TOPIC:

As a game ranger in the early part of the 20th century, Lightening rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous but he was a humble man in tune with nature and a "fish out of water, in the city.

Ernest Dalton Lightening

Private, Highland Light Infantry,
Gaoler, Natal Police - Anglo Boer War
Gaoler, Natal Police - Bambatha Rebellion
Private, Durban Light Infantry - WWI

- Queen's South Africa Medal with Natal clasp to Gaoler, ED Lightening, Natal Police
- Natal Medal with 1906 clasp to Gaoler, ED Lightening, Natal Police
- 1914/15 Star to Pte. ED Lightening, 1st Infantry
- British War Medal to ED Lightening, 1st Infantry
- Allied Victory Medal to ED Lightening, 1st Infantry

Ernest Dalton Lightening was born in Bareilly in the Dependency of Bengal, India, the son of Charles Lightening a British Army Officer, on 4 February 1875.

Given his father’s occupation one could be tempted to say that, living in India, far from the madding crowd, a young Lightening was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps through the sheer lack of anything else to do. He didn’t disappoint and on 4 March 1892, at the age of 17 years and 1 month, completed the Long Service (12 Years with the Colours) Attestation Form at Fyzabad for service with the Highland Light Infantry.

A physical examination conducted on him at the time revealed that he was 5 feet 5 inches in height, weighed 116 pounds and had a fair complexion, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was a member of the Church of England by way of religious persuasion and had a large dark coloured mole on the right side of his neck by way of distinguishing characteristics.



Having been considered Fit for the Army he was assigned no. 4568 and being underage, the rank of Boy, with the 2nd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry. This rank was changed to Private on 4 February 1893 when he attained his eighteenth birthday. Making good use of his time in uniform Lightening completed his 3rd class Certificate of Education on 1 October 1892 and his 2nd class on 29 November 1892.

Hi fist flirtation with army life was however to be a brief one. He was discharged at Fyzabad at his own request on 20 February 1894 after the payment of £ 18 secured his release and after serving a total of 1 year and 354 days.

Heading for England urban legend (his family) has it that he jumped ship in Durban harbour en route there from India and elected to stay in South Africa. On 19 December 1894, as a young man of 20, he joined the Natal Police as a Gaoler with number 1483. His next of kin he provided as his father, C. Lightening of the Commissary Department, Fyzabad, India (Charles Lightening was a Captain there.) He also claimed to be able to speak Hindustani which would be of benefit to him when dealing with the Indian indentured labourers that had been brought out to Natal to work in the Sugar Cane fields. Physically he was now 5 feet 7 inches with a fair complexion, dark brown hair and brown eyes – little changed from what he looked like two years earlier.

His entry in the Natal Police Register in the Natal Archives refers to a letter from Captain Brown of the 3rd Dragoon Guards as a reference and a Good Discharge rating from the 2nd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry. And so it was that Lightening became a Gaoler with the Natal Police – initially attached to Headquarters in Durban. His early service was not without incident – on 15 February 1895 he was awarded 14 days Confinement to Barracks by the Chief Commissioner for “losing his raincoat” and, on 5 May 1897 he was fined 2/6 for “neglect of duty” by Supt. Bousfield.

There was time for romance as well - on 13 August 1896 he married Ellen Eliza Rawling, born in Truro, Cornwall in 1878, at a private residence in Durban. The marriage certificate clearly stated that Lightening was with the Natal Police, resident in Durban at the time and Ellen was a mere slip of a girl at 18 ½ years old.

Three years later, on 11 October 1899, the Anglo Boer War commenced with the armed forces of the Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State invading Natal. According to the Natal Police medal roll for the Anglo Boer War, Lightening was awarded the Queens South Africa Medal with the Natal clasp for services rendered on behalf of the Colonial Forces. As a Gaoler he was, in all probability, responsible for the incarceration of anyone who was deemed to be sympathetic to the Boer cause.

According to the N.P. Daily Orders book, Lightening, on 30 November 1900, was posted from the Central Gaol in Pietermaritzburg to Estcourt in the Midlands, the scene of the Armoured Train incident two weeks prior to his arrival. The Order book for 19 December 1900 carried two items pertaining to Lightening – in the first instance it was made known that “Warder Lightening, having completed six years’ service in the corps, is permitted to re-engage for a further period of three years. Lightening’s sojourn in Estcourt was a short one – the second reference made to him stated that:

“Warder No. 1483 Lightening of the Central Gaol, Pietermaritzburg, is to be transferred to Eshowe Gaol for temporary duty, from 1 January 1901, pending transfer to Hlabisa Gaol. Prior to proceeding to Eshowe, Warder Lightening is granted 10 days’ leave of absence from 20th instant to Durban.” A railway ticket was provided for himself, along with a concession ticket for his wife and two children.

