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At St Paul's Church, Morton, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.



The news of the death of Lieut. Cyril Danks came to the people of Gainsburgh and Morton yesterday as a great shock, for although it was known that he was ill nigh unto death everybody hoped and trusted that the gallant young gentleman would make a satisfactory recovery, and long live an ornament to his noble profession.

Lieut. Danks was the only son of the Vicar of Morton, and was present with the Manchester Regiment at the battle of Elandslaagte, and was severely wounded on the head by a bullet after the Boers had hoisted a white flag. He lay in hospital for several weeks and was then invalided home. Everybody will remember with painful feelings now the enthusiastic welcome he received not only at the railway station, but as he proceeded through the town to his home, with his father seated, smiling happily beside him. Then at a subsequent reception held in his honour he was presented with an address of welcome. It is almost maddening to think that this bright young life should have been closed through the treachery of a barbarous peasant, whom Mr Stead delights to call brothers.

For some short time Lieut. Danks remained at home, and appeared to be progressing favourably towards recovery, so much so in fact, that he was able to take up duty at Aldershot. His arrival at the military camp, however, was soon followed by a relapse, and he became seriously ill. Although the very best medical advice was obtained, it was useless, and he died, from what can be learned, on Wednesday evening or yesterday morning. The funeral is announced to take place on Monday, but no definite arrangements have yet been made.

Retford, Worksop, Isle of Axholme, and Gainsburgh News, Friday 1st June 1900


The death of Lieut. Cyril German Danks, of the 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment, took place at the Cambridge Hospital on Thursday night. The deceased young officer, who was only 26 years of age and was the son of the Rev. M. Danks, of Gainsborough, was wounded at Spion Kop, and came with the last convoy of wounded to Aldershot. The case was hopeless from the first.

South Wales Daily News, Saturday 2nd June 1900


On Monday the body of Lieut. Cyril Danks, of the Manchester Regiment, was brought to Morton (Gainsburgh), from Aldershot, and was interred with full military honours. Lieut. Danks, who was the son of the Rev. G. W. Danks, Vicar of Morton, was wounded in the head at the battle of Elandslaagte, after the white flag had been hoisted by the Boers, and while he was giving the order to "cease fire." He lay all night on the field of battle, and afterwards was removed to the hospital at Pietermaritzburg, where he remained until January 11th. The authorities there deemed the wound a slight one, although it never healed, and Sir Wm. McCormack, who examined the wound during the period, concurred. Mr. Treeves, who visited the hospital on the 3rd of January, immediately performed an operation, removing a decaying piece of bone which was affecting the brain. This for a time enabled the wound to heal, but fatal mischief had been caused by the long delay. Lieut. Danks returned to England on the 3rd of March. He was publicly presented at a reception in the Gainsburgh Town Hall with an illuminated testimonial, and was afterwards pronounced fit for duty by a medical board at the War Office. He subsequently received orders to join his regiment, and did so at Aldershot, on the 17th April. A fortnight's hard work as adjutant was sufficient to light up the mischief in his brain, and after a month's illness he died of meningitis on Thursday, May 21st, at the early age of 24. At Aldershot the body was escorted to the station by Colonel Gethin and a detachment of the Manchester Regiment. Colonel Gethin offered a military funeral at Aldershot, but for obvious reasons the request was declined. The body was received at the Great Northern station, at Gainsburgh, by the local Volunteers, under the command of Captain Kelsey, with band and firing party, who formed the escort to Morton, "Beethoven's Funeral March," and the "Dead March," from "Saul" were played on entering Morton. The coffin, draped with the Union Jack, bore the deceased officer's helmet with the bullet hole through it, and his sword, in addition to wreaths forwarded by immediate relatives. The chief mourners were (Rev. G. W. Danks and Mrs Danks, Miss Holden, Mr. A. F. MacCallan, F.R.C.S., Mr. C. R. Bradbourne and Mr. A. E. Hirst). The service was conducted by Archdeacon Danks (uncle), and the Rev. Canon Moor. After the funeral cortege had passed through probably the greatest crowd that has ever assembled at Morton, the firing party were drawn up on either side of the pathway leading to the church. The coffin, borne by non-commissioned officers of the Volunteers, and preceded by Archdeacon Danks and the Revs. Canon Moor, J E Havard, R G Fookes (Lea), J Gurnhill (East Stockwith), F W Keene (Misson), and the choir, was then taken into the church. Here the grandly solemn Burial Service was most impressively read by the Rev. Canon Moor, and on leaving the church, the hymn "Fight the good fight" was sung. The mournfulness of the scene by the side of the moss-lined grave will not easily be erased from the memories of those who beheld it. Sad beyond tears were some of the incidents. The death-like hush which pervaded that vast crowd when the solemn strains of the music ceased and the mournful roll of the muffled drums was no longer heard, was in itself affecting, but other incidents there were of which no word shall be spoken now, that drew from hundreds upon hundreds of people choking sobs of sympathy and grief. At the graveside the remaining portion of the service was read by Archdeacon Danks with the pathos that only one similarly situated to himself could infuse into the solemn passages. After the pronunciation of the Benediction, the mourners gazed for the last time upon the casket which held the remains of one who had been so dear to them. The firing party of twenty-four under the command of Lieut. Hugh Marshall then took up position at the side of the grave, and the customary three volleys were fired, the band, with drums rolling, meanwhile playing the opening bars of the National Anthem. The march played by the band on leaving the churchyard was one dedicated to our fallen heroes - a co-mingling of "Let me like a soldier fall," and "The vacant chair." Amongst those present were Mr J D Sanders, J.P., Mr R C Bacon, Mr Gleadell, Mr A Iveson, Mr Henson, Mr P A Gamble, Mr J Woods, Rev. J R Elliott, Mr F M Burton and Mrs Burton, Mr D Swanston, and others. Flowers were received from the Father and Mother, Miss Holden, Mrs and Miss McCallan, Mrs Hurst, Mr and Mrs A E Hurst, Mrs and the Misses Holden, Capt. and Mrs Bremner, Mr and Mrs Wentworth Keene, Mr and Mrs Talbot Baines, his brother officers of the 3rd and 4th Batt. Manchester Regiment, his brother officers of the 5th Batt. Manchester Regiment, Staff Sergeants and Sergeants of the 6th Batt. Manchester Regiment, Staff Sergeants and Sergeants of the 5th Batt. Manchester Regiment, Warrant Officers and Sergeants of the 3rd and 4th Batt. Manchester Regiment, the Nursing Sisters of Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot; Sir H B Bacon Bart., Mr and Mrs F M Burton, Mr and Mrs Pearson, Rev. F W and Mrs. Keene, Captain and Mrs. G Barton Smith, Mr. S Kelsey, Captain T. Kelsey, Mr. James Marshall, Rev. R H and Mrs Howard, Mrs Robbs and Mr Percy Robbs, Mr Walter Robbs, Mr and Mrs A Iveson, Miss Rimes, Mr J Hugh Marshall, Mr and Mrs Jumps, Mr and Mrs G H Copley, Mr T Layne and family, Mr and Mrs Hy D Marshall, Mrs R B Talbot, Miss M H Holmes, Mr and Mrs Passmore, Mr and Miss Gleadell, Mr and Mrs Henson, Mr and Mrs P A Gamble, Dr. and Mrs H Still-Thomson, Lay Church Workers of Morton, the Servants at 13 Victoria Park, Dover, and others. After the ceremony some hundreds of people were admitted to the Churchyard by groups to take a last look at the coffin, which bore the inscription: -

