TOPIC:

Much has been speculated about who exactly was "on the Kop" on those two fateful days when things went so horribly wrong for Buller and his force of Relievers. There does not appear to be any definitive list of those who were there but I would like to believe that Hargreaves was one of them

William Hargreaves

Private, Lancashire Fusiliers

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal and South Africa 1901 to 2596 Pte. W. Hargreaves, Lanc. Fus.

William Hargreaves was born in about 1870 in Stoke in the County of Staffordshire the son of Thomas Hargreaves and his wife Mary, born Mountford. Thomas was a Brick maker by trade and, at the time of the 1871 England census, was living with his young wife in the home of his father-in-law in Wolstanton, Stafford. William was literally a babe in arms at the age of 1.

The 1881 census painted a vastly different domestic picture of the Hargreaves family. They had moved into accommodation of their own at 20 Old Stoke Road in Stoke upon Trent and had certainly prospered in the children department. Along with William were siblings Sarah (9), Mary Ellen ( 8), Thomas (4),Ada (3) and baby Hannah (7 months). Mr Thomas Hargreaves senior, a 71 year old widower, was also in residence. To help feed the large brood Mrs Hargreaves held down a job as a Charwoman. Sadly, an indictment possibly on Victorian times, 11 year old William was already out of school and apprenticed to his father as a Brick maker (Half Timer)

Small wonder then that William, at the age of 18 years and 8 months, sought service in the army. On 22 June 1888 he completed the Short Service Attestation forms at Bury in Lancashire in order to join the Lancashire Fusiliers. A Labourer by trade he claimed to have previous Militia service with the4th Battalion, North Stafford Regiment. Physically he was 5 feet 5 inches in height and weighed 123 pounds. He had a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair and had no scars or tattoos about his person.

Having been passed Fit for the Army he was enrolled with no. 2596 and the rank of Private in the 1st Battalion where he was stationed until transferring to the 2nd Battalion on 6 January 1892 whilst in India (the Lancashires had been sent out to India on 11 March 1891 and were to remain there until 31 March 1896 – a total of 5 years and 22 days.) Hargreaves’ hard won promotion was to be of short duration – on 19 June 1895 he was tried by a District Court Martial for an undisclosed offence and reduced to the ranks.

Having arrived back in England he was transferred to the A Reserve on 5 April 1896 being recalled to the Colours on 1 December 1899. This was because England needed almost every available man to counter the Boer threat in distant South Africa. What the governing powers had thought would be a short war had developed into a bit of a fiasco with unexpected reverses being experienced.

The 2nd Battalion sailed on the Norman on 2nd December, arrived at the Cape about the 19th, and was sent round to Durban. Along with the 2nd King's Royal Lancaster Regiment, 1st South Lancashire Regiment, and the 1st York and Lancaster Regiment, they formed the 11th Brigade under Major General Woodgate, and part of the Vth Division under Sir Charles Warren.

When Sir Charles Warren with three brigades was sent across at Trichard's Drift, the intention of the Commander-in-Chief was that the force should push, via Acton Homes, round to the rear of the Boer position. Sir Charles decided that this was not feasible, and he set about clearing the hills on his right front. On the 20th January 1900 he proceeded to put his new plan into execution. The IIth Brigade were on the British right, to the west of Spion Kop. The Lancashire Fusiliers on the right, and York and Lancaster on their left, were ordered to attack a strong position, being assisted by the other infantry, notably the Irish Brigade in the centre, and by six batteries of artillery. The ground was very difficult, and the Fusiliers were at times greatly cramped for space. About three o'clock the visible crest was stormed by a grand rush, but the troops on reaching the top found themselves in face of another and stronger position.

On the night of the 23rd Spion Kop was taken, the Lancashire Fusiliers being part of Woodgate's force and remaining on the summit all the 24th. The Lancashire Fusiliers along with the other troops on the summit earned the praises of General Buller. The losses of the battalion were very severe—3 officers killed, 5 wounded, about 40 men killed, 100 wounded, and some missing.

To get a better idea of just how it was on the top of Spion Kop for Hargreaves and his comrades the following newspaper extract from the Lancashire Evening Post of 2 March 1900 appears below under the headline

“A never – to be – forgotten night”:

We continue to receive letters descriptive of the battle of Spion Kop in which the Lancashire Fusiliers, the 2nd Royal Lancasters, 2 companies of the South Lancashire’s, and Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry participated. A letter received reads thus,

“You will have seen some accounts of the “Battle of Sacrifice” as I should call it. We had been under fire for over a week and had a few wounded. We had been on outpost Monday and Tuesday, and at night we set out to “march to the slaughter”. We thought we were to cut off the retreat of the Boers from Colenso. It took us all the night and into the morning to get up. Men were almost falling down asleep – done up. The Lancashire Fusiliers were in front and a company of Engineers with picks and spades for trenches. All at once we heard a volley, and the bullets hailed around us. By the time we got to the trenches the Boers had gone over the side of the hill. I believe we killed two, I only saw one. The mist was so thick we could not distinguish one another. It commenced to rain and we thought it all over, but to make sure we made a small shelter trench which, as we found out to our cost, was hardly any use against the shell fire which came after.

We were lying in the trenches soaked and cold, thinking what a soft job we had in taking the trenches, when a perfect hail of shot and shell came among us from three sides, and we could not see to fire back. Men were being knocked to pieces by the shells. I heard them shouting for reinforcements lower down amongst some rocks in a triangular position. It was death to move. It was out of the frying pan and into the fire as we could not get up to fire and we were as good as helpless for four hours. We expected them over us any minute so fixed bayonets and waited, but the curs would not face it but kept up a cross fire on us until dark set in.

