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Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (4) TH OFS RoL Tr (Capt. C.H. Stuart. 5/Drgn. Gds.)
KSA (2) (Maj. C.H. Stuart. 5/Dgn. Gds.)

Major Claude Houston Stuart-French, born March 1867, the third son of Major-General William James Stuart and Eleanor French; educated at Sherborne School, the King's School, Rochester, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; Commissioned Second Lieutenant, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, February 1887; promoted Lieutenant, January 1889; appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Governor and Commander in Chief of Western Australia, February 1891; transferred as Captain, 5th Dragoon Guards, October 1896; served during the Second Boer War, and took part in the Relief of Ladysmith, including operations of the 5th-7th February 1900 and the action at Vaal Krantz; the operations on Tugela Heights and action at Pieter's Hill; operations in the Transvaal, 1900; in Natal, 1900; in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, 1900; and in the Orange River Colony, 1900; twice Mentioned in Despatches, and promoted Brevet Major, 29.11.1900; changed his name by Royal Licence to Stuart-French in 1911 in order to inherit from his elder brother Thomas the estate of their uncle Thomas French; served during the Great War with the 5th Dragoon Guards as Deputy Assistant Quarter Master General to General Burn Murdock; died of heart failure, 23.12.1916, and is buried in Bishop's Stortford Old Cemetery, Hertfordshire

Picture courtesy of Bill Friar

QSA (3) Natal OFS Tr (4003 PTE T GOODMAN 5TH DRAGOON GUARDS.)
KSA (2) (4003 PTE T GOODMAN 5TH DRAGOON GUARDS.)
1914 Star and Bar Trio 6514 (SDLR SJT T6 GOODMAN 7TH D GDS)
ARMY LS&GC GV (6514 L SJT T GOODMAN 7TH D GDS.)

Died 21 October 1914 in France and Flanders. Buried Mazargues Cemetery, Marseilles.

Alfred René Heneage was born on 10 June 1858 in Stags End, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, the third son of Edward Fieschi Heneage (1802-1880), Member of Parliament for Grimsby, and his second wife, Renee Elisabeth Levina Hoare (1825-1871). Educated at Cheltenham College, Heneage was commissioned a Sub Lieutenant in the 74th Highlanders on 11 September 1876 and promoted Lieutenant on 11 September 1877. The regiment was associated with the 71st Highland Light Infantry on 1 July 1881 and redesignated the 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment).

Upon the outbreak of hostilities in 1882, the 2nd Bn. Highland Light Infantry was ordered to proceed to Egypt, arriving in Alexandria on the 20th of August with an effective strength of 30 officers and 776 other ranks. The regiment formed part of the Highland Brigade and saw considerable action during the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir. On the evening of the 12th of September, the Brigade was ordered to advance under the cover of darkness. A night attack had never before been attempted by British troops and caused some confusion. Still, the Brigade reached neared the Egyptian positions just before daybreak on 13 September and charged the last 150 yards under heavy enemy fire. The defenses were stormed and, by 6 A.M., the battle was over.

Lieutenant W.M.M. Edwards, 2nd Bn. Highland Light Infantry, received the only Victoria Cross awarded for the battle by leading a party storming one of the Egyptian redoubts. The regiment lost 3 officers and 18 other ranks killed, and 5 officers and 54 other ranks wounded, suffering heavier casualties than any other unit at the battle. Total British casualties were 9 officers and 48 other ranks killed, 28 officers and 353 other ranks wounded. 24 officers and 628 other ranks from the 2nd Bn. Highland Light Infantry received the clasp for Tel-el-Kebir. Heneage was among those wounded in action and he was invalid directly to England after the battle. Heneage received the Egypt Medal with one clasp and the Khedive’s Star for this war service.

After the war, the 2nd Bn. Highland Light Infantry returned to England before departing for India on 1 October 1884, reaching Bombay on the 29th of October. The regiment was in India when Heneage was promoted Captain and transferred to the 5th Dragoon Guards on 23 May 1888. Heneage appears to have been a strong horseman as he won the 5th Dragoon Guards Challenge Cup in 1893 riding his own horse, Sea King.

