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Harry Whitaker, quite apart from the fact that he served in both the Boer war and WWII with the 1906 Rebellion thrown in was an interesting man....

Harry Whitaker

2nd Class Trooper, South African Constabulary – Anglo Boer War
Umvoti Mounted Rifles – Bambatha Rebellion
Coastal Defence Garrison – WWII

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal to 2168 2nd Cl. Tpr. H. Whitaker, S.A.C.
- Natal Medal with 1906 clasp to Tpr. C.H. Whittaker, Umvoti Mtd. Rifles
- Africa Service Medal to ACF 169072 H. Whitaker

Harry Whitaker, despite a dubious start to his military career, was to make something of himself in the end. He was born in Halifax, Yorkshire on 29 January 1881 the son of Charles William Whitaker, a Carpet Designer by trade and his wife Hannah Mary (born Nicholl). A short two months after he first saw the light of day the England census of 1881 rolled round to find the family, consisting of parents John and Hannah with 2 month old Harry, resident at 36 St. Augustine Terrace, Halifax. This address was to be the common denominator for the family for many decades to come.

Ten years later at the time of the 1891 census little had changed in the life of the Whitaker family save for the addition of a number of siblings for a now 10 year old Harry. Joining the ranks were Ethel (4), Maud (2) and Cyril (5 months). Hannah’s mother, Ann Nicholl (74) had also taken up residence. Two years on tragedy was to strike the family when, in 1893, Hannah passed away suddenly leaving husband Charles to raise a young family on his own.

In October 1899 war broke out between the might of the Empire and two puny and almost insignificant Boer Republics in far away South Africa. After several reverses towards the end of 1899 and the commencement of 1900 the war that was “going to be over by Christmas” suddenly assumed much larger and more ominous proportions. A wave of patriotism swept through Great Britain as a result of the setbacks experienced by her troops and on 1 May 1901 a 20 year old Harry, no doubt belatedly imbued by this fervour, signed an Attestation Paper to join the ranks of the South African Constabulary at Heidelberg in the Transvaal. Claiming prior Militia service with the 2nd West Yorkshire Voluntary Artillery he was single with blue eyes and black hair and had a fresh complexion and a “generally smart” appearance. His profession was provided as Carpenter and Joiner and, assigned no. C2168 and the rank of 3rd Class Trooper he became the S.A.C.’s newest recruit.

On 1 June 1901 he was transferred from “C” Division to the Pioneer Troop as a 2nd Class Pioneer before moving to the Reserve Division on 1 August 1901. Sadly his service in the noble cause of the war was to be seriously tainted by his actions and it wasn’t long before Harry Whitaker ran foul of the law he was required to uphold.

The trouble started with a memorandum, dated 17 September 1901 from the O.C. No. 10 Troop, Springs to the Staff Adjutant S.A.C. Heidelberg:
“Ref: no. C77 2nd Class Trooper Whitaker of Pioneer Troop. On or about 12th August the abovementioned trooper came to me to instruct the men as to the way of erecting new block houses, he remained with me for about seven days.

On the 22nd August Corporal Simpson of my troop reported to me the loss of a pair of field glasses but as we were then changing our position I could do nothing in the matter but as the loss of a 5 shilling Transvaal coin was reported to me shortly after this, I personally examined the pockets and kits of every man in the troop without finding any of the missing articles.

About two days before this, Trooper Whitaker having finished his work with me, left for Springs with the intention of reporting to the O.C. No. 16 Troop. As Tpr. Whitaker was the only man by this time who had not been examined, I wrote the O.C. No. 16 Troop and asked him to be kind enough to examine Tpr. Whitaker’s pockets and kit, and received the reply that nothing was found on him.

It has since transpired that previous to being searched by the O.C. Whitaker had sold these field glasses for thirty shillings to Medical Corporal Greenwood of No. 16 Troop. Tpr. Whitaker was placed under arrest by Capt. Fall and sent back to me to be dealt with. I heard the evidence and on asking the prisoner what he was going to plead he replied “Guilty” to the theft of the field glasses but denied all knowledge of the five shilling piece.
Kindly give me instructions as to whether the matter will be dealt with here or whether the prisoner is to be forwarded to Heidelberg under escort with evidence.”

