TOPIC:

The memorial is in St David's Church, Morriston, Swansea, and the photos were very kindly taken by Canon Hugh Lervy, vicar of St David's.

Tom Hanney had the unfortunate experience of being invalided home suffering from enteric fever, volunteering to go to South Africa a second time, and then dying from disease; fortunately for us, he was interviewed after his return home. His brother, Ernest, was also a sapper, in the 23rd Company, and was in Ladysmith while it was under siege.

The memorial is of brass with a black marble surround.


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....Sapper R. T. Hanney, of the R.E., writing to his parents at Morriston., from Chieveley Camp, on February 21st, 1900, says:—"We are working around to the right of Colenso now, and we are steadily driving the Boers back. We are nearer Ladysmith now than we have ever been before, and I hope we will be in there by Sunday. We have captured two Boer camps and a lot of ammunition, horses, saddles, etc., and our casualties are slight. A Boer train came up by the other side of the river yesterday, and our naval guns and howitzers had a regular lively five minutes at it and smashed it. I believe the war is almost over now, and I shan't be sorry. I have just heard that the Boers are going away as fast as thev can. I can tell you, it is about time, as they have been living on horses and mules for some time—I mean Ladysmith."
The South Wales Daily Post, Wednesday 21st March 1900


The following two letters appeared together, and I'm guessing that the second one was sent by Tom Hanney.

....Sapper E. J. Hanney, of Morriston, who was one of the besieged garrison at Ladysmith, writes as follows to the editor of the "Daily Post":—"If you have room in your valuable paper, I ask you to publish my letter contradicting a statement made by one of the 1st Royal Dragoons concerning the convoy sent into the besieged garrison of Ladysmith, during the battle of Spion Kop. There is not the least doubt that there was a convoy waiting the opportunity, but owing to the positions of the Boers being so strong it was a case of retiring. There was a flying column told off of our garrison to help to get the convoy through, of which I was one, and the besieged troops would have been only too glad to assist the relieving column in getting it in. for then we would not have been in the starving condition which is known throughout the world. You will find my statement correct. I would also like to refer to another matter. All the papers that have reached South Africa mention the list of troops who held the beleaguered town, but they except the (23rd Company) Royal Engineers, who played, worked, and fought well throughout the siege, especially at Wagon Hill, where they were the first to be fired on. When attacked, there was only a small party of infantry with the Engineers, and they kept the Boers at bay until reinforcements came. This occurred on the 6th of Jan. The Ladysmith garrison have done their full share of the work of this war. The food served us the last two months was awful; the Boers tried to force some of their Long-Tom shells into us. but they were rather too hard. When General Buller's men came into the town it was a great weight lifted off the men's minds; they will never see a happier day. We lined the streets while they marched through. I was looking for my brother, and when I found him we had a few jolly days together. The relieving troops looked in the best of health, but some wanted new clothes, which have now been supplied." ....Mrs. C. Hanney, of Bath-road, Morriston, has received a letter from her son, who, writing from River Camp on the 11th of April, says: "Just after parade yesterday morning we were rather startled to hear the boom of a gun and a shell screaming over our heads. The Boers had started. We were ordered back into our tents again to pack up, and in a few minutes we went out again and marched out clear of the camp and laid down behind the ant hills. We only moved in time, too, for our naval men were right in line between us with their guns. Of course, the tars were soon in action, and the shells were dropping among us pretty thick. It was soon slackened down, when the sailors made it warm for the Boers, but not before two sailors and a mule had been killed. We arrived at River Camp about two o'clock in the morning, and we had to lie down with only our waterproof sheets in a place covered with stones. They were too firm in the ground to move them, so I laid down and had a nice corner sticking in my ribs for the rest of the night. We had to make a road the first thing next morning. I must close, as the last candle is nearly burnt out.
The South Wales Daily Post, Tuesday 22nd May 1900


....On Monday evening, Sapper R. T. Hanney, of the Royal Engineers, returned to his home at Morriston. He was invalided home suffering from enteric fever, after marching with Buller as far as Ladysmith, and taking part in many engagements. He travelled by the G.W.R. as far as Landore, where he was joyfully met by his parents and other relations, and conveyed in a wagonette as far as the Duke Inn, Morriston. There, however, the conveyance was stopped, the horse taken out and replaced by several young men, who drew it to his home. By some means or other the news of his homecoming spread like wildfire, and the streets were packed with people, wishing to see their fellow townsman, who had done so well out at the front. Bunting made itself prominent, as also did coloured lights carried by the youngsters, who, a couple of hundred strong, preceded the "happy family," singing various patriotic songs. The cheering as Tom passed through Woodfield-street was deafening. Although done up by travelling, and sunburnt, he certainly did not look as suffering from fever, and assured inquiries regarding his health that he was "All right." Hundreds surrounded his home, but in a neat little speech he said that he was sorry that he could not see them that night, as he wished to get some rest after his long ride. "Post" readers will remember having read several interesting letters from Sapper Hanney when he was fighting under Buller, which abounded in information. He leaves a brother, Ernest Hanney, at the front, serving under the 23rd Royal Engineers, who was locked up in Ladysmith, and who also suffered for a while from enteric fever, but now is in excellent health.
The South Wales Daily Post, Wednesday 15th August 1900


