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Harold Harry Meade Wells

Wounded in Action – Tigerskloof V.C. action – 18 December 1901

Trooper, 1st Imperial Light Horse – Anglo Boer War
Chief Engineer, Merchant Navy

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Orange Free State & Transvaal to 2505 TPR: H.H.M. WELLS. IMP: LT HORSE

Harry Wells had a mouthful of Christian names, some he used and some he didn’t. Born in Little Ilford, Essex on 7 May 1877, he was the son of James Wells, an Accountant by profession, and his wife Martha.


Harry Wells circa 1900 - just prior to his departure to South Africa and the war

The family was a prosperous one as evidenced by the presence of two servants to minister to their needs in the 1881 census of England. Resident at Clay Tye Farm in Great Worley, Romford; a 3 year old Harry didn’t want for playmates – his siblings were Launcelot (7), Ethel (5) and Leonard (1). At his baptism on 28 October 1877, the family is recorded as living at Clifton Villas, Little Ilford.

Ten years later, at the time of the 1891 England census, the family had moved to 2 New Road, Ilford. Although not in straitened circumstances, the family had come down in the world. Mr Wells was now employed as a Merchant’s Clerk and of servants there were none to be found. Elder brother Launcelot (17) was a Brewer’s Clerk whilst Ethel (15), Harry (13) and Leonard (11) were still at school. Three year old Roland brought up the rear.

At some point Wells decided that his future no longer lay in his native England and he embarked for South Africa, seen by many in late Victorian England as a land of opportunity where fortunes could be made. As the 19th century hurtled to a close, the long-simmering tensions between the British Government and the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State came to a head. The gauntlet was thrown down and the world woke up to war which erupted on 11 October 1899. The Boer Commandos invaded Natal and the Cape Colony forthwith, investing Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking. The Imperial forces were caught napping in that their numbers on the ground were woefully inadequate to stem a very determined Boer tide. Several reverses, costly both militarily and in morale, known as Black Week assailed them and the call went out for the raising of Colonial units to bolster the numbers and aid in the war effort.

The Imperial Light Horse was one such – their inception took place at Pietermaritzburg in September 1899, when war was a practical certainty. The word "Uitlander" has well-nigh been forgotten, but between 1895 and 1899 it was in every man's mouth. In September and October of the latter year men who had been resident in the Transvaal, but who had retained their allegiance to Britain, were ordered, with their families and dependents, to leave the country. In Natal many of the Uitlanders had congregated, a workless crew, but keen to be of use to their old flag.

Initially, they were the picked 502 men out of about 12,000 refugees who had flooded in from Johannesburg; all the British refugees from Johannesburg were well-to-do men; they were all men getting big wages; they were either mine owners or mine managers, or electrical engineers, experts of one sort or another; many of them were men on the Stock Exchange, lawyers, doctors, solicitors, and very few of them were engaged in trade-shopkeepers and suchlike; and they were all men who either in prospecting, or as contractors, or as wood-merchants, or in one form or another, had done a lot of transport-riding to and fro; they were the pick and the cream of the intelligent men who were going out to South Africa, and, naturally, physically they were very fine.

Wells, who attested on 27 September 1901 was not part of this initial contingent, nor did he participate in the early actions in Natal in which they were involved . The form he completed at Durban to join their ranks informed us that he was 24 years of age, 5 feet 8 ½ inches in height with a fresh complexion, brown eyes, and fair hair. He weighed a healthy 150 lbs. By way of occupation he claimed to be an Engineer (1st Class) and he provided his next of kin as his father of 3 Laurie Square, Romford, Essex. Assigned no. 2505 and the rank of Trooper, he took to the field with the 1st Imperial Light Horse.

In his despatch of 8th September 1901, Lord Kitchener said, "A third mobile column, which will work from Bethlehem (Orange River Colony) as a centre, has just been organised at Harrismith: it will be under the command of Brigadier-General Sir John Dartnell, and will consist of the two regiments of ILH specially equipped with a view to securing increased mobility".

In September it became apparent that Botha was about to attempt a reinvasion of Natal ; and in the despatch of 8th October, after describing certain operations about the Brandwater Basin, east of Bethlehem, in which the ILH took part, Lord Kitchener mentioned that Brigadier General Dartnell, with the 2nd ILH, was ordered to Eshowe on the Zululand Border to assist in keeping the enemy out of Natal. The 1st ILH remained to act independently from Bethlehem. "This force which was specially organised with a view to mobility has already justified its existence, and some excellent long-distance raids have been undertaken.