The “evidence” referred to here was a statement taken from Medical Corporal C2120 Chas. H. Paget on 30 September which read as follows,

“Sir

On August 2nd 1901 I sold to Corporal Simpson 15 Troop, S.A.C. a pair of field glasses. They were covered with black leather and fitted with a compass on the broad end, also a brown leather cord to put around the neck.

The case was covered with black leather and lined with blue silk or satinette. On September 16th 1901, at the orderly tent of 15 Troop I was shewn (sic) the glasses in the presence of Trooper Whitaker, and I identified them as the ones that Corporal Simpson bought from me.”

Corporal Simpson, the alleged victim in all of this also provided a statement,

“Sir

On 22nd August I moved from my outpost into the troop headquarters and that night I slept in the stores room alongside Trooper Whitaker. My field glasses, with several other articles were placed by me beside my bed and next morning when preparing to move I found that my glasses were missing. I made enquiries in reference to them and not getting any trace of them reported the matter to you.

When we had arrived at our destination I had Trooper Whitaker search in his blankets to see if they had accidentally got in them, but he said he had seen nothing of the said glasses. I can identify the glasses as being my property, being black covered with a compass on the end and a string to suspend them around the neck.”

The last statement constituting evidence came from Trooper Herbert Greenwood who stated that,

“The field glasses shewn (sic) me by the Captain is the pair which Corporal Whitaker sold to me on the road from Springs to Wildeals Kop on Saturday, 31 August 1901 and which I handed over to O.C. 16 Troop.”

Things developed at a rapid pace from this moment with the following edict published,

“Pursuant to Divisional Order No. 9 of 3 October 1901 by Colonel H. Pilkington, O.C. Commanding Eastern Division, S.A.C., I appoint Tuesday the fifth day of November instant at the time of 10 o’ clock fore-noon as the time and the headquarters of No’s 14 & 17 Troops on the farm of Wintershoek as the place for the assembly of the Board of Officers detailed for the trial of the prisoner named in the aforementioned order.” So Harry Whitaker, with scarcely five months of service was to be officially investigated for theft.

The Board having convened on the appointed day Whitaker was bought before them and the Charge Sheet read out,

First Charge. – The Prisoner, No. C. 2168 2ND Class Trooper Harry Whitaker, Pioneer Troop, “C” Division, South African Constabulary is charged with:-

“Stealing Goods the property of a Comrade”

In that he, near Wolvefontein, on or about the 22nd August 1901 stole a pair of field glasses the property of William Simpson a Corporal in No. 15 Troop, “C” Division.

Second Charge. “Receiving, knowing them to be stolen, Goods the property of a Comrade”

In that he, near Springs on 31 August 1901, was in possession of a pair of field glasses stolen from William Simpson, which he knew to have been stolen.

The charges having been put to him Whitaker was asked to plead to which he said “Guilty” to the first charge and “Not Guilty” to the second. Witnesses were now called to prove the Prosecution’s case the first being Capt. W.L. McGiverin, Commanding Troop 15, he stated that,

“On or about the 15th day of August last Corp. Simpson reported to me the loss of a pair of field glasses and case. As my Troop was then preparing to move, I did nothing in the matter. About four days afterwards as Corporal Simpson’s statement led me to believe that the articles in question had been stolen I held a kit inspection and together with Mr. Lidgetton examined the contents of every mans pockets in the Troop without finding any trace of the articles.

Trooper Whitaker (the prisoner) who had been with my Troop for some days had left two days previous to the kit inspection to proceed to No. 16 Troop. As he was the only man with the Troop who had been present when the loss was reported, and whose effects had not been searched, I wrote to the O.C. No. 16 Troop explaining the case and requesting that he should examine the effects of the prisoner.

I shortly after this received a letter from the O.C. 16 Troop advising me that he had searched the prisoner’s effects and found no trace of the missing articles. About a week following this Trooper Whitaker was sent out to me under escort from Springs. On taking summary of evidence the prisoner pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing the glasses and informed me he had sold them to the Medical Corporal of No. 16 Troop. The prisoner has remained under close arrest with my troop up till today. From time to time he came out to me.”

