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Nicholas Cahill

Trooper, South African Light Horse – Anglo Boer War
Trooper, 2nd Imperial Light Horse
Corporal, 26 Squadron, (South African) Royal Flying Corps – WWI

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and South Africa 1901 to 26554 Tpr. N. Cahill, S.A. Lt. Horse
- British War Medal to Cpl. N. Cahill, S.A.S.R.F.C.
- Victory Medal to Cpl. N. Cahill, S.A.S.R.F.C.

Nicholas Cahill was born in St. Brelade, on the Channel Island of Jersey in 1874, the son of Irish immigrant Thomas Cahill, a Porter by occupation, and his wife Bridget. Our first glimpse of Nicholas comes courtesy of the 1881 Channel Island census where Nicholas, aged 7, was at home with his 40 year old mother, earning her living as a Char Woman, and older brother, William John Cahill (9) – sadly, Mr Cahill was no more, having passed away in the intervening period since Nicholas’ birth. The family lived at 2 Ordinance Road, St. Helier.


Pier Road with Fort Regent in the background

At the age of 14, Nicholas got in to a spot of bother which could have affected his health. The Jersey Weekly Press on 15 September 1888 relayed the story under the banner “Serious Accident To Two Boys” – it read thus:

“A serious accident befell two boys named Nicholas Cahill and Michael Kelly, aged respectively 14 and 9 years, while blackberrying at the west of Fort Regent on Sunday afternoon. They were standing at the edge of the quarry overlooking Pier-road, when Cahill’s foot slipped and he fell over. He caught hold of his companion, evidently with the object of saving himself, and dragged him over with him, both lads falling into the field below, a distance of 35 feet.

Cahill sustained a severe compound fracture of the jaw, and Dr. A.C. Godfray. Who was called to see him, placed him in a carriage, and proceeded with him to the General Hospital where his injury was attended to. Kelly was picked up senseless, and carried to the Military Hospital, but it was afterwards ascertained that the extent of his injury was not so great as had been feared, though it is feared that his spine has been affected, while he was severely shaken and, may have also suffered internally.

He was conveyed in an ambulance to the hospital at about 8 o’ clock in the evening. He had only left that institution a few days ago. It was reported on Monday that one of the lads had succumbed to his injuries, but happily we are able to contradict this rumour, having learnt at the Hospital that both sufferers appear to be making fair progress.”

Having made it through this ordeal, Cahill matured into manhood, taking for his bride, at some point in the late 1890’s, Ellen Dunn. Tragically, this marriage was to be short-lived with Ellen passing away at the young age of 28 years and 2 months. The Jersey Independent brought us this terrible news in their 17 March 1900 edition. It was probably this, more than any other reason, that prompted Cahill to take his young son, William, pack up his bags and head for South Africa. There was very little left for him at home, besides heart ache and memories.

The South Africa Cahill was headed for was at war. He would have known this as, since October 1899, the British press had little else of import to talk about. Having arrived in South Africa he enlisted with the South African Light Horse for service, with no. 26554 and the rank of Trooper. By the time Cahill’s war started the seminal engagements of Spioenkop and Peter’s Hill had been fought and Ladysmith had finally been relieved. Buller and his army, refreshed, had pushed on after a lull to gather their strength and had gradually and inexorably dislodged the Boers from the Colony of Natal.

This was now the second phase of the war and the regiment was mainly employed in the Orange River Colony. Together with Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, the SALH were railed to Bloemfontein, and were sent to occupy a line of posts between Thabanchu and Ladybrand, east of the capital. De Wet was then trying to get into Cape Colony, but was headed off by Charles Knox and driven north again. The bulk of the Boers broke through the line above-mentioned and got away to the Senekal district, but in his telegram of 15th December Lord Kitchener was able to say that the SALH and Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry captured one 15-pounder taken at Dewetsdorp, one pom-pom, several wagons of ammunition, 22 prisoners, and some horses and mules.

Soon after this the SALH and Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry were, with other troops, railed to Cape Colony to operate against Kritzinger and other leaders. Both regiments took part in many a memorable pursuit. In January 1901 the SALH was constantly in touch with the enemy, and on the 16th, in the Murraysburg district of Cape Colony, a detachment acting as advance guard became engaged with a strong force of the enemy. In February De Wet himself with a considerable force got into the Cape Colony, but being hotly and constantly pressed by numerous columns, including Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry and the SALH, he was driven out again on the 28th February minus 200 prisoners, all his guns, wagons, and ammunition.

The SALH remained in Cape Colony during March and April and did much hard work. Both regiments were brought back to the Orange River Colony, and in May four squadrons of the Light Horse, under Major Hogarty, captured 31 armed burghers with their horses at Luckhoff. Having served his six months, Cahill took his leave of the regiment on 16 July 1901, time expired, and took no further part in the war.

Post-war, Cahill must have taken a trip to England as he is next sighted as a 3rd class passenger aboard the “Guelph” departing Southampton for South Africa on 2 July 1909. His port of disembarkation was Cape Town and his occupation was that of a Tramways Inspector.