During the day the flags at the Britannia Works, public buildings, the Clubs and other places, floated half-mast high, and the Liberal Club was closed while the body was being conveyed to Morton, and during the funeral ceremony.

The body of Lieut. Danks was escorted to the Aldershot station by the band of 3rd Manchester Regiment, with a firing party of 50 rank and file. The coffin was borne on a gun carriage to the station. Many officers of the Manchester battalions at Aldershot attended.

Retford, Worksop, Isle of Axholme, and Gainsburgh News, Friday 8th June 1900

The Rev. G. W. Danks (vicar of Morton, Gainsborough), whose son, Lieut. Cyril Danks, died at Aldershot from wounds received at Elandslaagte, made some strong remarks with reference to the War Office at a parochial gathering on Wednesday night. He said he hoped the lessons of the war in South Africa would not be forgotten, and that there would be a reform that would not allow such an amount of disease to again occur and the lives of men and officers to be uselessly thrown away. A statesman had said that the attacks on the War Office were nebulous and fictitious. He knew to the contrary. He knew things concerning the War Office enough to make their blood boil with indignation to think that such a body should show the fatuous folly they had done.

Sunderland Daily Echo, Friday 30th November 1900

A fantastic post, Berenice. Many thanks.

From the ILN 11 November 1899

Hello Berenice,
Many thanks for the post and the superb photography, the plaque is another magnificent example of it's type and this is the first time I have seen this particular one.
Cyril Danks had been commissioned into the Manchester Regiment on the 15th of May 1897 and subsequently promoted with under a years regimental service on the 13th of April 1898, he was absolutely typical of the consummate professional officer and had, potentially, a promising future.
If the contemporary reports are correct, then loosing his life under those circumstances was very unfortunate, but, it was certainly not unique and happened upon a number of occasions during the war.
Any bitterness felt by his father is perfectly understandable and would have been echoed by a great many others, both at the time and subsequently.
Regards Frank

Elandslaagte Military Cemetery Memorial, South Africa