We were 14 hours under fire and will never forget the cries of the wounded as we went down the hill. The order was to get off the hill and leave everything living or dead but it was impossible for anyone with any feeling to leave them behind. There are a lot of Burnley chaps done for in the Lancashire Fusiliers Hargreaves has just been to see me and confirms this.”

Whether or not the Hargreaves referred to is the same as the subject of this account is unknown but entirely possible.

At Vaal Krantz the brigade was ordered to make a feint attack on the British left which was carried out satisfactorily. The battalion did not take part in the fighting between 13th and 27th February, being left along with other troops under Colonel Burn-Murdoch to hold an entrenched post near the bridge over the little Tugela at Springfield, and other positions on the left and rear. The Lancashire Fusiliers, now reduced to about 500 men, held Frere till the 26th February, when they were moved to Gun Hill and Chieveley. Nine officers and 16 men were mentioned in General Buller's despatch of 30th March 1900, chiefly for exceptional gallantry at Spion Kop, 5 being recommended for the distinguished conduct medal. In his final despatch of 9th November 1900 General Buller mentioned 7 officers and 2 non-commissioned officers; and in Lord Roberts' final despatch 10 officers and 19 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned.

The relief of Ladysmith having been finally accomplished Buller moved into the Transvaal the Vth Division remained about the railway, and then operated in the south-east of that country, the Utrecht-Vryheid district, and frequently saw tough fighting. The Mounted Infantry of the Lancashire Fusiliers formed part of the garrison of Vryheid when that town was attacked on 10th-11th December 1900. After very severe fighting the enemy was driven off with a loss of 100 killed and wounded. The men of the battalion had about 10 casualties.

In January 1901 the battalion entrained at Dundee for the Pretoria district. On arriving about Elandsfontein five companies were put into the column of Colonel Allenby, and three companies, under Major Tidswell, into the column of Colonel E C Knox; these columns being two of those then commencing the great sweep under General French to the Piet Retief district. In the beginning of May the battalion got together again at Middelburg and relieved the 2nd Berkshire Regiment on the railway line. Headquarters were at Wonderfontein.

The battalion remained in the Eastern Transvaal till peace was declared on 31 May 1902 but Hargreaves was not among them. He had been returned home with effect from 5 July 1901 having earned for himself the Queens Medal with clasps Transvaal, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith and South Africa 1901. After 13 years and 18 days service he was discharged on termination of engagement and paid his £5 South African gratuity. His forwarding address was 40 Newland Street, Stoke.

According to the 1911 England census Hargreaves was employed on the Coal Mines in Staffordshire - residing at 63 Muir Lane, Longton, Stoke On Trent. He was a Hewer by occupation and was at home with his wife Florence and their children Florence junior (11), Doris (8), Thomas (7) William (4) and Ada (2). Little were this little family to know that, just over a year later, on 4 December 1912 and at the age of 43, he would be dead. Dead in the most tragic of fashions - a casualty of a mining accident.

The official report provided the grim details of Hargreaves, a Buttocker employed at the Florence Coal and Iron Co Ltd and how he met his untimely end. Under the Notes it was stated:

Deceased had attached a Sylvester to the middle of a leg under a bar in a jig in the Yard coal in order to draw a post from under some top coal at the jig landing. The post was very tight, and resisted the pull to such an extent that the leg was drawn from the bar and a heavy fall of roof resulted. Deceased was completely burred and killed instantly. The loader who was assisting was buried also, but escaped with little injury except severe shock This accident could easily have been avoided by the exercise of a little judgement on the part of deceased, for the post to draw was so obviously tight, and a leg at any time is of uncertain stability for such a purpose as this.

A sad postscript to a mans life.

Hello Rory,
That is a good medal, I live only a stones throw from the old twentieth regimental district and these medals certainly don't turn up very often these days, I think you mentioned this man before on here a few weeks ago and I remember saying to you then, if it means so much to you, the way to go, is to simply buy a casualty, I suggest that he would have been present on the Kop, the others to look out for are the Imperial Light Infantry and that ever present favourite here in Great Britain, the 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, they can still be found for very little, an awful lot less than it took to earn in the first place for your average Mr Atkins.
Kind regards Frank

Thank you Frank

Yes Hargreaves was the chap I mentioned before. That was prior to my researching him hence my post.

I am rather fond of the Natal campaign regiments and received another medal in the post today which I will write about anon. This one is to Harry Parsons of the Dorsets - clasps Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laings Nek and South Africa 1901. He awarded himself the SA 1902 as well but wasn't entitled to it having been repatriated in late 1901.

Regards

Rory

I wonder what Hargreaves had done wrong in June 1895, he had passed his sergeant exam just six months earlier, whatsoever it was, it certainly did not do his career much good.

I wondered the same thing Frank. I have many recipients who were tried by DCM and reduced to the ranks. As an erstwhile prosecutor in the Military Law Office myself I dealt mostly with AWOL cases as well as Malingering and that sort of thing but Hargreaves was on active service and the charge might have related to something completely different.

It's a great pity that the files don't contain more specific information relating to the offences committed.

As if we needed proof that ongoing research is imperative!

I was revisiting some of my medals earlier today and stumbled across the fact that Hargreaves, whom I had thought was a closed book, died tragically in a coal mining accident in 1912 leaving a young family behind.

I have added the details to my story above.

Regards

Rory