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Picture courtesy of Spink

Egypt (2) The Nile 1884-85, Suakin 1885 (41/1806. Pte. J. Moody. 1/Berks. R.);
QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (31701 Pte. J. Moody. 62nd Coy Imp: Yeo:);
Khedive's Star 1884

One of only 5 men of the Berkshire Regiment to win clasps for both The Nile 1884-85 and Suakin 1885.

Joseph William Moody was born at 10 Willaim Street, St. Peters Parish, East Islington, the son of William and Emma Moody. Attesting for the 49th Foot at St. Georges Barracks, he was posted to them at Dover on 2 September 1879. After several overseas postings he arrived in Egypt and was present with the British forces at Kafr-ed-Daur. Here they screened the British beachhead at Alexandria from Egyptian troops and engaged them on several occasions in August 1882.

Leaving Egypt after the Anglo-Egyptian War in May 1883 the Regiment was stationed at Gibraltar, they soon returned however as public pressure forced the formation of a Khartoum relief expedition. Moody is listed upon the roll as serving with the Headquarters Staff south of Korosko on 7 March 1885 and it was for this that he qualified for the Nile bar. After the failure of the expedition, he joined the Regimental Reserve Depot at Suakin, returning to Britain on 7 July 1885.

Moody joined the Army Reserve on 29 August 1885 and served on untiled 28 August 1895 when he was discharged at Reading. Attesting with the Imperial Yeomanry at Pall Mall Deposit, Carlton Street, London and listing his job as cabdriver, he was posted to the 62nd Company (Middlesex), Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa on 23 March 1901.

Stationed at Rhenosterspruit on 30 November 1901 Moody was slightly wounded in the right hip in action. Recovering at Pretoria Convalescent Camp he was back with his unit in January 1902 and served until 4 August 1902. Moody was discharged on 11 August 1902.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

Afghanistan (0) (Lieut. A. G. Holland, 15th Hussrs.);
Egypt, undated reverse (1) The Nile 1884-85 (Capt: A. G. Holland. 15/Husrs.);
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Lt. Colonel A. G. Holland. 13/Impl. Yeo.) officially engraved naming;
Khedive’s Star, dated 1884-6

Arthur Gambier Holland was born on 10 September 1848, at Springfield, St. Helens, Ryde, Isle of Wight. The son of George Henry and Charlotte Holland, he was first appointed Cornet in 1869, and commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 24 July 1869, spending 27 years with the regiment. He was raised Lieutenant on 18 October 1871; Captain on 29 April 1879; Major on 12 June 1889; and Lieutenant-Colonel (half pay) on 10 September 1896. Holland first served in Afghanistan with the Quetta and Kandahar Field Forces, taking part in the advance on and occupation of Kandahar and Khelat-i-Ghilzai; operations in Yarkistan; action near Takht-i-Pul (with the Thul Chottiali Field Force), gaining a Mention in Despatches at Takht-i-Pul, when his squadron, on 4 January 1879, surprised and defeated a superior force of some 400 enemy cavalry (Despatches 7 November 1879); and the relief of Kandahar. During the second part of the campaign, he served with the 15th Hussars in General Phayre's Division. Subsequently, he saw service in the Transvaal campaign during the first Boer War of 1881, for which no medal was ever issued. During the Nile expedition of 1884-5, Captain Holland commanded the detachment of 2 Officers and 42 men of the 15th Hussars which formed part of the Light Camel Regiment, taking part in the operations with the Desert Column, including the engagement at Abu Klea Wells on 16-17 February 1885. However, he and his men were not entitled to the clasp for the action at Abu Klea on 17 January as they were just outside the area of operations for which the clasp was awarded.

Holland came out of retirement and volunteered for Boer War service, being appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, 13th Imperial Yeomanry on 21 February 1900. The 13th Battalion consisted of 45th (Dublin Hunt), 46th (Belfast), 47th (Duke of Cambridge's Own or Lord Donoughmore's) and 54th (Belfast) Companies. The Battalion was known by Roberts as the 'Irish Yeomanry’; however, the 47th Company, formed by Lord Donoughmore, who had been Commander-in-Chief of the Army for 39 years to 1895, was made up of 'men of gentle birth and wealth', who, in order to join the Company, had been required to pay £130 towards the cost of a horse, their own equipment and passage to South Africa, and to donate their pay to the Imperial War Fund for the Widows and Orphans of Soldiers.

The 13th Battalion embarked for South Africa in February 1900 and was ordered to join Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Colville's 9th Division at Ventersburg as mounted infantry reinforcements. However, the unit was delayed waiting for forage and Colville left Ventersburg on 24 May 1900 without them. The Battalion was then ordered to Kroonstad and later redirected to Lindley, where on arrival on 27 May 1900, was soon engaged, coming under fire from parties of Boers around the town. Colonel Spragge, the Commanding Officer, withdrew a short distance from Lindley to the point at which he had left his baggage, established a defensive position atop a group of hills and immediately sent a messenger to Colville, requesting assistance. Colville, considering that his force was too weak to be divided, pressed on with his advance and ordered Colonel Spragge to retire to Kroonstad. Colonel Spragge had also sent requests for assistance to Lieutenant General Rundle, some 40 miles south of Lindley, and he immediately set about relieving the pressure on Spragge's force, but was held up at Senekal.