Corporal Paget was up next,

“I sold Corp. Simpson a pair of field glasses on the 2nd August last. Corp. Simpson missed them about three weeks afterwards. On 16 September I was shown a pair of glasses by Capt. McGiverin at the orderly tent of Troop 15 in the presence of the prisoner. I identified the glasses as those Corp. Simpson bought from me.”

The Third Witness was the aggrieved party, Corporal Simpson,

“On August 22nd I moved in from my outpost to Troop headquarters. That night I slept in the Stores Room alongside Trooper Whitaker. I placed my field glasses with my equipment beside the bed. Next morning when moving my equipment to put it on the wagon I missed my glasses. I made enquiries about them but no one knew anything of them. When we halted at some kraals I reported the matter to Capt. McGiverin. I also asked the prisoner if he had found them in his blankets for I thought they might have accidentally got there. He denied having seen them. I identify the glasses as the pair I lost.”

The prosecution having rested its case Whitaker was asked if he wanted to call any witnesses of his own or even provide a defence to which he responded “No” preferring to leave things as stated in his statement. This statement read as follows,

“I plead guilty of taking Corp. Simpson’s opera glasses on the 23 August 1901. My reasons for taking them are these:

One week before I left Heidelberg I had 19 teeth extracted then I was sent out to superintend the construction of block houses at Springs. I was sent out on to the veldt to build them. I was at No. 15 Troop about 14 days and I had half a loaf of bread given to me at their headquarters and told that they would send my rations out to the outpost. I was at this outpost about 7 days and they did not send me any more bread when they sent the others out so I had to try and eat biscuits which I could not masticate properly and I was troubled with indigestion. I had no money with me to buy soft food, not having received any pay since June’s.

So when I found Corporal Simpson’s glasses by my bed I was tempted and took them thinking that I might sell them and make some money to buy food with. I went from 15 Troop to 16 Troop there I sold them to Corporal Greenwood for 30 shillings. I went from there to Springs to go back to Heidelberg when a Corporal from 16 Troop came up and took me prisoner on the 6th September 1901.

I was taken back to 16 Troop where I gave Corp. Greenwood his money back and then I was sent to 15 Troop again and I have been a close prisoner since arriving here.”

Having thus heard both sides of the matter the Board closed to consider their findings. The outcome was never in any doubt with Whitaker having pleaded guilty to the main charge. The board having reconvened Whitaker was asked if he wished to say anything in mitigation of sentence to which he replied in the negative. At this point a Certificate of Character and Service was read, it went as follows,

“No. C 2168 Pioneer Harry Whitaker, Works Department, has not before been tried or convicted by a Court for any offence since enrolment in South Africa. He has 191 days service to reckon towards discharge, on this date.

He is entitled to South African War Medal. His character according to the Divisional Records is Good”

Not exactly glowing stuff and, as it so happened, it did precious little to help Whitaker when sentence was handed down. What was the sentence? “To be imprisoned with hard labour for 28 days and to be fined ten pounds” This sentence was duly ratified by Major Fair, S.A.C. who took it one step further – “This man will be discharged at the expiration of his sentence as unsuitable for service in the S.A.C.”

Whitaker’s Particulars of Discharge form described his Character as “Indifferent” and, credited with service of 226 days he parted company with the S.A.C. providing, as his forwarding address, P.O. Durban, Natal.

A moment of madness had cost Harry Whitaker his job. Armed with his Queens Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal (no date clasps – he simply wasn’t around long enough to earn these) he decided to stay on in South Africa.

Other than the fact that he made his home in Natal little is known of his whereabouts in the years immediately after the Boer War had ended in May 1902. Natal had fallen on hard times in the post war years. Driven almost to bankruptcy by the costs of supporting a war against the Boers the colonial treasury was desperate to raise money to keep afloat. One of the ingenious methods devised in 1906 was to impose a poll tax on every black male of £1 per head. The Magistrates escorted by the Natal Police were tasked with the collection of this tax and ran, almost immediately into opposition from, especially, a very vocal young chief called Bambatha who was resident in the Umvoti or Greytown/Kranskop area.