. ....Those who had the privilege of reading the concise and informing letters which have from time to time appeared in the "Daily Post" above the signature of Mr. R. T. Hanney, sapper in the Royal Engineers, whose home is at No. 1, Bath-road, Morriston, will be pleased to hear that he is now quite recovered from the attack of enteric, which cause him to be invalided home. A representative of the "Post" had an interview with Mr. Hanney on Friday morning. Hanney is fine, tall, broad-shouldered, physically; mentally, too, he is of correspondingly superior stature. Hanney has been through all the campaign around Ladysmith - Colenso, Spion Kop, Pieter's Hill, Elandslaggte, and he was with the troops who drove the Boers off Biggarsberg. Thus he has many a story to tell; but his first thought on being interrogated by a reporter, was of his brother Ernest, one of the besieged in Ladysmith. Ernest is still at Majuba Hill, assisting in guarding the line of communication to the Transvaal.
...."As we marched into Ladysmith," Hanney told our man, "I was looking for him on the left, when I heard some one shouting, 'Hullo, Tom!' There was no discipline then, you know; he threw down his rifle, and so did I!"
...."How did your brother look?"
...."He was awful thin, and he had a beard. We all had beards; I had a beard myself. We had no time to shave ourselves, though every man is supplied with a razor for the purpose. We had been working at putting down bridges and building gun pits, but at Spion Kop half of our company were in the night attack. It was about half-past three in the morning; one of our officers heard a sentinel's challenge, and though because it was in Dutch he did not understand the words, yet he knew what it meant. In response to the challenge, 'Halt! who goes there?' one of Thorneycroft's men replied, 'Waterloo,' and bayonetted the sentry. Then the Boers opened fire. We had, one a pick, and the other a shovel, on our shoulders. Some one ordered us to lie down and unstrap our rifles. Then we had to turn out and fix bayonets. The order was given to charge. We charged, and, of course, the Boers ran away. After that we were set to build trenches and a wall, which we did as well as we could, but we didn't have the materials. We were also employed in making a road up the mountain, but the Boers came back; it was a stiff time, and we had to retire.
...."Another occasion on which I had to fight was at Colenso. Our orders were to make a pontoon raft to take Maxim guns across, but before we could complete it we had further orders to retire. We had been marching, and the troops were pretty well done up. That was our christening!"
...."Baptism of fire?" corrected the pressman. "And you felt —"
...."It's difficult to tell the feeling you have when first under fire. It isn't exactly fear, and it only lasts for a few minutes, and all through you've got a feeling you want to go on and advance. You don't want to turn round and run away. You would see our men advancing into the firing line, smoking and chatting. That's how they were at Surprise Hill, where they blew up some Boer guns. At Elandslaagte we were employed repairing bridges that the Boers had blown up.
...."Buller? He's a fine general; you won't hear any one who has been serving under him saying anything against Buller! No general had the difficulties he had. Boers? Yes, I talked with some Boer prisoners we took at Pieter's Hill, and they were very decent men. They told us the yarns they had heard about the English, among others, that Lord Roberts had been taken prisoner, and that the Russians had invaded England! These Boers showed great respect for the Englishman. They said that no matter how heavy the fire, the Englishman kept on coming! They did not want to fight; had been forced to fight; and were glad they had been taken prisoners, to be out of it. Before I went out there, I thought the Boers were splendid shots, but we've been working on bridges, simply huddled together, so thick as to be in each other's way, and had Maxims, pom-poms, and snipes as well turned on us. We had the 37th Company, the Bridge Battalion, and the 17th Company all working together, and yet only eleven of us were hit. The old Boers may be good shots, but not the young ones. Buller gave us two hours to make a pontoon bridge across the Tugela at Skiet's Drift, and we had it completed in forty minutes. It was too warm to stay! We thought we should get on then very well, but a balloon was sent up at night, and they found there were a lot of Boers on the other side of the river, so we had to take up the bridge, and retire from there. The Boers were very mad when they discovered we had gone, and sent a few shots after us when we were out of range!
...."No, there are very few snakes in Natal, and no lions. We saw no wild animals, except a few bok. But scorpions and tarantulas are plentiful. When our men struck camp, the very first thing we did was to search the ground, and see if there were any scorpions, and if there were, we would dig them out of it. Scorpions are like lobsters, with a sting in their tails. We used to put them to fight, when they would sting each other to death!
...."Yes, nearly the whole of the provisions consumed in Cape Town are imported, except fruit, which grows in large quantities over Natal. Grapes are much cultivated around Cape Town. I saw no grapes anywhere else in Natal, but plenty of bananas, pine-apples, oranges, limes, and peaches especially.
...."I last met my brother Ernest in hospital at Newcastle, when I took the enteric fever, which is practically the same as typhoid. His company had come up from Ladysmith to repair the line. The hospital accommodation when I was there was splendid, and our fellows were never short of rations. At Springfield the troops had more biscuits than they required, and used to throw them away; then they put us for a time on three-quarter rations. What we liked best was the 'McConochie ration,' a kind of tinned Irish stew, which, when warmed up, was very tasty. There were two other local men in our company - Driver Harper, of Morriston, and Sapper William Bidder, of the Mumbles. They are both in South Africa yet.
The South Wales Daily Post, Monday 20th August 1900


