TOPIC:

In St Giles' Church, Bubbenhall, Warwickshire, about 5 miles south of Coventry.

.............................................................................To the Glory of God and in memory of William
.............................................................................Howlett Grimes, died xxiii July mdcccxcviii,
.............................................................................Elizabeth Murcott, his wife, died xvi October
.............................................................................mdcccxcix, and their viiith son, Robert Ledbrooke,
.............................................................................Imperial Yeomanry, killed near Edenburg, South Africa
.............................................................................vi March mdcccci; this window is dedicated
.............................................................................by the surviving children of the two former.






. . .............................................................................................................................................................PS. 32: 2.
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. . ....A painful sensation was occasioned on Tuesday by the receipt of the news that in the fighting which occurred at Kalverinontein, near Edenburg, on the 6th inst, the following casualties had occurred: 5th Company Imperial Yeomanry: 322 Corporal R. Grimes, killed: 306 Private E. Reading, seriously wounded; 372 Private J. J. Page, wounded; 341 Private G. Timms, killed; 359 Private W.Granger, wounded; 358 Private R. Brown, wounded; Lieutenant M. Hunt, very slightly wounded. Of the two men killed. Corporal R. Grimes was a farmer occupying the Ham Farm, Cubbington. He was known as an excellent fellow and good sportsman. The greatest sympathy is felt for his sister and aunt, who live at Bubbenhall, and his brother, who occupies the White Hall Farm, Long Itchington. Only recently a letter was received from him lamenting that there was little chance of his being in action, as he formed one of the body guard of General Paget. The news, therefore, of his death came as a shock to his numerous friends, who were expecting his early return home on the advent of the Imperial Yeomanry drafts. Grimes was one of the first to volunteer for the Front on the call to arms.
Leamington Spa Courier, Friday 15th March 1901
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. . . ....A member of the Warwickshire Imperial Yeomanry, Mr. Rudolf Valentine, writing to his brother at Leamington, from De Aar, on February 18th, says:—We seem to have jumped out of the frying pan into the fire, i.e.(it), they have had no rain to speak of for 7 months, and the last few days have been records. During our march from Naaupoort here, it has rained harder and heavier than I have known it before. As we left our tents at Naaupoort, we had to bivouac as best we could. At one place we struck a farm, where we commandeered a room with two big double beds in it. Bob Grimes and Tyler slept in one, while Seymour and I slept in the other, and, I am afraid, with wet clothes, wet boots, leggings, etc, we did not leave it in a very tidy state. I attended Communion at Naaupoort—the first chance I have had since leaving England. The service was held in a tent, and there were only seven of us there. The tent was the hospital chapel. Grimes, Seymour, and I went and had tea with the chaplain one day, and had rather a jolly time. He comes from the East End of London, and his name is Hewitt. I went off to Colesberg with some other fellows to get 95 remounts, and had a jolly good day. We went there in a 1st class saloon—35 miles, and when we got to Colesberg Junction we had three miles to go to Colesberg, so we commandeered a bus that was on the station, and drove over and got the remounts, and sent them on with some ......s while we had tea. We got two Cape carts to go back in, and got into a fruit van at Colesberg Junction after boxing up the horses. A wild lot they were, as over 50 of them had never been haltered before, but all's well that ends well. No sooner were we in the fruit van than it began to rain, and rained hard all night. But when you are in the dry you can afford to laugh at the rain. Must end now, we are on Paget's bodyguard.
Leamington Spa Courier, Friday 15th March 1901
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. ....Lieutenant Meynell Hunt, from whose diary of the history of the County Yeomanry in South Africa we have published short extracts from time to time, has sent a thrilling account to his friends in Birmingham of the action early in March. The Warwicks, it will be remembered. were stationed at De Aar, on March 1st, they were ordered to entrain in the afternoon, and all were on board by 5 p.m., but were unable to leave before morning. At this point they had a little cause for rejoicing, for a mail "had just come to hand, "the best tonic one has out here," to use Lieutenant Hunt's words. Then came 18 cases of comforts for the squadron, so kindly sent out by Lord Hertford, which should have reached them by Christmas, but which were equally acceptable when they did come. On March 2nd they had a long day in the train and arrived at Naauwpoort at five in the afternoon; at 8.30 p.m. they again started and arrived at Springfontein on the afternoon of the following day, and there encamped for the night. On the 4th, orders came for them to entrain for Edenburg. and this they, did, though minus the horses, the trucks with the animals having miscarried by some means. Eventually, however, the horses were located in one of the kraals, and all went smoothly again. The following morning saw them away early, their errand being to conduct a telegraph section of the Royal Engineers through from Fauresmith. The force consisted of 25 mounted infantry, 25 bushmen, and the Warwickshire squadron, about 100 fighting men all told under Captain Briggs, M.I. They outspanned at Groot Kalverfontein for two hours, and then went on to Jagersfontein, 31 miles. All that immediately followed. Lieutenant Hunt may be left to tell in his own words: — ...."Next