TOPIC:

Percy Henry Lane – Ryan

Sergeant Major, 2nd Brabant’s Horse
Quartermaster Sergeant, South African Constabulary
Detective, Johannesburg Police (C.I.D.)
Lieutenant, Natal Mounted Infantry – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Wittebergen and Belfast with unofficial clasps for Wepener, Johannesburg and Pretoria to 321 Q.M.Sjt. P.H.L. Ryan, S.A.C.

- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to Lieut. P.H.L. Ryan, Natal M.I.

Percy Lane-Ryan was born in Ireland on 12 January 1873 the son of James Walter Lane-Ryan and his wife Mary Anne born Jebb. At an early age his family headed east to live in Bengal, India. What tempted him to come out to South Africa for the Boer War is unknown but the lure of adventure must have proved too much for his restless spirit and, on 1 March 1900, some five months after the commencement of the Anglo Boer War which had been raging since October 1899 between the Boer Republics and the might of the British Empire, he enlisted with the 2nd Brabant’s Horse at Rosebank in Cape Town. Assigned no. 4508 he set about the work of helping to repel the advances by the Boer forces.

The 2nd Brabant’s Horse had been raised in December 1899 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel H M Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, and when Colonel Dalgety of the 1st Regiment was besieged in Wepener, the first and a portion of the second regiment were with him, their strength being respectively 345 and 459. One squadron of Brabant's Horse took part in the relief of Wepener and it is surmised that Lane-Ryan, although not officially recognised for it, was among their number which could account for the self-award of the Wepener clasp to his medal.

In August 1900 the 2nd Regiment was ordered to the eastern Transvaal, to take part under General Button in the movement from Belfast to the Portuguese border, crossing some of the most difficult country in South Africa. In November they were operating about Frederickstad in the Central Transvaal with General Barton. They had skirmishing very frequently. It was during this period that Lane-Ryan earned the Belfast clasp to his medal.

Not long after, on 18 February 1901, he signed the attestation papers for two years service with the South African Constabulary thereby signalling the dissolution of his association with Brabant’s Horse. This probably came as no surprise, given the fact that he had been a Policeman in the Punjabi Police, a fact made known by an entry in his S.A.C. papers. These papers also provide further insight into his appearance, a tall man – he was 6 feet 2 ½ inches – he had dark grey hair and a fresh complexion. His appearance was regarded as smart and he gave the name of his brother –in – law Major C.P. Fendell, D.S.O. R.A., of Khyber, India as his next of kin. There is a reference on his papers referring to previous service with the Imperial Light Horse but no evidence could be found to substantiate this claim.

Now in the khaki of the S.A.C. Lane-Ryan was allocated no. A513 and the rank of 3rd Class Trooper. His rise was meteoric as on the same day he was promoted to the rank of 1st Class Sergeant. A man of obvious competence even this rapid promotion wasn’t enough to keep him long as he was transferred to the Johannesburg Police C.I.D. (Criminal Investigation Department) a month later on 14 March 1901. Despite only having been with them for one month, Lane-Ryan’s Queens Medal was issued off the S.A.C. roll – as a Quartermaster Sergeant.

Tiring of life with the Johannesburg C.I.D. he was soon on the move again, this time to Durban where he joined the Natal Mounted Infantry, this regiment was raised in February and March 1901, in Durban, for service in the South African War. It was originally called the 2nd Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment, but a couple of weeks after recruiting commenced, the name was changed to Natal Mounted Infantry. The unit was armed and equipped by the Natal Volunteer Department and horsed by the Imperial Remount Department. The first depot was at Dundee, but, on the unit changing its name, this was transferred to Newcastle.

Lieut-Colonel Friend Addison, formerly of the Natal Mounted Rifles and Colonial Scouts, was appointed to the command, and the establishment was about 400 all ranks. The unit wore the letters N.M.I, on hat and shoulder straps, but there is no record as to the adaption of a badge or motto. The activities of the N.M.I. were confined to the district of Newcastle, Natal, patrolling the borders, holding detached posts and the general work falling to the duties of an occupying regiment, until the end of the war on 31st May, 1902.

The Manchester Evening News of 19 September 1901 carried a report entitled “The War, Raid into Natal Expected, Volunteers Called Out” which read as follows:

“Durban, Wednesday, In view of an expected raid into Natal by the enemy the Governor issued orders today calling out for military service the Natal Field Artillery, Natal Carbineers, Natal Mounted Infantry, and Umvoti Mounted Rifles.