....The sad news has been received that Sapper Tom Hanney, of Morriston, has succumbed to disease. Sapper Hanney was the fourth son of Mr. Charles Hanney, contractor, Morriston. He first went to the front at the commencement of the war, and was invalided home after enteric, which he contracted after the relief of Ladysmith, in which he served under General Buller. He was in the battles of Colenso, Spion Kop, and Pieter's Hill, with the 17th Company, R.E.; and at the relief met his brother Ernest, who went out in June before the war and has not since been home. He is still Middelburg. Tom again volunteered for the front, and left home one year to the day he died, and, strangely enough, the news of his death reached his home a year to the day he sailed for South Africa.
The Cambrian, Friday 21st February 1902


Sapper Ernest Hanney, who was shut up with Sir George White, was given a permit to return home, but afterwards received other orders, and is now stationed at Middelburg. The Morriston lad had a brother Tom in the Engineers and both met at Ladysmith. Afterwards Tom returned, but after a short furlough went out once again, and unfortunately met his death - not through enteric.
The Cambrian, Friday 29th August 1902


....Sapper Ernest Hanney, of the 23rd Royal Engineers, managed to elude all demonstration at his return home by returning earlier than expected on Monday afternoon. After the hard fights he fought at the front for three years it was hard lines that his fellow townsmen were not allowed the opportunity of giving him that reception which he so nobly merited.
The Cambrian, Friday 7th November 1902


....That proposed memorial to the late Sapper Tom Hanney has not, after all, been allowed to slide into oblivion. It was only the Church's way of working up these matters. The tablet - made of brass encased in marble - has ere this been fixed inside St. David's Church, and the pleasing ceremony of unveiling it has been bestowed upon Colonel J. Williams, of the 1st G.A.V., and will be performed next Sunday morning on the occasion of the annual Church parade of the Morriston Co. of the 1st G.A. Volunteers.
The Cambrian, Friday 12th December 1902


....The annual "Church Parade" of the No. 4 (Morriston) Company of the 1st G.A.V. took place on Sunday. There was a remarkably good attendance of gunners, who, headed by their renowned band, and in command of Col. J. W. Williams, paraded the streets before and after service, their appearance and marching giving the procession a striking effect. Advantage was taken of the occasion to unveiling a memorial to the memory of the late Sapper Tom Hanney, and there was a splendid congregation, including the family of the late Engineer. The Vicar, Rev. D. Watcyn Morgan, preached a suitable sermon, making sympathetic references to the fallen. Following the sermon the unveiling was performed; the Colonel drawing aside a large Union Jack, revealed the tablet - one of the best of its kind. It is of brass, very neatly inscribed, and enclosed on the ball by black marble. The inscription ran: - "This tablet is erected by the congregation of this church in loving memory of Richard Thomas Hanney, Sapper 17th C.Y. Royal Engineers, son of Charles and Elizabeth Hanney, Morriston, who died of enteric fever at Standerton Hospital, Feb. 10th, 1902, aged 26, while serving in the South African War. He died for his country." The consecration service was gone through, the Colonel drew aside the bunting, and, repeating the Vicar's words, revealed the memorial "to the sacred memory of Richard Thomas Hanney." The service was most impressive throughout. ....A curious error was made in inscribing the tablet in memory of Sapper Hanney. The name of Mrs. Hanney was put as "Elizabeth Hanney," while it should have been "Eliza Hanney."
The Cambrian, Friday 19th December 1902