TOPIC:

PRIVATE J. LOCKETT: 1ST BATTALION ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS. KILLED IN ACTION AT FREDRIKSTAD 25/10/1900.
INTERRED AT POTCHEFSTROOM, OLIEN PARK. MONUMENT 1.

QSA: CAPE COLONY/ORANGE FREE STATE/TRANSVAAL.









The 25th October 1900 was the final day of the siege of the railway station at Frederikstad, where General Barton had set up camp on 17th October whilst in command of the 1st battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 2nd battalion Royal Scottish Fusiliers, elements of the 78th battery Royal Artillery, some units of Imperial Yeomanry, Imperial Bushmen and Mounted Infantry and around 200 men of Marshall's Horse.
From their defended positions the order was given for the Fusiliers to attack the Boers and dislodge them at the point of the bayonet, in which endeavour they were successful. The Boers were routed and suffered heavily during their hasty withdrawal across open ground.

The final butcher's bill for this engagement was for the British, 29 men killed in action, of which 6015 Private Lockett was one, and 88 wounded, while the Boers suffered 46 men killed in action. I have no figures for the number of Boers that were wounded.

The names and numbers of all the casualties who served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was published shortly after the battle in the South Wales Daily News, dated 31st October 1900, on page 5 (otherwise refer to Hayward (1982), Palmer (1999), Watt (2000), The Register, Medal Rolls etc.).


Private Lockett is also commemorated on the Welsh National South Africa Memorial, Cathays Park, Cardiff and on the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Memorial at St. Giles Church, Wrexham.

A very nice medal. Thank you for posting, Steve.

It has been a couple of years since I posted the thread for 6015 Private J. Lockett. Over the past week or so I have been researching and posting further information on other R. W. F. men.
Whilst doing so the attestation document for Lockett turned up! I had somehow missed it previously! I resigned myself to the fact he was killed in action that his records would have been destroyed.

John Lockett was born in Birmingham in around 1880 and was a Labourer aged 18 years 11 months when he attested to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in Birmingham on 14th June 1899.
Height: 5' 8 3/4".
Weight: 117 lbs.
Chest range: 33 1/2" to 35 1/2"..
Complexion: Fresh.
Eyes : Blue.
Hair : Brown.
Religious denomination: Church of England.
Distinctive marks : Scars on both eyebrows, scar left elbow......"Special ".
Captain C. Hill described him as "a respectable and intelligent young man "

John had served for 1 year and 147 days when he was killed in action at Frederickstad on 25th October 1900.

His next of kin was Mrs. Lockett of 48 Upper Thomas Street, Birmingham. This is in the Aston area of the city.

As previously mentioned John is commemorated on the memorials at Cardiff and St. Giles Church, Wrexham.
However, as he was a Birmingham man, I was hoping that he would also be named on the memorial in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham. Sadly, his name does not appear thereon. A real pity.