The next event of significance was the advent of the Great War – on 4 August 1914 Germany and her allies pitted their weight against the might of Great Britain and her allies, with the Commonwealth coming out on the side of the Empire. On July 9 1915, the German Forces in German South West Africa surrendered to Louis Botha at Otavifontein and, no longer required, the fledging South African Aviation Corps that had made their presence felt there, was disbanded. Those personnel that volunteered to continue service were shipped to England. There they were banded together at Nethervon on 8 October 1915 to form 26 (South Africa) Squadron. The origins of the Squadron are clearly revealed in its badge. The head of a Springbok forms the centre piece, surrounded by the motto is in Afrikaans. “’n Wagter in die Lug” (‘A Watcher in the Sky”). It was to this outfit that Cahill gravitated, after an initial stint with the 2nd Imperial Light Horse.



Completing the attestation papers for enlistment with the South African Overseas Expeditionary Contingent at Cape Town on 8 September 1915, he confirmed that he was 37 years old, a Rigger by occupation and that he was a Widower. His address was provided as Box 699 Johannesburg and he confirmed his prior service with the South African Light Horse and the 2nd I.L.H. Physically he was 5 feet 10 inches in height, weighed 158 pounds and had a florid complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He also sported tattoo marks on both arms. The following day, he was found fit for military service by the Doctor, with the proviso, as was the case with many recruits, that his dental problems be seen to.

Assigned no. Z202 and the rank of 2nd Class Airman, Cahill became the latest recruit for the 26th Squadron, (South African), Royal Flying Corps. His son was described as his next of kin and, as an alternative, given the age of the boy, his sister-in-law, Miss B Dunn of 17 Parade Square, St. Helier, Jersey. Like his comrades, Cahill was sent to England for training.

Barely three months later, on 23 December 1915, the unit was posted to East Africa, tasked with assisting the ground forces against a formidable opponent, the German, Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck. They arrived at Mombasa on 31 January 1916 and established themselves at Mbuyuni. Equipped with B.E.2c’s and a few Henri Farman all-steel machines previously used in South West Africa, they commenced operations on 1 February. This, in spite of problems with their equipment. The BE2c’s arrived without propellers and the fitters had to jury rig the standard RAF props that they had, and in doing so, put severe strain on the Worlsey Renaults. The Farmans were in very poor condition with warped wings and rotten linen coverings.

Lettow-Vorbeck's philosophy was simple - by using hit and run tactics he could tie down a huge number of British troops in East Africa and thus prevent them from joining the fighting in Europe. Prussian officers, contrary to the popular stereotype of rigid, non-thinking disciplinarians, were in fact extremely flexible individualists and Lettow-Vorbeck was a prime example. In February 1916, a new commander arrived in East Africa to try his luck against the Germans: Jan Smuts, the former Boer War general. He added new impetus to the British effort, immediately going on the offensive. His troops were a mixture of men and races from all over the Empire.


One of the types of airplanes that Cahill would have had to keep "airworthy"

The air contingent initially began with scouting missions but did engage later in some rudimentary bombing. These sorties were undertaken in conjunction with Royal Naval Air Service aircraft, and their combined efforts forced the Germans to retreat from the Kilimanjaro area. The invasion of German East Africa was conducted with two forces. The main operation was under the command of General Jan Smuts and proceeded along the Pangani River. It was in support of this force that 26 Squadron operated.

Despite his enthusiasm and eagerness to get to grips with what at times must have seemed a phantom enemy, Smuts met with little success. His campaign in East Africa was a series of frustrating attempts to surround Lettow-Vorbeck's main force or to bring him to fight a decisive battle. Smuts never succeeded. Each time they tried, the British were convinced that they would bring Lettow-Vorbeck to bay, and each time he eluded them. He always retreated in the face of overwhelming force, but not before it was necessary, and it was never easy to assemble the required force at the needed point. Smuts and the commanders-in-chief who followed him, captured territory, but none succeeded in defeating the wily Lettow-Vorbeck.

Chasing Lettow-Vorbeck proved to be an agony of endurance for the Allied forces - disease took a heavier toll than the enemy, and the conditions under which the troops marched and fought took the men to the limits of human endurance. These conditions and frustrations were not limited to the ground based forces alone. The Squadron found the operating environment particularly difficult. Throughout April and into the middle of May, rain curtailed operations.

The topography was mountainous, with peaks up to 19 000 feet. Dense bush offered no safe haven for airfields let alone emergency landings. As a consequence the Squadron’s base could not always keep up with the main forces. The resulting longer flying times fatigued the pilots and added to the wear and tear on the fragile aircraft. The advent of Monsoon conditions from May to October meant that a low cloud base was experienced in the morning and it typically only lifted to 3000 feet during the day. Naturally the flying conditions were very bumpy.

Mixed South African and British personnel of the Squadron were living as roughly as the troops. They lived a hard life of heat, wild animals, old equipment and very rough clearings acting as airstrips. Malaria was a continual problem and medicine was scarce, and it is unknown how many of the flying accidents were as a result of fever. They kept on flying every day, from dawn to dusk, monitoring the German retreat. The prime object was photographic reconnaissance, but when the photographic plates were unpacked they were found to be ruined as they had not been prepared for tropical shipment. Initial photography was attempted using Lt Cdr Cull's Kodak fold up camera.