As a sequence to a series of sinister rumours all the mounted volunteers and field artillery of Natal have again been called out for military service.

A “Gazette extraordinary” issued yesterday at Durban publishes an order from the Governor to that effect, and increased military activity from this Colony is assured. The troops are to mobilise in Pietermaritzburg today and immediate operations are expected in the north of the colony. Further details for the present are being withheld by the military authorities.

The troops called out in Durban will assemble at nine ‘o clock this morning, when they will entrain for the north, the departure being timed for noon. The calling out of the Colonial Volunteers has created a great local sensation.”

The above was, of course, in response to the incursion by a force of Boers under Louis Botha hell-bent on retaking the territory they had lost to Buller’s campaign.

The unit was disbanded in June, after a short existence of four months, during which it did very useful service albeit no fighting. It was into this small group of men that Lane-Ryan was commissioned as a Lieutenant. (With no. 8 on the roll) - Service with the N.M.I. also meant that he completed 18 months of service entitling him to the Kings South Africa medal with clasps South Africa 1901 and 1902.
This rankled with other colonial volunteers who, despite similar service, were denied the award of the King’s medal.

With war having drifted to an end Lane-Ryan was keen to get started on another career path. He saw his chance and wrote, on 7 June 1902 from Newcastle in Northern Natal where he was stationed, to Sir Rose-Innes the Chief Justice of the Transvaal. The letter read as follows,

“Sir

I trust you will accept my apology for the liberty I am taking by addressing you with this personal application in reference to an appointment as Indian Interpreter for the High Courts of the Transvaal.

I am an Indian born (not quite true as we know he was born in Ireland...), and can speak Hindustani, Punjabi, Parse and, not fluently, Chinese. If you can possibly help me in the matter I shall always be...”

Rose-Innes forwarded this note to a minion asking him to acknowledge the letter and say that it has been referred to the legal department. This must have been attended to swiftly as, on 10 June, Lane-Ryan wrote to Sir Richard Solomon, Kt., Legal Adviser to the Transvaal Government in Pretoria as follows:

“Sir

I beg to submit my application for an appointment in the Transvaal Civil Service as an Indian Interpreter. I can speak as well as any native of India, Hindustani, Punjabi and not very clearly Persain, Pushtoo, Burmese and Chinese. I shall be glad to accept an appointment as a clerk, in the High Court and carry on the duties of an Interpreter. I shall always feel grateful to you, if you can in any way assist me in the matter.

I beg to remain your obedient servant

P.H. Lane –Ryan. Lieutenant, Natal Mounted Infantry.”

Despite the customary letter of acknowledgement nothing seems to have come of the application and Lane-Ryan worked his way back to India – his name being among those published in “The Scotsman” of 23 December 1902 – wherein it was announced by the War Office that the S.S. “Sardinia” sailed from Port Natal (Durban) on December 16, and is due at Bombay on December 31.

Back in India he was next encountered in the Marriage Register of the Christ Church in Lonaole, part of the Diocese of Bombay. Here, on Valentine’s Day in 1906, he wed Mary Annie Jebb a 29 year old spinster. Now 31 years of age Lane-Ryan was employed as a Driver on the North West Railway. At around the same time his name appeared in the register of the Calcutta Lodge of the Free Masons as a member – he was described as being a Railway Official.

A fast worker, Lane-Ryan and his wife brought their first child into the world exactly 9 months after their marriage. Beryl Harriet was born on 8 December 1906 whilst her parents were now living in Calcutta and Lane-Ryan was now a Driver with the E.B.S. Railway. (Eastern Bengal State Railway)

The birth of their second child, Florence, took place on 5 February 1908 with the baptism being held at St Paul’s Church, Scott’s Lane, Calcutta on 3 March of that year. Lane-Ryan is recorded as being an Engine Man with the E.B.S. Sadly Florence was to pass away at the age of 7 months on 2 October 1908 of fever and bronchitis leaving Beryl an only child.

The last Lane-Ryan was heard of was in 1921 when he applied, unsuccessfully, for the award of a British War Medal as an employee of the Mespot. Railways where he was employed as a Locomotive Inspector.

His only surviving daughter, Beryl was living, unmarried at 1583 Lynton Avenue, Finchley in London in 1950 which was also the year his death was recorded in India at the age of 77.

Rory,

Excellent article and wonderful pictures too. Many thanks!

I thought it worthwhile to repost this article having added some new facts which have come to light in recent days.