The most successful of these took place on the night of the 28th September, when after a circuitous march of 38 miles from Bethlehem Lieutenant Colonel Briggs surrounded the town of Reitz at dawn on the 29th. Here he captured 21 prisoners. His return march, however, was much opposed, and several unsuccessful attempts were made at night by parties of Boers, said to be under De Wet, to surround and rush his force".

In the despatch of 8th November, Lord Kitchener said, " From Bethlehem Lieutenant Colonel Briggs with the 1st ILH has carried out several long-distance raids in all directions, whereby the country round for a radius of 25 miles has been completely cleared". A great converging movement was also foreshadowed, and among the troops to be employed the 1st Regiment was to act from Bethlehem and the 2nd from Harrismith. In the despatch of 8th December, the results of that movement are given, but the main body of the enemy, which it was hoped to surround, escaped. Lord Kitchener praised highly the way in which the troops bore the very great strain.

About the middle of November both regiments were again in a big operation, but few of the enemy were found. On the 24th the 1st and 2nd Regiments "surprised Lourens' commando between Eland's River Bridge and Bethlehem, killing 2 Boers in their attack and capturing 12 prisoners". This success was followed up on the 27th by a combined force of the 1st and 2nd ILH under Lieutenant Colonel McKenzie and Lieutenant Colonel Briggs, in which 24 prisoners, 150 horses, and 800 cattle fell into our hands.


Tigers Kloof Spruit

The despatch of 8th January 1902 describes further operations under General Elliot, in some of which the ILH took part. When returning to Eland's River Bridge General Dartnell was hotly attacked. "After leaving Bethlehem on the morning of 18th December the latter officer found himself opposed by a large force of Boers under De Wet, who, occupying a position along the Tyger Kloof Spruit, disputed his further advance, whist he vigorously assailed General Dartnell's flanks and rearguard; sharp fighting was maintained throughout the day. Every successive attack was gallantly repulsed by the two regiments of the ILH until the approach from Bethlehem of the column under Major-General B. Campbell, who had established signalling communication with General Dartnell during the progress of the fight, finally compelled the enemy, about 3 pm, to beat a hurried retreat" in the direction of the Langberg. In this engagement Surgeon-Captain T Crean, Captain G T Brierley, Captain W Jardine, Lieutenant J O'Hara, and 7 men were wounded. It was in this engagement that Surgeon-Captain Crean gained the Victoria Cross.

It was also in the above action that Harry Wells was Wounded.

Another account of the skirmish read thus:

“On this date De Wet, with a force of some 700 men, made an uncharacteristically major error. At Tiger Kloof Spruit, some 30km from Bethlehem on the road to Harrismith, he laid an ambush for a British force that he believed to be between 600 and 700 strong, accompanying a convoy with provisions. The British column (1st and 2nd Imperial Light Horse and some Yeomanry) under command of Gen. Dartnell left Bethlehem at 08h00 on 18 December: some 1200 men, unencumbered by transport but with two field guns (79 Bty, RFA) and two pom-poms.

Dartnell, furthermore, had the added advantage of having been forewarned about De Wet’s plans by a traitor from his commando. De Wet had posted half of his men on a spur overlooking the Tiger Kloof Spruit, while the remainder were concealed in the ravines at the eastern end of the Langberg. The men on the spur were to make a frontal attack on the British as they neared the spruit while the rest were to attack the rear.

The signal for the simultaneous attack was to be a shot from De Wet’s only pom-pom. De Wet fired his signal shot at 11:00 but only the 2nd ILH, forming the advance guard, were charged from the spur by 200 men. The attack was repulsed by the ILH, who promptly occupied the spur only 3 men wounded. The Boers then turned their attention to the rest of the column, in the middle of which were the Yeomanry and artillery and to the 1st ILH, the latter having occupied a rise to the rear, three kilometres distant. The Boers were beaten off, retired to the Langberg, and then were seen retiring south-eastwards towards the hills and ravines 10km away.

The British casualties totalled 19, of whom, according to the Times History of the War in South Africa, Dartnell’s losses were one man killed and 14 men wounded. The Boer losses, according to Three Years’ War, were four killed and five wounded. At 15:00 Dartnell moved on, reaching Elands River Bridge 25 kms away the following day.”

A few days after this, before dawn on the morning of the 25th December, the enemy surprised and captured the camp of a battalion of Yeomanry at Tweefontein, inflicting great loss. As soon as the disaster was known the ILH were ordered to the spot, but the Boers, who had got a good start, were not overtaken. Having been wounded, it is doubtful that Wells was in on this action.

