TOPIC:

Walter Galbraith Wight

Civil Surgeon, Natal Volunteer Medical Corps
Surgeon, 16th Stationary Hospital, Elandsfontein - Royal Army Medical Corps - Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Transvaal and South Africa 1901 to W.G. Wight, Surgeon

Walter Wight, according to his obituary was a Scotsman but his Death Notice claims Castlewellan in County Down, Ireland as the place of his birth. The Irish seem to have won with his birth being recorded at Down in Ireland as having been on 4 October 1870 to parents Henry and his wife Agnes born Mallay.

Wight senior held an important position as Division Officer for the Customs and Excise Department, an occupation that took him and his family away from his native Scotland to various places in the United Kingdom which would also account for Walter and his younger brother Adam’s Irish births.



By the time the 1881 census rolled round the family were back in England and living at 2 Grace Cottages in Lambeth, London. The house was a full one with 10 year old Walter joined by siblings Adam (7) and Ronald (4 and born in Lambeth). Mr Wight’s 24 year old sister Mary was also in residence along with boarders (and perhaps colleagues of Mr Wight’s) John Gray and Charles Proctor.

Ten years later and, according to the 1891 census, the Wight family were back in Scotland resident at Glen Leven Villa in Markinch in the county of Fife. Mr Wight was now the Supervisor of Inland Revenue and a 20 year old Walter was an unemployed Draper’s Assistant. Brothers Adam and Ronald had been joined by a new addition to the family in 8 year old Lizzie. As if to declare the family’s prosperity to the world, 22 year old Servant Isabella Kennedy was in attendance.

Things were also looking up for young Walter, in March 1891, he registered for the Preliminary Examination in Arts and on 6 May enrolled in the Medical School of the Faculty of Physical Surgery of the University of Edinburgh. What followed was several years (as any medical student will tell you) of hard slog and application all of which culminated in the conferring of the degrees M.B, C.M. Ed from the Royal College of Surgeons. Wight was now a qualified surgeon.

Initially employed as a Medical Officer with the Bristol and Burma Company he threw the position up with them on the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War in October 1899. This conflict between Boer and Brit cast an unfavourable light on British medical preparations for war. Quite aside from the fact that there weren’t enough Imperial troops in South Africa when war broke out was the added complication of there being not enough medical staff or facilities to treat the wounded and ill that began to stream in soon after the outbreak of hostilities.

Perhaps it was in response to this call that Wight came to South Africa. According to both the Natal Field Force Record and the medal rolls, Wight was initially a Civil Surgeon with the Natal Volunteer Medical Corps – a small but very hard working outfit with a complement of 78 staff under the command of Major James Hyslop. In what capacity he was deployed is unknown – the N.V.M.C. medal roll dated at Pietermaritzburg in August 1901 confirms the issue of his medal with clasps Transvaal and South Africa 1901 whilst under the Remarks column it is stated that he was “With R.A.M.C.”

The Transvaal clasp to his medal was issued off the 13th Stationary Hospital roll, signed at Pinetown Bridge on 15 July 1901.

The remarks column to this roll states that he was “To Elandsfontein on 5 January 1901. This was followed by the medal roll entitled “Attached to Royal Army Medical Corps”, dated 23 September 1901 and stamped “16 General Hospital, Elandsfontein.” The Remarks column on this roll indicate that he “Left for Zuikerbosch Spruit on 23 February 1901.

Although it has been difficult to track Wight’s movements it would seem that he was initially attached to the N.V.M.C. for an unspecified period of time, possibly on loan from the R.A.M.C., whereafter he left for the Transvaal where he was stationed at Elandsfontein for the most part.

But we get ahead of ourselves – having arrived in Natal, Wight was first employed as a District Surgeon in Durban. We have a study by Prinisha Badassy entitled “A Severe Umbilicus: Infanticide and the Concealment of Birth in Natal, 1860 – 1935” to thank for the following snippet of information.

According to the study he was the District Surgeon, Umgeni Division (Durban) in 1899 who was responsible for the final delivery of a child of one “Mongoposa”. According to the medical report compiled “The accused’s mother was a licenced midwife and she was in fact responsible for the scraping of the infant’s scalp. Scalp had a sharp object inserted into it and cause of death was a combination of shock, haemorrhage and exhaustion.”

The father of this child was reputed to be a Ramasamy and it can be assumed that it wasn’t wanted by the mother being the result of an illicit relationship between her and the father who was most likely an indentured Indian labourer.

The war over Wight was removed himself to the Eastern Transvaal where, according to the “Citizen” newspaper of 12 April 1902 he wed: -

“At Cape Town, South Africa on 18 March Walter Galbraith Wight, M.B. C.M., Imperial Railway Medical Officer, Waterval Boven, Transvaal, eldest son of Mr Henry Wight, supervisor of Inland Revenue, Windygates, to Janie, second daughter of Mr John Ward, Rosetta Avenue, Belfast, Ireland.”

Returning to the Eastern Transvaal Wight and his bride set about making a life for themselves - he as a Railway Medical Officer. We have the S.A. Railways and Harbours Magazine to thank for a number of articles in which he appeared. The first of which was in the December 1907 edition (page 767) which features a photograph of a presentation to Mr McConaghy, late District Engineer, Waterval Boven wherein a group of Railway Officers appears. Wight shares pride of place in the middle row with McConaghy.



The second time he made an appearance was in the January 1914 edition - again in a photograph celebrating the opening of the Nelspruit to Sabie line.



