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Here is the write up thus far to my one and only purchase on City Coins.

5109 Cpl E. White, 7th M.I, 2nd Hampshire Regiment, MID
(WIA and later DOW)

Born: 4 December 1879
Died: 16 May 1901

Was his action worthy of a DCM??

Ernest White was the son of James and Ellen White and was born in St Georges, London on the 04th December 1879. This union eventually produced eight children with Ernest being the second youngest.

The Head of the Household, James was employed as a Coachman and may have ran his own business in the trade/profession and while no profession is noted for Ellen one can assume that she was a very busy lady attending to all the many family issues that come with raising a large family. James, we can also presume, must have been rather all right being able to support all those mouths; perhaps he was indeed the owner of a profitable business.

Little is known of our Ernest in his infant years but by the time of the 1881 census, he was living with his parents and siblings at 36 Kinnerton Street, Knightsbridge, London. It is to be expected that whilst the family was busy with life little Ernest would have been crawling around at home getting into all types of trouble.

We next hear of Ernest at the time of the 1891 census, by this time the family have moved to 8 Cadogan Place, Hans Town, Chelsea, London. The family has also grown smaller as most of the older children have by now left home. Only the parents, Ethel, Ernest and Alice are now living under the same roof. Ernest is listed as an eleven-year-old Scholar.

Ernest we can assume completed his schooling in the area and had by 1897 decided that the military offered an adventure worth pursuing. We must remember that in the mid to late 1800’s the British Empire was growing in leaps and bounds, and this offered the adventurous man an opportunity to see the world.

Ernest duly attested into the Hampshire Regiment on the 3rd August 1897 in London. This information is gleaned from the “Record of Deceased Soldiers Effects”. No attestation papers for Ernest White seem to have survived.

I cannot find Ernest on any other medal rolls so one can assume from this that the Boer War was his only campaign. So after a few years serving at Home, Ernest and the rest of the 2nd Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment sailed to South Africa. They sailed on the Assaye and departed Southampton on the 04th January 1900. After approximately 3 weeks at sea they arrived in Cape Town on the 23rd January 1900.

The 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment formed part of the reinforcements that were sent out to South Africa in early 1900. They with the 2nd Norfolk Regiment, the 2nd Lincolns and the 1st K.O.S.B were part of the 14th Brigade of the 7th Division that was commanded by Brigadier General Tucker.

Shortly after arriving at the Cape the 2nd Hampshire travelled by train to the front where “F” Company under the command of Major Norman Welch was detached to join the 7th Mounted Infantry.

We do know that Ernest White was part of the 7th M.I and as such and unlike the rest of the Regiment that was not detached they were involved in heavy fighting at Ramdam, Waterval Drift and Jacobsdal. The Regiments first casualties of the war occurred at Waterval Drift. The 7th M.I was also in action at Paardeberg and were present at the surrender of General Cronje on the 27th February 1900.

With Cronje’s surrender, Lord Roberts made short work of occupying Bloemfontein. There followed a few weeks of inactivity as the British reorganized their transport and communications.

The 2nd Hampshire M.I was however caught in an ambush during this time at Sannah’s Post where several members were killed including Lt Geary.

The Regiment was involved in some swift and heavy fighting around Karee Siding north of Bloemfontein during the later part of March 1900. The 2nd Hampshire Regiment occupied Johannesburg on the 31st May 1900 and marched past Lord Roberts. The 7th M.I as well as the 2nd M.I were constantly in action at this time and were involved in the successful action at Doornkop which helped seal Johannesburg’s fate.

With the fall of Pretoria the 2nd Hampshire regiment was garrisoned in Pretoria until April 1901 but there was no such rest for the 2nd and 7th Hampshire M.I.

Both detachments were involved at Diamond Hill on the 11th June 1900 and in the Brandwater Basin on 31st July 1900 where 4000 Boer surrendered. Ernest could well have be involved in November 1900 during the sweeps in the Eastern Free State that helped corner General Christiaan De Wet and his force at Bothaville. There was some fierce fighting here but De Wet managed to escape with many men.

The 7th M.I were involved with many skirmishes in the Free State and they relieved Dewetsdorp on the 23rd November 1900. These efforts in the Free State would continue for months and on the 23rd March 1901 whilst in the Free State and near a place called Clocolan, a man was sent forward to reconnoiter the area. It was whilst he was dismounted that the Boers came down to fire on the man. Cpl Ernest White galloped ¾ mile to get him before the Boers did. Ernest made the mistake of dismounting himself and at some point he was shot through the stomach. Ernest was sent to Bloemfontein for treatment but sadly succumbed to his wounds six weeks later. He died of these wounds on the 16th May 1901 and was buried in the Bloemfontein Garden of Remembrance. He must have suffered greatly during these six weeks!!

The publication “A Soldier’s Diary” written by Sgt Murray Cosby Jackson who had also served in the 7th M.I and who was a witness to the events describes the incident as it happened. This incident can be found on pages 192-196.

This incident was bought to the attention of General C. Knox.

Cpl Ernest White was duly mentioned in General Knox’s despatch dated 9th April 1901 and the mention was later published in the London Gazette dated 9thJuly 1901.

From General C. Knox’s special despatch of 9 April 1901

Hampshire Regiment (7th Mounted Infantry) Corporal E White; near Colcolan, Orange River Colony, a man sent forward to reconnoiter having been dismounted and Boers coming down to take him, Corporal White galloped out three quarters of a mile to him. Whilst getting him on his horse he was himself shot through the stomach; his action, however, kept enemy off, both got in later.

As is the norm, the NOK is entitled to the deceased soldiers effects. Ernest had nominated that Alice his youngest sister was to be his Next of Kin. As such she duly received the sum of £ 40,9,10 on the 17th April 1902.

The 1901 Census that took place on The 1st April 1901 makes for interesting reading. As we know, Ernest was in South Africa and had been WIA a week earlier so he would not have been recorded. The rest of the siblings had by now all gone their separate ways. Ellen the mother had passed away. James, the father now aged 59 years was noted as a widow and living with his elderly parents, John and Jane White. They were 79 and 80 years old respectively and resided at No 10 Gosport Road in Chawnton. He was recorded as being employed as a non-domestic Groom.

Ernest White was obviously well liked and respected in his hometown of Chawton as a very ornate memorial to him was erected in the local church grounds. The cost of the memorial being covered by the locals and by the Hampshire Regiment.

Ernest’s full medal entitlement is the single QSA with 5 clasps:

Relief of Kimberley
Paardeberg
Johannesburg
Diamond Hill
South Africa 1901

It would appear from WO 100/187 page 430 that his medal was issued on the 02/04/1907

The medal and clasps are confirmed on the following rolls:

WO100/187 page 356
WO100/187 page 419
WO100/187 page 430

A great biography for a brave man, which brings home the consequences of being wounded in the stomach in those days. A miserable way to die.
Steve