TOPIC:

Medals to those who served in the various Town Guards are often underrated with those to the more "fancied" regiments being preferred. I am of the view that they too have a story to tell - one such was Arthur Bright who survived the Boer War only to perish from the effects of Malaria in WWI

Arthur Bright

Private, Port Elizabeth Town Guard – Anglo Boer War
Driver, South African Services Corps (Mechanised Transport) – WWI (Died in Service)

- Queens South Africa Medal to 8 Pte. A. Bright, P. Elizabeth T.G.
- British War Medal to Dvr. A. Bright, S.A.S.C.
- Victory Medal to Dvr. A. Bright, S.A.S.C.

Arthur Bright was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire in 1864 the son of Joseph Bright a Clerk and Insurance Secretary with the Sheffield School Board and his wife Hannah, born Baker. He was baptised on 11 May 1864.

Seven years later, at the time of the 1871 England census, Bright was at home with his family at 129 Highfield Terrace in Ecclesall Burlow, Sheffield. The family was a large one but there was one noticeable absence, Mrs Bright had passed away leaving her 39 year old husband a widow with the following children – Clement (16), Alan (14), Robert (13), Mary (11), Catherine (10), Grace (8), Gertrude (5) and Ethel (6 months). To help look after the brood Mr Bright’s 71 year old mother was at home along with two servant girls – sisters’ Elizabeth and Catherine Flather.

Ten years later at the time of the 1881 England census the family had moved to Dore in Derbyshire. Mr Bright was now a prosperous Estate Broker and Agent and had remarried giving Arthur and his many siblings a step-mother by the name of Elizabeth Anne. Arthur (18) was now the oldest at home and was a Commercial Clerk at an Iron Works by occupation. Mr Bright senior seemed hell-bent on tiring his new wife out, burdening her with no fewer than five children since they had wed.

Possibly the thought of coming home to be surrounded by so many mewling babies prompted Bright to seek greener pastures – he headed for the sunny climes of South Africa settling in the bustling Eastern Cape settlement of Port Elizabeth in the last decade of the 19th century. On 30 June 1897 he married Rosina (Rose) Elizabeth Williams and the couple settled down to the task of making a family.

11 October 1899 saw the outbreak of war between the two Dutch Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and Great Britain. Initially this conflict was confined to the western Cape and northern Natal colonies but Boer incursions into the Eastern Cape became more pronounced as they sought a way to the coast.

Many towns, Port Elizabeth included, mobilised their citizens into newly formed Town Guards - by 17 January 1900 the local Harbour Board had formed a company for the defence of its own area coinciding with a call to Major Herbert M Smith to form a Town Guard – he called a meeting on 5 February for this express purpose. This meeting was held in the Feather Market Hall and attracted no fewer than 900 volunteers who sent in their names – they were a motley assortment – clerks, shop keepers, business men and artisans alike came forward. Bright was one of the first to volunteer and was assigned no. 8 and the rank of Private.

These men were formed into eight companies of 100 men each and it was explained to them the conditions under which they would serve – that they would be a purely voluntary organisation under the command of an efficient officer. It was also stated that their services would most likely not be required but that they must stand in readiness for any eventuality and were to be issued with a rifle and ammunition. The eight Companies were designated by the letters A to H – the E and F Companies comprised of Harbour Board employees with G Company being Cape Government Railway employees. No uniforms were provided but the men were informed that these could be purchased from the Ordnance Store.

Throughout 1900 regular drills were held in the Feather Market Hall but interest dwindled – the war was now seen to be going well elsewhere in the country but then things took an alarming turn with the Boers resorting to guerrilla tactics. Infiltration by small Boer commandos became commonplace leading to the Town Guard being sworn in on the same basis as troops on active service. A special parade of all Companies was called on 14 January 1901 where a call was made for volunteers to go out to Van Staden’s to guard the Waterworks.

The remaining men were assigned to the newly created Mounted Town Guard or, as in the case of Bright, a Cyclists Corps – the members of which were used mainly for carrying messages between the various units. The Town Guard continued its duties until the signing of the peace on 31 May 1902 – these included providing guards for the concentration camps, for military, railway and harbour installations and also providing escorts for armoured trains. The Town Guard was disbanded at a Grand Parade held in the Feather Market Hall on 23 October 1902. As the Boer threat – it proved to be very real with Smuts’ Commando coming as close to Port Elizabeth as the nearby hamlet of Kirkwood.

With the war now over Bright returned to his civilian pursuits only to have these rudely interrupted in August 1914 with the outbreak of the Great War. Clearly lying about his age (he claimed to be 44 years old but was in reality 52) he attested for service at Roberts Heights in Pretoria with the Mechanical Transport section of the South African Service Corps on 28 August 1916. Providing his address as 22 Pearston Road, Port Elizabeth he confirmed that he was married with four children and that he was a Commercial Traveller by occupation. He confirmed having served in the Boer War and was physically 5 feet 4 inches, weighing 154 pounds and with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Having been found Fit for service he was assigned no. MT 2560 and the rank of Driver.

Destined for the German East Africa theatre of the war he embarked aboard the “Ingoma” at Durban on 16 September 1916 disembarking at Dar-es-Salaam a few days later. Like almost all men of European extraction the war in East Africa was an unpleasant experience. The foe was not only the Germans and their Askaris but also the climate and vegetation, both of which claimed more lives than the barrel of a gun. Malaria was the No. 1 killer followed by Black water fever, dysentery and other maladies that sapped the strength of the men and prostrated them physically.

Bright was no exception and, on 29 January 1917 succumbed to Malaria at Mukuni being admitted to 52 Casualty Clearing Station before being transferred to Morogoro. His condition not improving he was moved first to 15 Stationary Hospital before being discharged to duty on 3 February 1917.

Still not fully recovered he was transferred to Dar-es-Salaam in early February from where, in March he was sent back to the Union aboard the Hospital Ship “Delta” disembarking at Cape Town on 12 March 1917. Immediately admitted to No. 2 General Hospital in Maitland Bright was discharged to three months Sick Leave on 6 April reporting to a Convalescent Camp at Roberts Heights outside Pretoria on 9 July whereupon his Sick Leave was extended for a further three months.

On return he was discharged as being Permanently Unfit to return to 168 Russell Road in Port Elizabeth. On 11 May 1918 he was admitted to the Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital where he was to remain until passing away on 29 August 1918. He had never recovered from a virulent strain of Malaria that had cost him his life. The cause of death was however, recorded as Tuberculosis. The Medical Report conducted on him on 2 April 1917 stated that he had been suffering with Malaria from December 1916 and that he “had five attacks of fever and became so debilitated that he was unable to do his work and went on staff work. Altogether had been in hospital three times and had one attack of dysentery.”

The form completed on his death revealed his true age to be 54 years and the cause to have been aggravated by both military service and his civil employment. Today he is remembered with honour at the Port Elizabeth (South End) Cemetery.