The third and penultimate article in which he featured was to be his last and a much more sombre occasion. In an "Appreciation" by R.C. Wallace, Chief Civil Engineer in February 1923 - "Waterval Boven's Loss - Dr W.G Wight, Late Railway Medical Officer," he wrote:

'Dr Walter Galbraith Wight was born in 1879 at Castlewellan, North of Ireland, of Scottish parents. He left Ireland at an early age and was brought up in Scotland, where his aged parents still live in Glasgow. He graduated at Edinburgh University and obtained the degrees of M.B., C.M. During the Anglo Boer War Dr Wight came to South Africa, where he served as Medical officer to the Durban Light Infantry. Soon after the advance of the British forces to the Portuguese frontier he was appointed Medical Officer for the Imperial Military Railways at Komatipoort, thus beginning his long connection of over 22 years with the railways of South Africa. Komatipoort was then a most unhealthy place, and Dr Wight suffered many severe attacks from malaria fever which was then so prevalent.

In August 1901 he was transferred to Waterval Boven, where he resided up to his death. I made the acquaintance of the deceased gentleman when I was stationed there, and our intimacy developed into a close and lasting friendship characteristic of officials who have stationed at that railway centre. During his long residence in Boven he won the respect and esteem of all who came in contact with him, and "the good old doctor," as he came to be known, was loved and trusted by the railway staff, their wives and children.

In 1902 Dr Wight married, at Cape Town, Nursing Sister Ward, who had also served in the war. A highly qualified nurse she has often dealt with cases during the absence of her husband. Since his marriage he and his wife occupied a position in the hearts and affection of the railway staff and the general public along a couple of hundred miles of railway which, I feel sure, was unique. The late R.M.O.'s whole heart and soul was in his work. Many can testify to the unremitting care and attention which he gave equally to all his patients, without distinction of grade or class. Many instances can be given of his devotion to duty. He would often, without going home after a long and arduous journey, proceed to his surgery to make up prescriptions for the sick whom he had visited while out on his section, and it was not at all unusual for him on his return to his headquarters to set out without rest or food to visit patients about whom he was anxious. the Committee of the Railway Sick Fund have always had the greatest respect and esteem for Dr Wight, who discharged his duties as Railway Medical Officer conscientiously and with the utmost devotion and forbearance.

Early in the year my old friend wrote me that he had discovered he was suffering from Bright's disease, but he hoped with care that he would last for another seven years, by which time he hoped to be able to make adequate provision for his wife and child. I saw him soon afterwards, and urged him to take greater care of himself, for with his active disposition and restless energy it was evident that his work was proving too great a strain on him.

A few months prior to his demise he was caught in a terrific hailstorm while on horseback some miles from Waterval Boven. He managed to get to a farmhouse where the kindly inmates lifted him off his horse and put him to bed. The trying experience of that hailstorm was really the beginning of the end. He rallied on several occasions and continued to carry out his duties. It was thought, however, that a change to his farm at Belfast would benefit him, and he went there accompanied by his devoted wife, but he steadily became worse and was brought back to Boven, where there were better facilities for medical treatment.

I saw Dr Wight two days before his death and found a considerable change in him. He was conscious and able, with an effort, to speak clearly. He appreciated the many kind messages I gave him. through being unable to retain any nourishment, his strength was rapidly failing, and it was quite evident that there was very little hope for him and he passed away early on the morning of the 15th December.

The news of Dr Wight's death was received throughout the wide district in which he practiced with the greatest regret and sorrow. The funeral was attended by practically the whole population of Waterval Boven and numerous mourners came from afar."



Another obituary appeared in The Medical Directory of 1923 provided further insight into his movements. The insert read: -

“Wight, Walter Galbraith, Waterval Boven, Vis. Medical Officer Waterval Onder Hospital; Medical Officer and District Surgeon Waterval Boven: Medical Officer Machadadorp - Breyton Railway: late M.O.H. Machadadorp; Medical Officer Witwatersrand Native Labour Association Compound, Waterval Boven; Medical Officer Repatriation Depot, Machadadorp, Civil Surgeon, Boer War, and Medical Officer Imperial Military Railways, Komatipoort.” Quite a CV!

Walter Galbraith Wight passed away at the age of 52 years 2 months on 15 December 1922 in his dwelling at Waterval Boven. He was survived by his wife and only child, Henry Ramsey Wight, born on 4 September 1911. The 23 December 1922 issue of the South African Medical Record went on to tell us what he busied himself with whilst alive. It read as follows: -

“We regret to record the death of this confrere which occurred last week at Waterval Boven, Transvaal.

Dr Wight was a Scotsman, and graduated at Edinburgh in 1897. He came out to this country as a Civil Surgeon during the Boer War, and was for a time in medical charge of the Repatriation Camp at Machadadorp. In 1903 he was appointed Additional District Surgeon at Machadadorp, and in 1905 District Surgeon and Regional Medical Officer at Waterval Boven, where he remained until his death.

A week or two previously to his decease he had been very badly knocked about in a very severe hailstorm. Which overtook him whilst on a professional journey on horseback at a place where he was unable to obtain any shelter, and he never recovered from the shock, which probably hastened his death. He was about 50 years of age.”

A sad end to a great man.

Hi Rory...… Thanks for the story as I can relate to some of those hail storms and large size stones that we get here..... Mike

Rory,

You have added so much detail to what could otherwise have been a 'QSA to a surgeon'.

Thanks to a chance glance through the wonderful DRISA Archive - South African Railways & Harbours Magazine - so much more information about Wight has come to light that I have updated his post to include the new material.