Heneage served with the 5th Dragoon Guards while they were stationed in the United Kingdom but was assigned to the depot at Canterbury when the 5th Dragoon Guards were posted to India on 6 September 1893 and remained with the depot until September 1897. After this, Heneage traveled to India to rejoin the regiment, being promoted Major on 22 January 1898. At this time, the regiment was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel R. S. Baden-Powell, who would go on to fame for leading the defense of Mafeking (October 1899 to May 1900) and for founding the Boy Scouts in 1908.

Heneage served with the 5th Dragoon Guards during the Boer War. The regiment was stationed in India and was among the first units ordered to South Africa. Heneage arrived at Ladysmith on 26 October 1899 as commander of B Squadron, just prior to the beginning of the siege.

Heneage’s first action occurred on 30 October 1899 at Lombard’s Kop. General Sir George White commanded an attack on the Boer positions beginning at dawn but the British infantry came under heavy fire and their advance soon bogged down. The Cavalry Brigade, including the 5th Dragoon Guards, was called out to extradite the force. It was during this that Lieutenant John Norwood, 5th Dragoon Guards, received the only Victoria Cross ever awarded to the regiment for rescuing a wounded soldier under heavy enemy fire. On 3 November, Major Heneage (commanding B Squadron) was again involved in a similar action near Long Valley when the regiment was called out to cover the retreat of the Imperial Light Horse from a difficult position.

After these initial defeats, the British made no further effort to break out from Ladysmith and settled into the routine of a siege. The next several months were spent defending positions and occasionally probing the Boer lines. Major Heneage was involved in one such sortie on 7 December but like other such attempts to probe the Boers, this failed due heavy and accurate enemy shell and rifle fire. The last major action of the siege was on the 5th and 6th of January at Platrand, when the Boers attacked the British positions and the 5th Dragoon Guards, including Heneage, were sent to reinforce the Imperial Light Horse on Wagon Hill.

Soon after, Major Heneage was stricken with typhoid fever (a.k.a. enteric fever) and spent the next several months on the sick list. During the siege of Ladysmith, the 5th Dragoon Guards lost more soldiers to this dreaded disease (25 killed) than to enemy action (11 men killed or wounded). Heneage was fortunate to have survived. As it was, Heneage was invalid back to England immediately after the siege was lifted (on 28 February 1900) to recuperate.

Heneage returned by the summer of 1900 and was appointed second-in-command of the 5th Dragoon Guards on 20 August 1900, a post he held for the remainder of his military career. Heneage spent the rest of the Boer War like most other cavalry troops, defending the lines of communication and making sweeps across the veldt in the hopes of capturing Boers. Heneage took part in the operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, 1900; in the operations in Natal, 1900; during operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, 1900; and operations in Orange River Colony, 1900. He also served in the Transvaal 30 November 1900 to August 1901, November to December 1901, and in the operations in Orange River Colony, May 1901. Heneage again became ill and was invalid home for England on 20 December 1901 on board the Hospital ship Dunera. This late departure brings to question whether Heneage truly qualified for the King’s South Africa Medal. Heneage appears on the 5th Dragoon Guards KSA Medal Roll and would have had to serve in South Africa after 1 January 1902 to qualify for this medal. The 5DG was ordered to India on 19 March 1902 and there is no indication that Heneage returned before this date. If he didn’t return, then it’s possible his Commanding Officer included him on the roll anyway, perhaps not wishing to begrudge the man this reward for serving throughout the Boer War, including being invalid home twice.

For his war service, Heneage received the QSA Medal with three clasps and the KSA Medal with two clasps. Heneage was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 10 September 1901) and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette 27 September 1901). This decoration was dated 29 November 1900 and most likely was for his service at Ladysmith. The Insignia were presented to Major Heneage by King Edward VII on 12 May 1902. Only two Victorian Distinguished Service Orders were gazetted to the 5th Dragoon Guards, both for Boer War service. The other, to Lieutenant (later Colonel) W.Q. Winwood, is at the Chester Military Museum.

