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Lieutenant Colonel William Aldworth D.S.O. 10 years 11 months ago #17177

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In Dorking Cemetery, Surrey.

"Colonel Robert Aldworth, North Cork Rifles, formerly Captain 94th Foot of County Cork, and of Claremont, Dorking; born October 31 1809, died September 1 1899

and his son Lieutenant Colonel William Aldworth D.S.O., Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and formerly Brevet Lieutenant Colonel (XVI) Bedfordshire Regiment. Born October 3 1855, and was killed at Paardeberg, South Africa, while charging at the head of his regiment February 8 1900. He was buried close to where he fell."



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Lieutenant Colonel William Aldworth D.S.O. 10 years 9 months ago #18422

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From the DSO book:

Lieutenant W H Fife, 2nd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (who was himself killed soon afterwards by a spent bullet), wrote of Lieutenant Colonel Aldworth: "I can only say that he was the most gallant soldier I shall ever see, or wish to see, and it was owing to his splendid example that we advanced so steadily when others refused to budge. I would willingly have been killed instead of him, as I could have easily been replaced, and he cannot. I can only add that those who saw the advance said it was magnificent, and, though it has been called the Cornwalls' and the Canadians' charge, it was the Cornwalls' charge only, and Colonel Aldworth's charge in particular. His loss is quite irretrievable. He was hit in the forehead just as he had said: 'Come on, Dukes! Come on, Cornwalls!' He fell, but, raising himself on his elbow, added: 'Go on men, and finish it!'" In a long list of recommendations in 1901, Lord Roberts added Lieutenant Colonel Aldworth, DSO, Commanding the 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, as one whom he would specially have selected for reward, and he wrote in a private letter to Miss Aldworth, dated 17 March, 1901: "When I submitted to Her Majesty's Government a list of names of officers who had rendered ' conspicuously valuable services' before their death, I felt that the list would be incomplete unless it included that of your brother, Lieutenant Colonel Aldworth. At Paardeberg he led his men under a withering fire with a courage and devotion which elicited admiration of all who witnessed it, and he died with his face to the foe, like a gallant Irish gentleman... "
Dr David Biggins
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Lieutenant Colonel William Aldworth D.S.O. 10 years 9 months ago #18423

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Sadly, his medals seems to have been split up. His QSA was sold by DNW in 1991:

QSA (2) CC Paar (Lt. Col. W. Aldworth, D.S.O., 2/D. of C.L.I.) officially engraved

Lieutenant-Colonel William Aldworth was killed in action at Paadeberg when leading a forlorn hope on 18th February, 1900. Lieut. W. H. Fife wrote of Lieut-Colonel Aldworth, 'I can only say that he was the most gallant soldier I shall ever see, and it was owing to his splendid example that we advanced so steadily when others refused to budge. I would willingly have been killed instead of him, as I could have easily been replaced, and he cannot. He was hit in the forehead just as he had said: ""Come on, Dukes! Come on, Comwalls!' He fell, but raising himself on his elbow, added: “Go on men, and finish it!''

Lieut-Colonel Aldworth was forty-four years of age, having been born on October 3, 1855. He entered the army as a sub-1ieutenant on June 13, 1874, and was gazetted to the 16th Foot, of which he was adjutant from October 17, 1877, to March 29, 1881. Gazetted a captain in the Bedfordshire Regiment on March 30, 1881, he served with the Burmese Expedition from January 14, 1885, to March 3, 1886, as aide-dc-camp and acting military secretary to Sir Harry Prendergast, first as a major-general in Madras, and then as general officer commanding in Upper Burma, being mentioned in despatches and receiving the D.S.O. and the medal with clasp. He also took part in the Isazai Expedition in 1892, and in February 1893 was gazetted a major. In 1895 he served with the Chitral Relief Force under Sir Robert Low with the 1st battalion of his then regiment (the Bedfordshire), and took part in the storming of the Malakand Pass and the engagement near Khar, for which he had the medal with clasp. Again he was in active service in 1897-98, under Sir William Lockhart, in the campaign on the NorthWest Frontier of India, with the Tirah Expeditionary Force as deputy-assistant-adjutant-general of the 2nd Brigade, and with the Khyber Force as deputy-assistant-adjutant-general, being present at the forcing of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes, and the operations against the Chamkanis and in the Bazar Valley. He was mentioned in despatches, received the brevet of lieutenant-colonel (May 20, 1898), and two clasps. He obtained the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on October 12, 1898.
Dr David Biggins

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Lieutenant Colonel William Aldworth D.S.O. 10 years 9 months ago #18424

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There is another memorial to him in St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Bishop Street, Cork City, Co. Cork.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF ROBERT ALDWORTH
COLONEL NORTH CORK RIFLES FORMERLY
CAPTAIN 94TH REGIMENT BORN OCT. 31 1809
DIED SEPT 1 1899

ALSO OF HIS SON WILLIAM ALDWORTH LIEUT. COLONEL D.S.O.
DUKE OF CORNWALL’S LIGHT INFANTRY FORMERLY OF THE
XVI BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT. BORN OCT 3RD 1855 FELL AT
PAARDEBERG SOUTH AFRICA FEB 18 1900 WHILST GALLANTLY
LEADING THE CHARGE OF THE CORNWALLS. HE SERVED WITH
MUCH DISTINCTION IN THE BURMESE EXPEDITION 1885-6
THE ISAZAI EXPEDITION 1892 THE CHITRAL
RELIEF FORCE 1895 THE TIRAH EXPEDITIONARY
FORCE 1897-8 INCLUDING THE ACTIONS OF THE
SAMPAGHA AND ARHANGH PASSES THE OPERATIONS
AGAINST THE KHANIKHEL CHAMKANIS AND IN THE BAZAR
VALLEY. HE WAS BURIED CLOSE TO WHERE HE FELL.
WITH CHRIST WHICH IS FAR BETTER
Dr David Biggins

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Lieutenant Colonel William Aldworth D.S.O. 10 years 9 months ago #18431

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Here is the memorial from the Paardeberg Battlefield.






Regards
Adrian
Part time researcher of the Cape Police and C.P.G Regiment.
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Lieutenant Colonel William Aldworth D.S.O. 8 years 9 months ago #45385

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Here are a photo of Lt-Col W Aldworth
Elmarie Malherbe
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