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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, unofficial rivets between State and date clasps (8227 Serjt: T. J. Davies. Rl: Engineers. M)

T. J. Davies served with the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) in South Africa during the Boer War.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

Egypt, undated reverse (1) Suakin 1885 (17632, Driv: W. G. Rich, 2/Md. Inf. R.E.);
QSA (3) Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast (17632 Serjt. W. G. Rich, R.E.);
KSA (2) (17632 Serjt: W. G. Rich. R.E.);
Army LS&GC VR (17632 Serjt: W. G. Rich. R.E.);
Khedive’s Star, dated 1884-6, unnamed as issued

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2014.

William George Rich was born in Midhurst, Sussex, and enlisted for the 43rd Brigade at Brighton on 23 December 1880, aged 18 years 3 months, a clerk by trade. He was appointed to the 107th Foot, in which regiment he served just 110 days, being discharged by purchase on 11 April 1881. He re-enlisted for the Royal Engineers at Brighton on 10 October 1883, giving his trade as a carpenter. He served in the 2nd Battalion Mounted Infantry, with the small R.E. detachment of 28 men under Lieutenant A. E. Sandbach, in the operations up the river Nile and in the vicinity of Suakin, 1884-85.

Rich served in South Africa with 23rd Field Company R.E. and was present throughout the siege of Ladysmith, being Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 8 February 1901) ‘for good services rendered during the siege of Ladysmith, S. African Campaign 1899’, as noted in his service papers. He received his long service medal in January 1902, and was finally discharged at Bordon Camp on 29 September 1904.

'Soldier Navies
The 10th Railway Company of the Royal Engineers'
www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/im...railway-company-10th



'Repairs promptly executed
The Royal Enhineers have done wonders with the broken railways'

Source: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/3...-jack?start=66#93480

'The field telegraph
Section waggons, Royal Engineers at Naauwport [sic]'

Source: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/3...-jack?start=72#93574

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg (24202. Sapr. A. T. Draper. R.E.) engraved naming;
KSA (2) (24202 Sapr. A. T. Draper. R.E.);
AGS 1902 (1) Somaliland 1902-04 (24202 Sapr: A. Draper. R.E.);
Army LS&GC Ed VII (24202 Sapr. A. T. Draper. R.E.)

Albert Thomas Draper was born in the Parish of Gittisham, near Honiton, Devon, around 1870. A gardener, he attested at Ottery St. Mary for the Royal Engineers on 17 January 1890, serving in South Africa from 21 October 1899 to 28 October 1902 and Somaliland from 28 July 1903 to 22 December 1904. Appointed skilled Field Line Telegraphist, he was awarded his Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in October 1908, and was discharged from ‘A’ Signal Company on 16 January 1911 upon the termination of his second period of engagement. Draper later died on 14 April 1939 at his home in Aldershot in consequence of acute pneumonia.

Sold with a file of copied research, including Army Service Record confirming that this is his full medal entitlement, and a couple of fine newspaper articles relating to the recipient’s early service:

‘The Sirdar’s Gift to the Queen.
A Large Docile Donkey.
The large Arabian donkey presented to the Queen by Lord Kitchener arrived at the Royal Albert Docks on Thursday afternoon, on board the S.S. Duke of Argyll. It was accompanied by another, but much smaller donkey, destined for the Duchess of Cleveland, also a gift from the Sirdar. Both animals were in splendid condition. Indeed, Sapper Draper, R.E., who has had charge of them since the vessel left Cairo, stated that they had stood the voyage very well, although the cold weather experienced in the Channel had been severely felt by them. They travelled in specially constructed boxes, fitted with slings, and erected upon deck.’

Queens South Africa Medal with clasps: C/Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill
Kings South Africa Medal with clasps: 1901, 1902

BIRTH: 1874
Woolwich, London, England

DEATH: 12 November 1912
Woolwich, London, England

Parents:
Father: Charles Gilham (b1847 d1900)
Mother: Mary Ann Wood (b1850 d1915)

Military Service:
Walter Albert Gilham attested with the Royal Engineers on the 19th August 1892 and assigned regimental number 26828; he had only recently qualified as a Metal Turner as the 1891 census recorded him as been a Fitter Apprentice.

In March 1894 he married Mary Ann Goodsall in Plumstead, London, and their son also named Walter Albert Gilham was born the following year in 1895.

In September 1894 he qualified as an ‘Engine Driving (Ordinary) Supervisor S.M.E.” and a month later was sent to Gibraltar and returned home in 1899 where he was transferred to the Army Reserves (August 1899) which proved to be short lived.

With the outbreak of the 2nd Anglo Boer War he was recalled to Army Service in October 1899 and sailed for South Africa the following month in November 1899.

In South Africa he was assigned to the 12th Field Company that was in turn assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division.

Royal Engineers – Railways^[1]
Prior to the war there were 4,628 miles (7,448km) of railway track working in direct intercommunication with one another in Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal.

From the start it was evident that the railways would play an important strategic and tactical role in the war and to that effect the British were determined to ensure that they controlled them.

A Department of Military Railways under the direction of Major (later Colonel Sir) E Percy C Girouard (1867-1932), Royal Engineers was set up in October 1899. Its work was divided under the following headings:

1. The control and working of the railways in British territory.
2. Arrangement for the repair of lines damaged by the enemy.
3. The control and working of the lines in Boer territory - once captured the lines were referred to as the 'Imperial Military Railways'.

In December 1899 a Railway Pioneer Regiment (Major (later Major General Sir) John Capper RE) was raised in South Africa, they along with the engineer railway units (8th and 10th Railway Companies and 6th, 20th, 31st and 42nd Fortress Companies) did much work restoring damaged track and bridges, as well as, operating the trains.

The Military Railway Department proved of great importance in transporting the force; for instance during the three weeks from 21 January to 10 February 1900 27,025 men, 13,590 horses and mules and 24,168 tons of stores were carried north on a single line in preparation for the assault on Bloemfontein.

In the retreat from Bloemfontein the Boers did considerable damage to the railway including blowing four major bridges as well as several smaller ones. The 12th and 26th Field Companies along with C Pontoon Troop were called in to assist the units of the Military Railway Department to make good the damage and render the lines fit for use again.

For his efforts in South Africa Walter Albert Gilham was mentioned in Lord Roberts dispatch in November 1900.

Private Life:
Unfortunately whilst Walter was in South Africa his wife, Mary Ann Goodsall, passed away on 25 November 1900 at the age of 25 years old and it’s likely she never lived to see her husbands name in the London Gazette.

Walter returned home to England in June 1902 and was once again transferred to the Army Reserves a year later in June 1903. He was finally discharged from the Army in August 1908.

According to the 1911 census he was working as a Tramway Conductor and unfortunately passed away at the age of 38 years old in Woolwich on the 12th November 1912.

His only son, Walter Albert, also had a short life and passed away at Woolwich in 1915 at 20 years old.

[1] Royal Engineers Museum, Corps History - Part 9