Heneage never married and resigned from the 5th Dragoon Guards on 11 November 1903, a premature end to his military career. Apparently, the many years of campaigning, illnesses, and wounds finally took their toll. Local sources indicate that he stumbled across Thetis Island, Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada (near Vancouver) on a trip home from Japan in 1904 and decided to purchase 73 acres. Major Heneage and his unmarried sister, Eveline, spent the rest of their days there, becoming local celebrities.

Heneage died on 3 May 1946 at age 87 and his sister in 1952 at 90 years of age. Their cousin, the Reverend Thomas Robert Heneage (later the 3rd Lord Heneage) immigrated to Victoria, British Columbia, in 1909 and served as the Executive Commander for the Boys Scouts Association of British Columbia from 1912 to 1922.

Upon the death of Major Heneage, Eveline donated the homestead to the Anglican Church and moved to Victoria. Under the name of Camp Columbia, it later was used to provide camping programs for children, youths, and families of the Anglican Church.

George William Garnham was born on 17 Sept 1871. His father, George Garnham, served with the 13th Light Dragoons and was present with the regiment during the historic Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. Garnham enlisted in the 5th Dragoon Guards on 9 July 1886 in Canterbury and traveled to Ireland to join his regiment, then stationed at the military camp at the Curragh. The regiment returned to England in July 1890 and departed from Portsmouth for India on 6 September 1893, arriving in Meerut on the 11th of October. The regiment’s stay in India was typical for a peacetime tour: long parades and, on occasion, stifling heat, with numerous servants to attend to the tedious daily chores. Yet for a few, this routine was briefly interrupted by a campaign to Afghanistan.

In one of the many expeditions sent over the years to punish the warring Afghans, the Tirah Expeditionary Force invaded over the Khyber Pass in October 1897 to attack tribal leaders who were raiding into the northwestern frontier of India. To support this force, a contingent of one officer, three sergeants, and fifteen Other Ranks from the 5th Dragoon Guards were dispatched. The campaign was difficult and involved several severe engagements with the Afghans. Still, the terrain was not suited for cavalry and the soldiers from the 5th Dragoons Guards primarily served with the Field Hospital or provided mounted escort. The Tirah Expeditionary Force completed their campaign in April 1898. For his service in Afghanistan, Garnham received the 1895 India Medal. Interestingly, he does not appear on the existing medal roll. Garnham is not unique. The 5th Dragoon Guards officer commanding the contingent, Lieutenant Frederick Thomas Parker, also does not appear on the roll and several other names are missing as well. Both Garnham’s and Parker’s India Medals are engraved in the correct running script style and it appears that this part of the medal roll has been lost.

The 5th Dragoon Guards were stationed in India when they were ordered to proceed to South Africa on 8 September 1899. Although the Boer War did not officially begin until October, it was apparent for some time that hostilities were inevitable. The 5th Dragaoon Guards were among the first regiments to arrive, with D Squadron landing on the 11th October and taking part in the charge at Elandslaagte (21 October 1899). The remainder of the regiment was delayed because of cases of anthrax discovered among the horses and did not land until the 26th of October. It was on the 30th of October when Lieutenant John Norwood received the only Victoria Cross ever awarded to the 5th Dragoon Guards for rescuing a wounded soldier under heavy enemy fire. Later, the regiment retreated to Ladysmith as part of the force under the command of General Sir George White where they were besieged from 3 November 1899 until relieved on 28 February 1900. During this time, the regiment made a number of sorties from Ladysmith but most of their casualties were due to illness.

Several officers and men from the 5th Dragoon Guards and other British Cavalry regiments served with the Imperial Light Horse and Garnham was one of them. He was seconded to the 1st Battalion and served with the Imperial Light Horse from 8 December 1900 until 25 March 1902. The Imperial Light Horse were formed in South Africa in 1899 and fought extensively against the Boers. The served along side the 5th Dragoon Guards during the siege of Ladysmith, most at Wagon Hill on 6 January 1900 when the Boers severely attacked the defenses of Ladysmith in an attempt to defeat the British and capture the city. During the attack, 26 officers and men were killed and 33 wounded.