Bambatha was a rebel with a cause and made it his business to openly incite violent opposition to the tax and those who were mandated to collect it. After a number of unfortunate deaths the Colonial Government mobilised the Militia Regiments to quell the rebellion which was threatening to spread to other hitherto docile areas of Natal and Zululand. Whitaker joined the ranks of the Umvoti Mounted Rifles who were prominent in the areas where the rebellion was most active. Earning for himself the 1906 clasp to the Natal medal Trooper Whitaker was intimately involved in the suppression of the native tribes which culminated in the beheading of Bambatha the public display of whose head was designed to cower his followers and deter any others who might want to make mischief.

Once peace had returned to the land Whitaker set about making a living for himself. On 31 August 1907 he enlisted with the Natal Police at Pietermaritzburg and was assigned no. 4103. Oddly enough he added his father's name, Charles to the "Harry" and thus become Charles Harry Whitaker - whether or not this was a ruse to confuse the authorities about his criminal past in the S.A.C. is debatable but, nevertheless, he started as a Trooper using his father's particulars as next-of-kin. Now settled in employment Whitaker turned his attention to the fairer sex and the “acquisition” of a wife. On 23 June 1914, in the Congregational Church in Klip River, Ladysmith, Whitaker took as his bride one Sarah Ann Wright, a resident of that town.

The marriage certificate contains the signature, as a witness, of one A.L. Haden – Haden’s medals reside in my collection showing just how small the world is! After 6 years of service he purchased his discharge for 5 pounds and took his leave in 1913 just before the demise of the Natal Police as a separate entity. His Record of Service shows that he was promoted to 1st Class Trooper on 31 August 1908 and that he was re-engaged on 31 August 1910. Nothing more was heard from Whitaker in the next while. The Great War came and went with him playing no part in it and it wasn’t until the onset of World War II, some 16 years after his wedding, that his presence was felt.

Despite the fact that volunteers were always in demand for both localised work and for the rigours of conflict outside of South Africa’s borders there was still strict implementation of the age limits. Whitaker, having been born in 1881 would have been at least 60 when South Africa’ war effort finally got mobilised. To see any service he would have to “conceal” his true age. This is exactly what he did when signing up for service with the A.C.F. (Active Citizen Force) Coast Garrison in 1941. He claimed to have been born in 1891 thus making him eligible.

His Record Cards show that he was living at 125 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg and that he was 500 yards away from the nearest railway station. He was still married to Sarah and was a Teacher by profession. Readers will recall my saying that he would “come good” and this is what is meant by the phrase. Initially posted to the 18th Battalion of the N.V.B. (National Volunteer Brigade) he completed 6 8 hour sessions of Non Continuous Training and 85 sessions of 1 ½ hours each. He confirmed as his previous military service that he had spent 2 years (age might have dimmed his memory) with the S.A.C. and he didn’t feel the need to mention his Bambatha Rebellion service. He also claimed 6 years service with the Natal Police.

Having taken the General Service Oath on 4 February 1944 he was technically able to be posted operationally but this was never destined to happen as he was discharged as Permanently Medically Unfit on 14 March 1944. For Harry Whitaker his military days were over. For his trouble he was awarded the single Africa Service Medal to the A.C.F. He applied for this medal in a decidedly shaky hand on 18 July 1953 from his address, 158 Berg Street, Pietermaritzburg, signing himself as Sergeant Harry Whitaker, Regimental Number 159072, 18th S.A.C.D.C. (South African Coastal Defence Corps)

Once more Whitaker disappeared from the scene. He passed away in Grey’s Hospital, Pietermaritzburg on 23 May 1961 at the age of 80 and was survived by his wife and daughter, Ethel Ada Upfold. He left his wife an amount of R 2 881. 44 in his will.

Rory
There is a C H Whitaker who enlisted in the Natal Police on 31/8/1907 (No. 4102), who could have squeezed in about 6 years service before the NP ceased to exist in 1913.
Regards
Brett

Thank you Brett!

One of the perks of living within spitting distance of the Archives is that they are accessible within a moments notice - armed with the above info from Brett I toddled off and obtained copies of Whitaker's Natal Police record - he did indeed squeeze in exactly 6 years service before the NP's demise.

I have amended my post to reflect the new information. It also serves to clarify the discrepancy in first names.

Regards

Rory