TOPIC:

Harold Edgar Weakley

Private, Queenstown Rifle Volunteers and Field Intelligence Department – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Wittebergen and Transvaal to 426 Pte. H. Weakley, Queenstown R.V.
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to 426 Pte. H. Weakley, Queenstown R.V.

Harold Weakley’s second wife couldn’t have known his past very well. She completed his Death Notice stating that he had been born in England but, in point of fact, he was of 1820 Settler stock born in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape on 5 October 1885 the son of Arthur Palmer Weakley and his wife Laura Beatrice.

Lying about his age as many young chaps did; Weakley enrolled with the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers on 4 October 1899 and was assigned the rank of Private with no. 426. What prompted this move is unknown but perhaps word had reached the sleepy border town where he lived that war between the Boer Republics to the north and Great Britain was about to break out. If this was trued then he didn’t have long to wait – war erupted a week later on 11 October and, although the initial focus of the Boer invasion was Natal and parts of the Cape Colony to the west of the Free State, it wasn’t long before incursions were being made by marauding Boers into the Eastern Cape.

But who were the Q.R.V. and what role were they to play in the conflagration?

In the reports by General Sir Forestier Walker, dated 17th and 26th October 1899, the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers, strength 245, were stated to be part of the garrison of that town, and they were then mobilised and under arms. After General Gatacre arrived the corps, slightly increased in strength, were under his command and did useful service, freeing the regular troops for action at the front. As time went on the authorities came to think more highly of the various Colony Volunteer Battalions, and when Brabant was clearing the Dordrecht - Jamestown district in February and March 1900, the Queenstown Volunteers formed part of his force. At about this time, in early 1900, Weakley was recorded as serving with the Queenstown Detachment as a Special Guard although quite what this implied is not known.

The Q.R.V. were not with Colonel Dalgety in Wepener in April, but under General Brabant took part in the operations for the relief of the brave garrison although there was no clasp awarded to them: thereafter they formed part of the Colonial Division in the advance northwards. The corps seems to have always done well.

After Prinsloo had surrendered, the Queenstown Volunteers continued to operate in the Orange River Colony, and in August General Kelly-Kenny issued the following Order: "The Lieutenant General commanding the Line of Communications wishes the following incident to be made known throughout his command. Colonel Ridley, Imperial Yeomanry, with about 240 men mostly Colonial Troops—Queenstown Volunteers—while engaged in a reconnaissance north-east of Winburg on August 23rd was cut off and surrounded by 1500 of the enemy with three guns. Ridley and his little force, notwithstanding two days' shelling and rifle fire, and three nights' sniping, held their position until relieved. The enemy twice demanded his surrender without avail. His loss was 30 killed and wounded.

The Lieutenant General brings this gallant defence to the notice of his command with the view of showing how a few determined men, skilfully commanded, can hold their own even in an unprepared position, much more so in positions carefully entrenched such as ours". Lord Roberts in his telegram of 26th August also referred to the engagement with satisfaction, and praised the defence. Three of the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers were killed and 14 wounded, including Lieutenant C Smith. In his despatch of 10th October 1900, paragraph 43, Lord Roberts mentioned that "on the 27th August a Boer force, 1400 strong, under Olivier, attacked Winburg. They were repulsed by Bruce Hamilton, 29 prisoners being taken, including Olivier and his three sons, who were captured by a small detachment of the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers". Nothing could be more creditable than these two references.

Towards the close of 1900 and in 1901 a company, mounted, of the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers was in Colonel Crewe's column which operated in the Orange River Colony and afterwards in Cape Colony. The company were present in the severe fighting about Tabaksberg towards the end of January 1901. They then took part in the weary pursuit of De Wet, and the endless chasing and fighting which resulted in his being driven from Cape Colony. That Weakley was part of this Mounted Company was confirmed by the regimental muster book where the annotation “M” (for Mounted) features next to his name.

Many colonial’s departed for home after 1901 but Weakley was in it for the long haul. Having served operationally with the Q.R.V. until 7 April 1902 he then joined the Field Intelligence Department as a Guide and was thus in a position to add the Transvaal clasp to his Queens Medal. This clasp was claimed later and would account for it being included out of sequence on his medal. Having served consecutively for more than eighteen months he was also awarded the Kings South Africa Medal.

The war over Weakley returned to his civilian pursuits after 16 June 1902 which, given the area he came from, most likely involved farming. He was discharged from the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers in late 1903 thereby severing any further connection with the unit. In later life he became a prosperous Greengrocer in Cathcart Road in his home town of Queenstown suffering the loss of his first wife, Maude Christine Weakley (born Pearsall) on 11 September 1941. He remarried taking for his wife, Christina Maud Stevens (formerly Joubert) at Uitenhage. Between the two wives they bore him no fewer than 11 children.

Harold Weakley passed away at his home, No. 8 Grey Street, Queenstown on 16 March 1946 at the age of 61 years and 5 months survived by his second wife and multitudinous children.

Lovely pair Rory and fabulous write-up and pictures.

Rory
Thank you for sharing. I wonder if Harold was related to the recently deceased Dave?
Regards
Brett

With Harold having "sired" 11 children there is a strong chance that there is consanguinity of a sort Brett!

Regards

Rory

I had to join this forum after doing a bit of geneology - Harold Edgar Weakley was my great Grandfather. I shared your story with my Mum (Harold was her Grandfather) and this is what she commented:

Very Interesting. However all his 11 children were by his first wife.Also my parents and my first home was the flat above the Cathcart Greengrocers which my Grandfather owned. On our birthdays I went to the shop and he opened the wooden drawer and gave me a sixpence. A vast sum for a little girl as you could buy an ice cream for a farthing in those days at the ice Shop opposite!

Nice to see a bit of history pop up!