TOPIC:

Corporal George Needham Cocks, 4432, 12th Royal Lancers



BIRTH: April 1876
Hulme, Lancashire, England

DEATH: 12 April 1933 (aged 56)
Dukinfield, Lancashire, England



George circa 1876:


12th Royal Lancers in South Africa:


George & NCO's:


George & John Lynch (Step-father, 12 year difference):


Headstone:


Queen South Africa & King South Africa Medal:







More research to follow....

Early Life:

4432 Corporal George Needham Cocks, 12th (Prince of Wale’s Royal) Lancers. Son of Robert Cocks (Clerk) and Ann Cocks (nee Biddolph) of Hulme, Lancashire, England.

Eventhough his parents had 7 children only his elder sister (Fanny Elizabeth) and himself made it passed infancy.

George’s father passed away when he was 8 years old and his mother married John Lynch the following year in 1886; Ann was 22 years older than John and only 12 years separated George and his step-father John.

In the 1891 census Ann, Fanny and George were living with John Lynch in Hyde and at 15 years old George was working as a “General Labourer”.

Unfortunately in 1895 his mother passed away and a month after his 21st birthday in 1898 he enlisted with the 12th Lancers and was assigned the regimental number 4432.

At the time he was working as a Groom and gave his NoK as his elder sister Fanny Cocks; he would later update to his step-father John Lynch.

2nd Anglo Boer War:

At the outbreak of the 2nd Anglo Boer War in South Africa the regiment sailed on the City of Vienna and the Mohawk, and arrived at the Cape at about the 16th November 1899.



They joined General French at about Naauwpoort, and after doing a fortnight's patrol work and skirmishing in that district they were sent to Modder River following the battle.

Battle of Magersfontein:

The regiment, along with the 9th Lancers, did much valuable service on 11th December at the Battle of Magersfontein. Both cavalry regiments were on the right flank and had a great deal of dismounted work to do, being heavily engaged from early morning till dusk.

Lord Methuen's despatch of 15th February 1900 gives but few details regarding their task. He says, "Lieutenant Colonel the Earl of Airlie did excellent work with two dismounted squadrons when good service was much needed".

The losses of the regiment on the 11th December 1899 were approximately 5 killed and 17 wounded.

The total British casualties were approximately 948 killed, wounded or missing.

On 9th January 1900 the regiment took part in a raid some distance into the Orange Free State.

Battle of Paardeberg / Relief of Kimberley

The battle of Paardeberg which was the first significant British battlefield victory during the Boer War. It came in the immediate aftermath of the successful relief of Kimberley during Field Marshal Lord Robert’s great flanking march that ended with the capture of Bloemfontein.

On 11 February, Roberts led his army away from the Modder River, where it had been facing the Boers at Magersfontein. His plan was to cross the Riet River twenty miles to the south east. Once across that barrier his infantry would head east into the Orange Free State, while the cavalry under Sir John French would ride north, cross the Modder River twenty miles east of the main Boer position and relief Kimberley.

The plan was an immediate success. The Boer commander at Magersfontein, Piet Cronje, could not believe that a British general would be willing to abandon the railway link back to the coast. French was able to gallop through the only serious Boer opposition he encountered, and on 15 February entered Kimberley.


Portion of Relief Column of the 12th Lancers
Picture Courtesy of the National Army Museum

Battle of Driefontein:

The battle of Driefontein (Boer War) was the last attempt to prevent the British under Lord Roberts from occupying Bloemfontein.

In the aftermath of the rout at Poplar Grove, President Kruger had made valiant attempts to rally the fleeing burghers, but only 1,500 of the 6,000 men from Poplar Grove could be convinced to stay. Under the command of Christiaan De Wet, with assistance from De La Rey, the Boers organised a new defensive line at Dreifontein.

On the 10th March 1900 the burghers fought, and fought well. Lord Roberts organised his men into three columns and attacked along the entire Boer line. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Boers managed to hold on all day, but as darkness fell the British had seized the northern end of the Boer line, and were threatening the southern flanks. The burghers retreated; De Wet described it as a panic and the battle was over.

Three days later the British captured Bloemfontein without facing any more significant resistance. British losses at Driefontein had been 82 dead and 342 wounded. Boer losses were at least 102 dead and 22 captured.

Colonel the Earl of Airlie and another officer were mentioned in Lord Roberts' despatch of 31st March 1900 for good work up to the entry into Bloemfontein.

Battle of Karee Siding:

The 12th Lancers were caught up with the action at Karee Siding (29th March 1900) and were not present at the mishap of Sanna’s Post (31st March 1900).

General Tobias Smuts, with a force of about 2,600 men, and Lieutenant-Colonel S P E Trichardt with 11 field guns were ordered to cover Chief Commandant De Wet’s secret expedition to the Bloemfontein Waterworks near Sannaspost.

Neither of them were familiar with the vicinity and they had to wait for guides before taking up their positions. Where they could have easily prevented it, the delay allowed the British to cross the Modder River without opposition.

In a desperate race for positions near Tafelkop, the burghers reached it first where the British cavalry were repulsed. They had to make a huge detour around the Boer flank while the infantry, supported by the artillery, engaged the enemy on their front.

The action was inconclusive and General T Smuts returned to Brandfort when, at dusk, the British took the heights west of the railway line and threatened their line of retreat.

The British total losses were 30 killed, 155 wounded and five missing in action.

The battle was important, nonetheless, in opening the way for Roberts to resume his advance across the northern half of the Free State and on to the Transvaal.

For the remainder of 1900 the 12th Lancers continued to operate around Rustenburg and the Megaliesberg

During the first seven months of 1901 the 10th Hussars and 12th Lancers were with Colonel E C Knox in the Eastern Transvaal, taking part in General French's sweep to the Swazi border and the Vryheid district.

They then operated in the north-east of the Orange River Colony; thereafter both regiments went to Cape Colony to do another eight months' chasing and skirmishing. Down to the close of the campaign the regiment frequently had sharp fighting, often involving casualties.

Captured / POW:

According to the SAFF casualty list Pte George Cox [sic], 4432, of the 12th Lancers was captured at Witte Drift in the Cape Colony on the 8th December 1901.

It is assumed that this is the encounter with General Meyer that is noted in his obituary.

On the 12th February 1902 he was promoted to Lance Corporal.

Slightly wounded in Action:

According to the SAFF casualty list Lance Corporal George Cocks, 4432, of the 12th Lancers was slightly wounded near Springs Ray in the Cape Colony on the 10th March 1902.

India:

Following almost 3 years of intense fighting in South Africa George Cocks and the 12th Lancers sailed for India on the 10th October 1902.

In April 1905 he was promoted to Corporal.

George remained in India for 5 ½ years before finally arriving back in England in 1908; he had been away for over 8 years.

England / Home:

George married Harriet Stopford in July 1909 and their first child, May Cocks, was born the following year in May 1910.

On the 7th June 1910 he was discharged having been transferred to the 5th Lancers (Reserves) with the revised regimental number of 1077 and had been looking after the stables.



In the 1911 census George, Harriet and May were living in Dukinfield where George was working as a Stores Labourer.



In June 1912 they welcomed their son Frank Needham Cocks to the family, followed by Marjorie (1915) and then Dorothy (1918). Unfortunately their daughter Marjorie passed away when she was 4 years old.

George passed away on the 12th April 1933.