The despatch of 8th February 1902 detailed further operations in the same district, which took place about the end of January, in which substantial loss was inflicted on the enemy. During these some great marching was done; the 2nd Battalion Mounted Infantry (Regulars) covered 82 miles in thirty four hours, the ILH and other troops performing similar feats of endurance. Between 25th and 29th January 1902 there were some casualties about Newmarket, 3 men being killed and Lieutenant Bamford and several men wounded.

The despatches of 8th March and 8th April describe the great combined drives in the northeast of the Orange River Colony, in which a large number of prisoners, over 1500, were captured. The work of the ILH was specially singled out in the account of the Press Association correspondent. They stopped one very determined rush, when the enemy tried, in the darkness, to break through the line at their part. The 1st I.L.H. lost 4 killed. In the drive from the Vaal to Harrismith about 520 prisoners and 1400 horses fell into the hands of the 1st ILH. Wells, his six month’s initial period of engagement over, took his leave of the Regiment on 10 February 1902. For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with the clasps to the Orange Free State and Transvaal.

Returning to England, Wells resumed his occupation as an Engineer. There was time for romance as well – in 1905 at Edmonton in Middlesex, he wed Maud Marion Balston. On 30 December 1905, their first child, Frederick Vye, was born in the Parish of the Holy Innocent’s, Hornsey. Wells, recorded as being a Marine Engineer, was resident at 152 Weston Park at the time of the baptism on 4 March 1906.

After this, Wells disappeared off the radar until surfacing in the 1911 England census – on this occasion the family were living at 46 Mallaby Street, Cloughton in Cheshire. Now 33, Wells was recorded as being a seafaring Marine Engineer who was, obviously, on a break at home when the enumerator called round. Son, Frederick was now 5 and joined by Edna who was 2 months old.

Not taking part in WWI, Wells, from his Mercantile Marine card (C.R.10), entered service as a Chief Engineer with No. 129036 in August 1919. The ship he served on was No. 143385. Launched in November 1915 as Mulhausen by AG Neptun Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik, Rostock, Germany she had been laid-up unfinished.


Harry in 1919

Work re-commenced after the war and she was completed in January 1919 as Lennep for Deutsch-Australische Dampfschiffahrts Ges., Hamburg, a steamer of 3038 tons, by the time Wells stepped on board. She had two decks and 5 hatches and was propelled by a set of triple expansion engines. The 4 single ended boilers had a working pressure of 213 psi. and fed with coal from a bunker of 845 tons capacity, with a reserve space for a further 1,070 tons. Her service speed was about 11 or 12 knots.

She was surrendered to Great Britain in 1919 and managed on behalf of the Shipping Controller by F. C. Strick & Co. Ltd. In March 1921 she was one of a batch of around 70 ex-German ships that were put up for sale to British National by the Shipping Controller. She was purchased by Coull & Sons, Newcastle and renamed Brant County.

The 1921 England census showed that a 44 year old Wells was “out of work”, which must have been rather stressful for him and his growing family. By this time, the family were living at 68 Salthouse Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire and had been for at least the past four years as this was where the two youngest children – Eileen Alice Wells (4) and Jean Maud Wells (2) – had been born. Apart from the other children, all now ten years older than the last census, was he addition of Harold James Wells (6).



Wells’ maritime career, when he was employed, seemed to be rather uneventful until the dawn of 15 May 1937 – that fateful morning Wells was the Chief Engineer aboard the S.S. “Beatsa”, who was lost off Les Pierres Noires Light, to the south-east of Ushant, while on a voyage from Alicante and Cartagena to Gydnia in Poland, laden with a cargo of oranges.

The Maritime Court assembled , having carefully inquired into the circumstances, found that the vessel was lost through the negligence of the master of the vessel, Harry Harvey Cossentine. The Court suspended the master’s certificate for a period of twelve months and ordered that the owners – The Angelus Shipping Company Ltd. – pay the sum of £200 towards the costs of the Inquiry.

But what did Wells have to do with the matter? The Journal of Commerce and Shipping Telegraph of Monday, March 14, 1938, under the banner “Inquiry into the Loss of the Beatsa” reported as follows: -

“When the Board of Trade inquiry into the loss of the steamer Beatsa near Ushant on May 15 last year was resumed at Grimsby on Saturday evidence was given by the Chief Engineer, Harold Harry Wells of Brockley, London.