After the siege of Ladysmith was lifted on 28 February 1900, the Imperial Light Horse continued to battle the Boer. While seconded to the regiment, Garnham repeatedly saw heavy action against the Boers. These included engagements on 6 January 1901 near Naauwpoort (where the ILH suffered 22 killed and 28 wounded), 22 March 1901 near Geduld (6 killed and 18 wounded from the ILH), the 23rd and 24th of March (140 prisoners captured with 22 dead and 32 wounded Boers), 18 December 1901 near Bethlehem (when an ambush by General Christiaan De Wet backfired and resulted in the awarding of a Victoria Cross to the ILH), and 8 April 1902 (36 prisoners captured with 51 dead and 40 wounded Boers). The Imperial Light Horse performed splendidly throughout of the Boer War and received a total of four Victoria Crosses for their service. For his Boer War service, Garnham received the Queen’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps and the King’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps.

86 time-expired soldiers from the 5th Dragoon Guards had voluntarily extended their service to go to South Africa and Garnham appears to have been one of them. When the regiment was ordered back to India on 19 March 1902, his service commitment was fulfilled and Garnham took the opportunity to receive his discharge from the 5DG in South Africa. Garnham remained in South Africa and was appointed Regimental Sergeant Major of the Imperial Light Horse on 19 October 1902.

In December 1905, the Government of Natal had instituted a new tax on the native population, causing much anger and unrest. The situation continued to deteriorate in early 1906, culminating in the Government declaring martial law on 10 February 1906. Several small field forces were created from the Natal militia to quell the violence. As the unrest continued, the Government of Transvaal sent the 500 men of Transvaal Mounted Rifles to support Natal and this force arrived in May and sent into Zululand. The Transvaal Mounted Rifles were formed in Johannesburg on 26 April 1906 from carefully selected volunteers from the Transvaal volunteer regiments, with A Squadron formed by officers and men of the Imperial Light Horse. With his campaign experience in the 5th Dragoon Guards and the Imperial Light Horse, Garnham was ideally qualified to serve as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Transvaal Mounted Rifles.

Initially, the South African forces performed sweeps in an attempt to locate the rebels. After this proved ineffective, they conducted raids on local villages trying to starve the rebels into submission. When this policy proved no more effective than the first, the methods were altered to use coordinated attacks to surround areas where the rebels were thought to be. This culminated in early July in a series of battles initiated when the Transvaal Mounted Rifles located a body of over 8000 rebels on July 1st. On the following morning, the Transvaal Mounted Rifles were attacked by 300 rebels but these were easily defeated and over 60 of the enemy were killed. Later that some morning, the Transvaal Mounted Rifles were again attacked by a force of over 1000 but this was eventually beaten back as well. After another action on July 3rd and with the rebels suffering more than 1000 casualties over the previous three days, there was a brief lull in the fighting. However, when another enemy force of 600 was discovered on July 8th, they were surrounded and slaughtered in the ensuing battle. The situation settled down considerably after this and Transvaal Mounted Rifles were disbanded at the end of July. Total European casualties for the entire war were 30 dead and 37 wounded while the natives were estimated to have lost more than 1400 warriors. For his service during the rebellion, Garnham was brought to notice for good work and received the Natal Rebellion Medal with 1 clasp. Approximately 10,000 Natal Rebellion Medal were awarded.

Records held at the National Archives of South Africa indicate that Garnham wounded himself in a mishap on 22 April 1910 while serving as Assistant Range Officer during a meet. While testing the pull of a revolver trigger, Garnham accidentally shot himself in the chest, with the .455 bullet lodging under the right shoulder blade. The bullet was successfully removed and Garnham recovered within a few weeks. Garnham was assessed to be grossly negligent and granted no compensation as a result. Garnham returned to duty, retiring as Regimental Sergeant Major of the Imperial Light Horse on 4 July 1913. He returned to England and served as transport manager with the Rockware Glass Company in West London before expiring at St. Bernard’s Hospital in Hanwell in 1941.

Great research Barney, thank you for posting...…

Mike

Excellent posts, Barney. Many thanks.