Meanwhile, on 28 May 1900, the Boers began their assault on Spragge's position and for the next two days the 13th Battalion concentrated on maintaining its ground. However, on the evening of 29 May 1900, Piet de Wet arrived with reinforcements, bringing the Boer force surrounding the 13th Battalion up to some 2,500 men and most importantly, also brought with him four artillery guns, which were to effectively seal the fate of the Yeomanry Battalion. Colonel Spragge, finding that the grazing for his horses was becoming restricted, ordered Lieutenant Hugh Montgomery and 16 men of the 46th Belfast Company to seize a kopje 2,000 yards to the west of their position, from which Boer marksmen were causing problems. The sortie was a failure and Lieutenant Montgomery and his men were taken prisoner. The next morning, Lord Longford and 40 men of the 45th Dublin Company were sent to take the same kopje and following a bayonet charge, they succeeded. At this point, however, the Boers brought their artillery into action and Colonel Spragge's position began to deteriorate. On 31 May 1900, the Boers attacked the kopje and the Yeomanry began to fall back. Colonel Spragge sent reinforcements to this line, but stated that ‘an irresponsible Corporal raised a white flag and in the confusion the kopje fell’. On seeing the white flag Captain Robin ordered a cease-fire, and as the Yeomanry position was now overlooked and their Colt gun had been put out of action, Colonel Sprage decided to surrender to avoid unnecessary loss of life. Roberts in the meantime had ordered Methuen and Colville to relieve the Yeomanry, but they arrived two days too late on 2 June 1900.

Colonel Spragge, Lieutenant-Colonel Holland and the surviving members of the 13th Battalion were taken Prisoner of War; the casualties suffered by the Battalion at Lindley amounted to one officer and 15 men killed in action, 5 officers and 37 men wounded, and 21 officers and 440 men taken Prisoner of War. Holland was second in command of the battalion under Colonel B. Spragge, who was subsequently cleared of blame at the enquiry which followed some months later at Barberton on 25 September 1900. Lieutenant-Colonel Holland, who had been released from captivity, went on half pay on 21 October 1900.

Lord Roberts said of the disaster: ‘I consider General Colville mainly responsible for the surrender of the Irish Yeomanry and would not let him retain his command.’ Subsequently, in December 1900, Broderick, the new Secretary of State for War, announced that he agreed with Roberts that Colville was ultimately responsible for the surrender at Lindley. Colville was consequently removed from command at Gibraltar and when he would not retire he was made to do so.

djb wrote:

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (2) Cape Colony, Orange Free State (Lieut. M. Bagshawe. 8 Co. 4/Impl. Yeo.) engraved naming

M Bagshawe served with the 8th (Derbyshire) Company, 4th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry.

Hello everyone,
I recently acquired Bagshawe's QSA (above) and have been researching him. So far, I have not been able to find his Attestation Form or Service Record. If anyone can help me locate them, I would be most grateful. I'm also trying to find a photo of the gentleman, but there doesn't seem to be one online; again, any help would be most welcome and appreciated.
Thank you very much in advance,
John
Verified on WO100/121p203, dated 20 June 1901. A note says 'Still serving in South Africa. Remount officer at Stellenbosch'.

Morning John,

Couple of comments - in my experience one can never find attestation papers and service records for officers who served in the ABW.

Last night I began to wonder if your man was William Murray Cardwell Greaves Bagshawe but as his May 1901 death at sea did not accord with somebody still at Stellenbosch in June 1901 and my brain cells had shut down I switched my computer off and went to bed. However, I now see you have reactivated Berenice's post regarding the gentleman in question. So, when I have sorted it out I will post what I have discovered about him there - the 1901 accounts of his disappearance at sea do not altogether tally with the 1905 account Berenice found and definitely no mention of Canadian ladies. Personally I think he may well have committed suicide but the stiff lipped British of 1901 would not accuse one of their fellows of such an un-christian and illegal act unless there was definite proof. Not good form y'know.

Regards, David.

Smethwick wrote: Morning John,

Couple of comments - in my experience one can never find attestation papers and service records for officers who served in the ABW.

Last night I began to wonder if your man was William Murray Cardwell Greaves Bagshawe but as his May 1901 death at sea did not accord with somebody still at Stellenbosch in June 1901 and my brain cells had shut down I switched my computer off and went to bed. However, I now see you have reactivated Berenice's post regarding the gentleman in question. So, when I have sorted it out I will post what I have discovered about him there - the 1901 accounts of his disappearance at sea do not altogether tally with the 1905 account Berenice found and definitely no mention of Canadian ladies. Personally I think he may well have committed suicide but the stiff lipped British of 1901 would not accuse one of their fellows of such an un-christian and illegal act unless there was definite proof. Not good form y'know.

Regards, David.

Good morning David,
Thanks for the quick reply and I look forward to reading the other thread. Suicide crossed my mind, and you’re absolutely right that it would have been a stain on the family et al. On to the other thread. Thanks again and all the best,
John