day, March 6th," he proceeds, "is one of the most regrettable I have had to write about since our arrival in South Africa. Little did we think as we left (Jagersfontein), 2 p.m., the terrible calamity that was to befall us later on. We retraced our steps, outspanning at the Krom Ellebrood Spruit at 6 p.m., leaving again by moonlight at 8.15 p.m., the Warwicks being the advance guard. All went well till about 10.30 p.m. Our order was a sub section of four men on the right flank, the same on the left, and eight men as connecting links at intervals to the column at the rear. I was in advance with eight men in fours and Sergeant Bewley. As we approached Groot Kalverfontein, which is a large farm lying on the left of the road, with cultivated fields, &c., lining the spruit which supplies the dam, and had got up the bank on landing side of the spruit, all at once we heard a single word of command given in Dutch, and a line of fire like a flash of lightning from 50 rifles opened on us from behind a wall on our right front, less than 20 yards away. In a moment everything was confusion, men and horses falling all around. Those who were able turned and galloped off. Personally I felt a sharp sting in my stomach like a hot iron, and I thought I was done for. ....As I galloped into the spruit I felt my horse spring under me, and as I got up the far bank he plunged again and pitched on his head, struggled again, and fell. I sprang Up and dashed away for all I was worth, with bullets raining round. Bannister (I) was running on my left, his horse having been killed under him. We were both done up, and seeing a wash-away just on our right, formed by the rain, we made for it and singly fell in, lying flat, and expecting every moment to be taken by the Boers. The place was only 2ft. deep. The Boers galloped up, and two or three actually jumped over us or within a yard or two; then a number ran by on foot, talking and laughing, and there we lay, and we found it a most difficult matter to hold our breath, and out of breath the same time. I never tried it before, and under similar circumstances hope never to again. The enemy were about for two or three hours after this, and then all was quiet. We did not attempt to get back to the column, thinking that anyone seen approaching would as likely as not be shot. We spent a very cold night with no coats or anything extra on. About 4.30 a.m., a streak of light appeared, and then I got my glasses and looked around. Soon after this we heard someone hail, and found it was Corporal Palfrey, who had been taken. The Boers, however, having seized his rifle, bandolier, and horse, left him to look after the wounded. ...."Here we found poor Reading (one of the 'dangerously wounded') with a fractured arm and leg. He must have gone down with the first volley. In the side of the spruit was Timms; he died about 4 a. m. in no pain. He had been shot through the shoulder and back. Close to him was Brown, who was shot in the leg below the knee; no bones broken. Close by his horse lay dead. We walked back to look for the wagons and help. Hancox had had a strange experience. His horse had been killed and had fallen on his leg, pinning him down. When the Boers came up and took his rifle, &c., he groaned, and said he was in terrible pain, and enjoined them to pull the animal off him, which they did. He seized the first opportunity he got and slipped away, walking into Edenburg, 12 miles off, where he reported the calamity. Captain Cole came out with ambulance, doctors, and 60 men, mounted, reaching us about six. To continue, we saw a man lying on the veldt, and found it was Granger. His leg was broken below the knee, and his horse lay dead a short distance away. A little further on we found poor little Grimes; he was badly hit right though the stomach. We bound him up as best we could with field dressings, but he died before I got back, an hour later. Going on again we found Bewley's, Walby's, Reading's, and I. Bannister s horses, all wounded and feeding on the veldt. We caught two uninjured animals, and sent Bannister to Edenburg on one, but he met the ambulance, &c., before he had gone far. ...."It seems after cutting up the advance guard the enemy attacked the column. Our fellows who had escaped unhurt, had ridden back to the wagons, dismounting, and received the Boers with a hot fire during which the mules stampeded with the wagons, two or three miles back. Fortunately the Boers retired. Once more we concentrated, and got the wagonS in an excellent position by a nullah, where the horses were put; and hoped for an attack at break of day, which, however, did not come. Here I found another wounded man, Page, who was shot in the chest and wrist. At seven all was ready for a start, word being brought that the ambulance and the doctors were seeing to the wounded. The bodies of Grimes and Timms were put in one of the wagons, and were buried at Edenburg about 6 p.m., the same evening. The four wounded men went in the ambulance, and had a most painful journey over rough roads. I rode in only feeling stiff and sore; fortunately, the bullet passed across the lower part of my body, making a groove about 6in. long that you could put a pencil in—another inch and I should have required little help. The most wonderful thing is that more were not killed. We had five horses killed, four wounded and lost, and six more were lost when the mules stampeded. The Boers numbered between 50 and 70, and they took all the arms and bandoliers, also stripped the dead horses of saddles and' bridles. ...."The next day we trekked for Bloemfontein. Before leaving we sent to the hospital, and were glad to learn that the wounded ail seemed comfortable. The three are in no danger, and Reading, the doctor said, was going on very well, for which we are all thankful—he has proved himself an excellent soldier all through, hardly having been away from any squadron the whole time. We marched 20 miles to-day (presumably March 8th), and hope to get in 26 miles more to- morrow. . . . All the men keep well. We arrived at Bloemfontein on Saturday night after a long day's march."
Leamington Spa Courier, Friday 5th April 1901