“On arrival at Durban, Warder Lightening will report himself to Inspector Prendergast, who will provide him with a rail ticket to Tugela. On arrival at Tugela, Warder Lightening will proceed by post-cart to Eshowe.” That Lightening reached his final destination of Hlabisa is confirmed in the Order book report of 28 March 1901 which read that, “Mrs Lightening is appointed Matron of the Gaol at Hlabisa, with effect from 8 February 1901, and will receive remuneration at the rate of 1/- shilling per diem from that date.”

After the Boer War had ended on 31 May 1902, Lightening took a sojourn to England, sailing from Durban to Southampton in May 1903 aboard the "Briton" returning to South Africa in 1905. On this occasion his occupation is listed as Carpenter.

Having resumed service with the Natal Police and still in the capacity of Gaoler, Lightening was part of the Natal Police contingent, under Major A.M. Smith, to see service in the Bambatha Rebellion - a revolt against the imposition of a Poll tax on the native tribal population. He was one of 50 with the rank of Gaoler to be awarded the Natal 1906 with 1906 clasp. By this time he was the Gaoler at Mhlabatini, right in the heart of Zululand, and he would have had any number of Zulu prisoners warming themselves in his small block of cells.

Not long after this, writing from Melmoth on 10 May 1907, he applied to the Magistrate of that town for permission to shoot one Waterbuck bull in the Entonjaneni District of Zululand. The Game Permit was issued by the Magistrate on 23 May 1907 but Lightening's efforts seem to have gone unrewarded as he returned the Permit with the comment that he had shot "nil" animals.

After 20 years of service with the Natal Police in the Prisons section Lightening took his leave in early 1914. Shortly thereafter, on 4 August of that year, war was declared with Germany. Not one to shirk his duty he enlisted, on 24 December 1914, with “F” Company, 2nd Battalion of the Durban Light Infantry for service in German South West Africa with the rank of Private, number 738. His next of kin was given as his wife, Mrs. E.E. Lightening of 20 Ferguson Street, Durban.

On 26 January 1915 the regiment embarked per “GAIKA” for German South West Africa and commenced operations against the Germans as part of the Northern Force. The German South West campaign was characterised by days of endless marching through desert conditions of thin sand and extremely high heat and discomfort for the infantry only to find that the water holes they so desperately needed were poisoned by the departing Germans who also, as a further complication, destroyed the railway line as they retreated.

On 9 July 1915 it was all over with the German surrender at Otavi and Lightening was demobilised and discharged from the army on 18 July 1915 to return home.

For his efforts he was awarded the 1914/15 Star – posted to him on 10 December 1920 as well as the British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal which were posted to him 27 May 1922

After the war Lightening joined the Water Police in Durban, serving in that force for 6 months. Following that, he was employed by the Provincial Roads Department for 3 years and then by the Railway Police at the Point for 12 months.

A bit of a drifter he seems to have battled to settle down to one specific occupation but that all changed in 1920 when he accepted the position of game ranger for Zululand – the only known one at the time.

As Game Ranger, Lightening mingled with and got to know a number of famous people. Under cover of a letter from Government House, Pretoria, dated 29 December 1925, and addressed to his home residence, “Hlabisa Villa”, 20 Ferguson Street, Durban, Captain Hargeaves, the Private Secretary to the Governor General, sent him a hunting knife which “His Excellency the Governor General and Her Royal Highness Princess Alice have asked me to forward to you as a memento of their shoot in Zululand August last.”





In another letter from King’s House, Durban, Geoffrey Hawkins R.N. wrote that Lord Trematon will join them for a buffalo hunt and asking for the services of a guide to get there. Lord Trematon was the son of the Earl of Athlone, the Governor General of South Africa, who was tragically in a car crash on 15 April 1928.

In January 1927, Admiral Sir Geoffrey and Lady Margaret Hawkins wrote from Government House in Pretoria to bid Lightening farewell on their departure from South Africa and thank him for all his assistance.

In yet another letter addressed to Lightening at Zomkomfe Camp, Hluhluwe Reserve Boundary, c/o P.O. Hlabisa, this time from King’s House in Durban and dated 12 August 1930, The Private Secretary wrote ‘I am desired by Lord Athlone to thank you for your letter of 4th August. Both he and Her Royal Highness were very sorry not to have seen you to say goodbye while they were camped in the Reserve. The Governor General wishes me to say that he was fortunate in getting a fine specimen of buffalo’.

Lightening was getting on in years and, at the age of 60 years, he retired from the service of the government. The following is an extract from an article which appeared in the Natal Mercury newspaper of 16 August 1934,

'Mr. Lightening – more widely known as “Mali Ya Vusa” – who has retired at the age of 60, after 40 years’ service with the government, the last 14 as a game ranger, arrived in Durban yesterday. He feels like a fish out of water. For 14 years he has lived in “the wilds” tramping 20 miles a day, relying on his gun for food, sleeping rolled up in blankets at the side of a fire under trees – and now he finds himself in a Durban cottage. “I don’t know what I am going to do with him” Mrs. Lightening said yesterday. “After all these years his ways and mine are quite different. He wants to go to bed at 7 o’ clock and I feel like staying up until eleven. He gets up at four in the morning, and I think seven is early enough for anyone. “Mr. Lightening made no bones about his regret at leaving the game reserves. “It’s hard you know” he said “I’m 60 years old, but I can still walk 20 miles a day without feeling it. When they told me I had to retire I was more sorry than I can say. I had to stop work on July 14, but it was so difficult to leave my little shack in the reserve that I just stayed on for a month.”