One that came a cropper

Aircraft were used for scouting and to "bomb" the enemy on the few occasions that the pilots could find them. There was a claim of success in the destruction of a locomotive and its crew, while the well-known South African pilot, Captain Carey-Thomas made and dropped bombs made from artillery shells with tail fins cut from tins. The bombing was so ineffective that eventually the Germans didn't even bother to step off the road when an aeroplane appeared.

Much of the Squadron’s work went unappreciated, as traditional infantry officers could not accept the roughly drawn maps highlighting German positions, or there were difficulties in dropping maps to ground personnel. Communication was a serious problem. The Squadron arrived at Morogoro on 31 August 1916. Throughout this period flights were made daily and wherever possible the enemy was harassed. In September disposition changes took place. Squadron HQ and A Flight remained at Morogoro, B Flight to Tulo and C Flight to Dar-es-Salaam took part in coastal operations. In December C Flight moved to Liwa to work with the 1st Division.

Reconnaissance and bombing formed the major part of the work, with some artillery range work as well. Maintaining airworthy machines was extremely difficult, with much ingenuity and makeshift repairs being necessary. The Wolseley Renault Magnetos were a major source of engine failures as they broke up in the heat. The engineers ended up modifying Bosch ones in the railway workshops in Nairobi, while others were machined in the railway workshops in South Africa. Model T inner tubes were used at one stage to substitute for those normally fitted to the B.E.2c’s.

Operations were progressing with Mogoro, situated on the Rufiji delta, and occupied by the British 1st Division, with pushes being made in the west and east against the German forces. On 28 January, heavy rain began to fall and this heralded the beginning of one of the wettest seasons in memory. Flying was all but impossible and 26 Squadron could not assist with the campaign. The Henri Farmans had been withdrawn in January and the equipment consisted only of B.E.2c’s.

Once the rains had ceased, operations commenced in earnest in June. This campaign terminated with the surrender of Tafel and the retreat of General von Lettow Vorbeck into Portuguese territory. It was a long and hard campaign of skirmishes and marches across a wide area in inhospitable conditions.

C Flight operated from Kilwa until August and then moved to Mssindyi where it was joined by B Flight. B Flight had been at Tulo and had been working with General Edward’s forces in the north west corner of the country. By August an aircraft Park and HQ was established at Dar-es-Salaam. In early October both flights moved to Nahungu and a month later joined the RNAS (Royal Navy Air Services). Squadron personnel returned to England in July 1918 and the Squadron was disbanded at Blandford during that month.

Cahill, like most of his comrades living and working in pestilential conditions over which they could exercise no control, succumbed to illness on a number of occasions. On 26 June 1916 at German Bridge, he contracted malaria and was treated at 52 Lowland Stationary Hospital, being released to join his convoy two days later. On 8 July he was hospitalised at the S.A. General Hospital at Muthaigo with the same complaint, being discharged to duty on 16 July. He now enjoyed a period of relative good health until, on 20 November 1916, he was treated at No. 1 Field Ambulance at Buku, being discharged the next day. On 13 February 1917 he was treated at 15 Stationary Hospital, Morogoro for being “Slightly Sick”- this turned out to be Orchitis which necessitated his transfer to Dar-es-Salaam on 19 February.

With there being every indication that his health was unlikely to improve, Cahill was invalided to the Union, per the Hospital Ship “Delta” on 1 March 1917, arriving at Cape Town on 12 March 1917 whereupon he was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital, Maitland. On 6 April he was discharged, having been granted two months’ sick leave. On 14 July he was admitted to the military hospital at Potchefstroom with Orchitis, but was then transferred back to Cape Town where he languished in hospital until his discharge, Permanently Unfit, on 30 November 1917.

His military career, aside from illness, had not been uneventful – he was charged, at one point, with disobeying orders “relative to smoking in workshops or hangers” and fined 1 day’s pay. His Proceedings on Discharge form, completed on 30 October 1917, confirmed that he was now a 1st Class Air Mechanic who had been discharged on account of “Debilitated State and Age”; that his military character was Good and that he was credited with 2 years 87 days service.

His war over, Cahill returned to his civilian occupation. On 12 June 1918, at the age of 44, he wed 36 year old Scottish widow, Annie Church (born Fleming) at the Catholic Church in La Rochelle, Johannesburg. He was living at 184 Kennedy Street at the time.

Nicholas Cahill passed away from Cardiac Failure on 24 September 1936 at the age of 62 years and 11 months. He was the retired Chief Motor Inspector (Tramways) of the Johannesburg Municipality at the time and was resident at 120 De Villiers Street, Turfontein. He was survived by his wife, son (William Nicholas Cahill, born of his first marriage) and daughter (Kathleen Isobel Cahill, born of his second marriage). He was also responsible for a step-daughter, Alison Church.

Thank You Rory...... A good piece and much appreciated.....

Mike