 66 Graig-terrace, Pontypridd, has just received a letter from her husband, Private Potter, D Company 2nd Wiltshire Regiment, who was reported to be missing after the engagement in Rensburg in February, in which he states that he is a prisoner at Pretoria. Potter, who was employed as a timberman at the Hafod Colliery, left Pontypridd on the 9th of December, and on the 28th of January his wife received a letter from him from Cape Town. The next news she had of him was that he was reported missing, and in his letter Potter states that 91 of the regiment were taken prisoners, 25 killed, and 41 wounded. P.C. Walkley, Pontypridd, who was drill instructor of the local division, was numbered among the killed, and referring to him Potter says: - "P.C. Walkley was either killed or wounded - I don't know which, but I saw him fall close to me." Needless to say, Mrs Potter was delighted to hear from her husband and to learn that he was alive, though a prisoner.
South Wales Daily News, Friday 11th May 1900


Colonel Lindsay unveiled a tablet in the Parish Church, Pontypridd, on Sunday, in memory of Edward Walkley, formerly a member of the Pontypridd Division of the Glamorgan Constabulary and a reservist in the 2nd Wiltshire Regiment, who was called to the front during the South African campaign and killed in his first engagement at Rensburg. The service was attended by Mr. T. B. Evans, J.P., chairman of the Pontypridd District Council, and members of that body; the local detachment of the 3rd V.B. Welsh Regiment, under the command of Major Davies and Lieutenant-surgeon Morgan; and the fire brigade (Captain Brooks) and a posse of police directed by Superintendent Cole and Inspector Salter. The band of the detachment and the bugle band of the St. Matthew's Boys' Brigade headed a procession to the church. The Rev. J. P. Griffiths preached the sermon.
Weekly Mail, Saturday 23rd December 1905

Great pictures and information, Berenice, Many thanks.

QSA TO 2160 SERGEANT EDWARD WALKLEY

My final acquisition of 2022 was the Queen's South Africa medal with the single clasp CAPE COLONY to Sergeant Edward Walkley.

I am pleased to be able to add a little more to Berenice's excellent thread which has excellent photographs of a very nice memorial.

Edward Walkley was born in 1864 in the Wiltshire town of Chippenham. He was baptized on December 12th 1870 in Chippenham.
Edward's father Israel Walkley was a Cloth Dresser by profession, his mother's name was Mary Ann.

The census of1871 finds the family living at Common Slip, Chippenham, Wiltshire. Father's name is given as Fred for some reason! He was aged 26 and mother Mary Ann 33 years old. Edward was now 6 years old and had younger siblings Theophilus (3) and Annie E (0).

Census 1881 shows the Walkley family has moved to Blind Lane, Chippenham. Father's Christian name now back to Israel!
Their brood now includes Florence K (8), Matilda C (5) and William (2).
Edward was now 17 years of age and plying his skills as a Baker.

The prospect of life as a Baker obviously did not fulfill the young Edward's desire for excitement, so at some point he attested to the Wiltshire Regiment. Unfortunately, as often the case with soldier's who have died in service, no attestation documents are extant, so any information recorded thereon is no longer available to us.

I do not know how many years of service he completed before being on reserve having attained the rank of Corporal with the Wiltshire Regiment.
What we do know is that following his temporary departure from the colours, he most likely responded to a recruitment drive for the police force. An applicant who had held rank in the army would have been highly favoured. Maybe they specifically requested men to relocate to South Wales.
Whatever the case, Edward Walkley ended up on the beat in Ponty, very much a tough working class district back in the day.

Berenice has provided newspaper reports above of the recall to the colours and also eyewitness accounts of Edward's demise on the field of battle at Rensburg.

A very brief description of the action in which he died , would say that the Boers attacked the district around Rensburg in great force. On February 12th 1900 2 men were killed in action, 1 officer and 11 men wounded. This is the same date as the Worcestershire Regiment suffered greatly at Slingersfontein close by.

However, it was on February 14th that the Wiltshire's suffered a disastrous engagement at Rensburg with 12 men killed in action, 45 wounded (of which 2 were later to succumb to their wounds and over 100 men taken prisoner.

WILTSHIRE REGIMENT ROLL OF HONOUR FOR RENSBURG 14/02/1900.

KILLED IN ACTION
5211 PRIVATE H.A. BIRD
1744 COLOUR SERGEANT H. HERRINGTON
2160 SERGEANT E. WALKLEY
4521 DRUMMER F. ANDREWS
5059 LANCE CORPORAL F. COOMBES
1694 PRIVATE F. SWINDEN
4419 PRIVATE H. J. A. LEAVER
2537 PRIVATE A. PRESSLEY
5068 PRIVATE F. W. TALBOT
4716 PRIVATE C. J. H. WALSH
3013 PRIVATE C. JOHNSON
2793 LANCE CORPORAL T. CHAPMAN

WOUNDED 14/02/1900
MAJOR F. R. MCMULLEN (DIED 15/02/1900)
4268 PRIVATE O. J. JARVIS (DIED 15/02/1900)

The Birmingham Daily Post, dated Friday, February 23rd, 1900, carried the following report:

"HEAVY LOSSES AT RENSBURG
The War Office has received from the General Commanding the lines of communication at the Cape, under date February 21st, a list of casualties which occurred at Rensburg on the 15th February. The 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment lost 11 killed, 2 wounded (1 of the Bedfordshire Regiment), 45 prisoners and 102 missing. The 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment lost 1 wounded. The 2nd Worcestershire Regiment lost 2 killed and 2 wounded ( who are prisoners) together with 14 missing. The 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles lost 1 missing.
The despatch as follows: " From General of Communications Cape to Secretary for War.
CAPETOWN, February 21:-list of casualties Rensburg, February 15th:-
2ND BATTALION WILTSHIRE REGIMENT.
KILLED.
Colour -sergeant H. Herrington
Sergeant Walkley
Lance Corporal F. Chapman
Lance Corporal G. Coombs
Drummer F. Andrews
Private C. Johnson
Private H. J. Leavet
Private D. T. Pressley
Private F. Swinden
Private F. W. Talbot
Private C. J. Walsh
DIED OF WOUNDS
Major P. R. Macmillan."


Queen's South Africa medal with single clasp CAPE COLONY awarded posthumously to 2160 Sergeant Edward Walkley.








St. Catherine's Church, Pontypridd



Police Constable Edward Walkley must have been held in very high esteem by his comrades in the local police community in Ponty. This memorial is a fine example of a Boer war memorial and must have cost a tidy penny when commissioned in 1904/06.
I visited the site on 30th December 2022 hoping to view and photograph all three of the Boer War memorials in St. Catherine's. Much to my disappointment the church was locked, so I am glad that I have found Berenice's thread dedicated to Edward furnished with photographs and more research.

Edward Walkley is also remembered on the plaque inside Salisbury Cathedral commemorating the men of the Wiltshire Regiment who fell during the Anglo Boer War.


Memorial plaque to men of the Wiltshire Regiment inscribed with 134 names
(Image downloaded from IWM webpage for research purposes only)

Location:
Salisbury Cathedral,
North Walk,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire,
SP1 2EG,
England.

Ordnance Survey Grid Reference: SU14287 29544

A very interesting post. Many thanks, Steve.

Colesberg Military Cemetery