Lightening outside his "little shack"

During his career Mr. Lightening shot more than 500 head of game. “But I am not a killer” he said, “I hate shooting a buck unless it is absolutely necessary.”Mr. Lightening finds Durban full of terrors. “It’s more dangerous dodging motorcars in West Street than a while herd of buffalo in Hluhluwe”, he said.

On 30 April 1937, aged 62 and bored with retirement, Lightening took up employment with Hulett’s Refineries in Durban and was featured in an article in The South African Sugar Journal titled "His Home The Jungle; His Friends The Game"

On 17 July 1939 Ernest Dalton Lightening passed away, aged 65 years, at his residence 65 Ferguson Road, Durban. He was survived by his wife and nine children: Alice Muriel Doble, Katherine Maud Hardwick, Edith Lilian Christian, Dorothy Ellen Norman, Ernest Charles Lightning, Jessie Myrtle Holder, George Arthur Lightening and twins, Roger Orlando and Stanley Cecil Lightening. His obituary mentions that the funeral took place at Stellawood Cemetery on July 18 and that he had died after a long illness He was well known in Zululand where he was very popular.

Mrs. Ellen Eliza Lightening passes away, aged 85 on 1 May 1965

I am the grandson of Ernest Lightening and am 72 years of age and living in Canada. I always appreciate receiving information about my grandfather. Thank you very much indeed. Douglas Lightening

Hello Douglas

I am very pleased to hear from you and I would like to continue our discourse "off line" please. Could you send me a PM with your contact details? If you go into your profile you will see that you are able to send Private Messages which I will then receive and respond to.

Regards

Rory

I am also a grandson of Ernest Lightening 65 years of age and living in South Africa. I enjoyed reading about my grandfather. Thank you very much, it was a really enlightening read.

The surname “Lightening” struck a chord as I recently purchased the WW1 BWM / AVM medal pair and Memorial Plaque named Eric Lightening. He was the son of Charles Stratton Lightening and Leonie Opal Lightening, of New Hanover, Natal and presumably a cousin or nephew of Rory’s medal recipient Ernest Dalton Lightening.

Eric Charles Dalton Lightening was killed in action during the 2nd Battle of Ypres on 20 September 1917. For information I attach the auction write up and although the medals are not associated with the ABW I thought his family association warranted a mention.
Clearly he was a brave man and one would expect that, had he not been killed, he would quite likely have been awarded a Military Medal.

Of course I am hoping that a photograph will one day be found !

RobM


Pair – BWM; AVM (Bil) (Pte E.C.D. Lightening. 2nd S.A.I.) Very Fine.
With Memorial Plaque named Eric Lightening

Eric Charles Dalton Lightening was a 19-year-old clerk with the SA Railways & Harbours when he attested in the 2nd SA Infantry in August 1915. His initial rank was Private, amended to Signaller in November 1915.
He was already in England in December 1915: his service card records “Frensham Hill Military Hospital” for an unspecified medical problem.
On 24 September 1917, under the heading “In the Field” Capt Jacobs, O/C of “C” Company, wrote to the Commanding Officer, 2nd SAI:
“The attached recommendations in connection with the recent operations of 20th-22nd inst. (2nd Battle of Ypres) are submitted for your information and consideration”
In his handwriting was:
“No 3056 Pte E C D Lightening – This signaller from “D” Coy. Was attached to me in the frontline and was untiring in making every endeavour to get communication back with his daylight lamp – ultimately, he volunteered to take messages back as a runner, which he did returning from Headqt’rs with a petrol tin of water. He also was most active in attending to the wounded, & in collecting ammunition from casualties. He displayed great bravery & cheerful devotion to duty while under heavy shellfire. On the evening of the 20/9/17, while still in execution of his duty, he was killed by shellfire”

He also attached a note from Sgt G S Fernie, “D” Coy, 2nd Regt, stating:

“The following two names of men I wish to recommend for their courage and good work during the recent operations”

The first name was

“No 3056 Pte E C D Lightening, signaller who, when we had reached our objective, tried several times to get in touch with Batt. HQs and on being unable went down himself and arranged communication.
He also did splendid work as a runner for Lt Lucas before the latter and himself were killed. He went beyond our advanced posts to find out certain information on two occasions”.

Eric Lightening was not officially recognized for his bravery. There was no published Mention in Dispatches nor a Mention in War Office Communiques and, at the time, the Military Medal was not awarded posthumously.

Hi Rob

I almost had a tilt at this on CC when I saw it. When I acquired the Lightening group (and other family medals to Doble) I did a quick search and came up with this below (DNW)



You now have the son's group, I wonder why they were split up and where the father's group is?

Regards

Rory