TOPIC:

Not great resolution but this is the Naval Gun Shield memorial at 12 Jones Road.

and the Anglo Boer War British Graves site where Frederick's grave is. And the central war memorial with his name inscribed - as T.G. Egerton

Mike,

Many thanks for posting these photos of the Lady Anne Battery monument. Apart from looking rather neglected, little has changed since I visited in 1978.


Plaque inscribed:

"This Naval Gun Shield marks the site of the “LADY ANNE BATTERY” occupied by guns of H.M.S. POWERFUL during the Siege of Ladysmith (November 1899 to February 1900).
It was here that Commander F.G. EGERTON, R.N., after whom this Suburb is named, fell in action on 2nd November, 1899.
Erected in 1959 by the People of Ladysmith to the memory of 33 officers and men of the ROYAL NAVY who died in the defence of the town".


Oddly, I believe the gun shield is mounted upside-down. The photograph of the variant below shows how the angled section was designed to protect the gunners from above.





Lady Anne Battery Memorial, photographed in 1978 (Neville Constantine) and 2023 (Mike Edis)







View of Lady Anne Battery during the siege, photographed by Henry Kisch [ed. probably Wallace Bradley].





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Mike,

Here are your four photographs










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The photo of the Lady Anne Battery by Henry Kisch is very similar to a photo published in the Illustrated London News of April 14th, 1900, in which the man pulling the gun lanyard is identified as Chief Petty Officer Henry Lee of HMS Powerful.



Lee left a hand written diary of the siege which I was able to purchase some years ago and more recently added his medals to my collection. Lee gives a brief account of Egerton's death in the first pages of the diary as follows

29th October 1899. Sunday.

H. M. S. Powerful arrived off Durban ( S. Africa ) from Simons Bay with two 4.7 guns for Ladysmith. We arrived about 8 am being in No. 8. Got a tug with lighters alongside, then shipped into No. 5. Got out guns, stores and ammunition. All hands working hard ( also officers ) to get the gear out. About 3 pm gun crews got ready for landing. Full marching order ( 150 rounds each ). Left the ship about 4 pm, the remainder of the ship’s company cheering us as we left, the bands giving us some old familiar tunes. Landed in Durban, passing the Sumatra with troops aboard. While the guns were being got out we entrained and left Durban about 4.45 pm, destination not known. People cheering us as we left, also for miles up country, some leaving the supper or tea table to come out and give us a cheer, others with some sort of British flag and lanterns. If it was only at a passing station where there was only a porter or ticket collector, he gave us a cheer. And so we went on through the night which we found very cold. And the engine giving us plenty of stokers, we only stopped at one station for 5 minutes where we were supplied with bread and butter and tea ( which was very welcome) then off again until we arrived at Pietermaritzburg something just before 1 am.

30th October 1899. Monday.

Powerful’s Naval Brigade, entrained from Durban, left Pietermaritzburg after a stay of half an hour when we got some mess ????? and camp gear. Arrived at Escourt where we found some naval volunteers who gave us some food and about 6.45 am off we went again. Stopped at Colenso where there was a camp of naval volunteers who gave us some coffee. Some naval volunteers had a small field gun in a fort ( Wyllie) here. Our second train with the small arms companies came up to us here which caught up to us at a Station about 4 am. Off we went again about 7.45, arriving in Ladysmith about 1 bell, having to shunt to another platform. Getting a couple of shells over our train as we pulled up ( as a sort of introduction to Ladysmith) as there was rather a big battle going on which started at 5 am and we could see some of it just before we arrived at the station. We at once got out the 12 pounders and maxims and sent three 12 pounders up into action about 10 am, one of them ( Hemmings ) getting overturned by a shell from Long Tom wounding three of the crew. Wounded: Emly, Nail, Ford. Having B company as escort for the gun, maxims and remainder, got out ammunition and stores. 4.7 crews doing picket duty etc. Niggers got out our 4.7. Battle of Lombard’s Copse finished about 2 pm. Lancers and artillery came into town, the enemy still remaining in their positions which were very strong and entrenched.
Our casualties about 100, enemy not known but supposed to be heavy. Also we lost nearly all the Gloster Regiment, four guns of mountain battery, and some Irish Fusiliers making a total of about 1200 men prisoners, supposed to have been surrounded. Long Tom started again at 4 pm when the 12 pounders silenced him with a few shots, then all silent for the night. We took our gun up to Gordon Hill arriving about 11.30 in camp.


31st October 1899 Tuesday

Opened fire with 12 pounder on the Battery at Pepworth. They soon answered it, putting a few shells into our camp. Some narrow escapes but none injured. Ceased firing as there was an armistice to bury dead and bring in wounded. When it was dark enough, took gun up to Junction Hill and started mounting her, working all night.


1st November 1899. Wednesday.

Party working about the gun all day. Finished mounting her in the evening. Maxims relieved us in the morning. All civilians ordered to leave the town, free passage. A quiet day. Gun crew joined the gun with maxims and made ready to fire.

2nd November 1899. Thursday.

We opened fire on Long Tom about 6am, firing out 36 rounds, making some good shooting. Several Staff Officers were about. The fourth round from Long Tom took off Lieut. Egerton’s right leg at the knee, he being in the redoubt watching the mounting sent here. Sent Lieut. Egerton to hospital and went on with the firing. Lieut. Hodges took charge of the gun after lunch. Now we had warm times as we got 4 or 5 guns blazing at us crossfire. Some railway people brought us up some tea, bread and bully as we had not had a chance of getting anything, which was good of them. Maxims were relieved by two maxim crews. Ladysmith cut off.

3rd November 1899. Friday.

We opened fire about 5am, enemy returning it. Getting about 4 guns on us crossfire, one coming in on the right (12pdr), a narrow escape. The cavalry and artillery doing good work on our flanks, many firing all day. Ladysmith nearly surrounded. Firing quiet as it gets dark. Lieut. Egerton died of his wounds. Lieut. Egerton buried at daylight.

There is another account of Egerton's death in Naval Brigades In The South African War by Surg. T. T. Jeans



In Jeans' book the photo of the Lady Anne posted by Neville is attributed to J. Wallace Bradley, Durban.