At the first day’s hearing it was stated, for the Board of Trade, that the Beatsa was registered in London. Her tonnage was 813 net, and at the time of the casualty, she was owned by the Angelus Shipping Company. She was previously known as the Corbeach and in 1935 was sold to the Angelus Shipping Company and her name changed to Beatsa. She carried a crew of 19 but there was no Second Engineer on board, one was signed on before the vessel left Immingham, but he did not join. The ship was proceeding from Carthagena to Gydnia when she was lost.

In his evidence on Saturday, the chief engineer said it was his first trip in the Beatsa. When she was about to leave Immingham for Spain she was detained awaiting a second engineer. He was informed that one was coming, but when they got in the lock the owner’s representative went aboard and said that the second engineer had not turned up.

Witness said he objected going to sea without two engineers holding certificates but eventually the master and owner’s representative said they would take the risk if the ship proceeded to sea, and on these conditions witness agreed to go. A Greek donkeyman acted as second engineer, and there was no difficulty in the engine room during the voyage.

At midday on May 14 the weather was foggy. The ship proceeded at full speed ahead, and he was practically certain that speed was never reduced. He went off watch at midnight and, as it was foggy, he didn’t turn in. Sometime after midnight he felt the vessel strike violently. He went down to the engine-room at once, but there was no one there. The telegraph was at “full speed.”

Mr West – Did you know where the Greek was who was acting as second engineer? He must have gone up through the stokehold. He could not have gone up through the engine-room or I would have met him. Witness said the engines were running full ahead when he got down.

The second mate later went down and said he wanted them kept going and the watertight doors closed. Witness asked for assistance but none came, so he went on the bridge to the master and asked for assistance. Then he went below again and stopped the engines. He never got the doors shut tight. Men came eventually, but they could not shut them. Water was coming in through the stokehold over the sill of the door. He saw nothing of the Greek who was acting as second engineer. When he left the stokehold there was about 3 ft 6 inches of water.

Mr West – Did the fact that there was no certificated engineer make any difference to you? – Only that I had to be about more, and I could not turn in for regular stretches of sleep. Replying to Mr Hunt, witness said that if he had had a second engineer available he could have sent him up to close the watertight doors from on top.

Answering Mr Crowe, witness said the acting second engineer was efficient. He was given to understand that he had a Greek certificate.
Mr Crowe – Did the absence of a certificated engineer make any difference? – It did in that I should have expected some assistance at the time of the stranding from a certificated British engineer.”

As can be seen from the above, no blame was apportioned to Wells, who was merely trying to do his job under trying circumstances. His experience, however, could have had a lasting impact on his life.

The Life-Boat publication of October 1938 confirmed that, “On 15 May the motor life-boat at Molène rescued the crew of 19 men of the Beatsa, of London, which had run “aground.”

Shaken by his experience, Wells resumed his work activities. On account of WWII, there was no 1941 England census but, as a consolation, a Register was taken in 1939 in which Wells and his wife were living at 42a Wickham Road, Brockley, London. He was recorded as being a Chief Engineer (Marine) aboard the S.S. “Pacific” with effect from 29 September 1939.



As things unfolded, Harry Wells’ life was about to come to an abrupt end - The Record of Death of Merchant Seaman reported that Harold Wells, 1st Engineer of the S.S. “Dartford”, died on 26 May 1942 at South Shields aged 65. His home address was as above. Cause of death was provided as “Result of Accident at Golden Lion Hotel, Inquest held by police.”



Perhaps the more telling document was the column entitled “Found at foot of stairs” which appeared in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle of 30 May 1942 – it read as follows: -

“A verdict of “accidental death” was recorded by the South Shields Coroner, Mr W.M. Patterson, at an inquest of a 65 year old ship’s chief engineer, Harold M. Wells of Wickham Road, Brockley, London, who died after being found lying at the foot of a flight of stairs in the Golden Lion Hotel, South Shields. He had taken a room on the top floor of the hotel and apparently had fallen over the banister.” Had he taken his own life? We will never know.

A really well-researched and interesting account, Rory. Many thanks.

Hi
Harry Wells is my grandfather, he is properly known as Harold Mead Wells - he was also known as Harry, though that is not part of his proper name. Whilst a lot of this article is known by the family - his participation in South Africa is totally unknown to any of us. Can you please give me your citations for his time in South Africa, and where the medal showing his name came from.
many thanks
Rob

Hi Rob

I have Private Messaged you - please look out for the message on this Forum.

Regards

Rory

The Wells family, through their representative Rob, have very graciously granted me permission to place this photo of Harry Wells in the public domain. I have included the image in the original post.



The image, taken in a London studio, is of Harry Wells in about 1900 - just before his departure for South Africa.