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Duffy of the Inniskilling Fusiliers - Severely WIA at Bergendal 1 year 4 months ago #92537

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Patrick Duffy

Severely Wounded in Action – Bergendal – 27 August 1900

Private, 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

- Queens South Africa Medal (Natal/Belfast) to 1908 PTE P. DUFFY. 1ST RL. INNIS: FUS:

Patrick Duffy (or John if you prefer) was a dead man – or was he? Depending on which records you consult and which reports you read, Duffy was either Killed in Action at Bergendal or was Severely Wounded, living to fight another day. As events unfold, you will see that the latter is the more likely of the two and that, importantly, statements about his death were ultimately premature.

Born in Templemore, Londonderry, Ireland in January 1877 (some records show 1874) he was the son of John Duffy, a Cooper by occupation, and his wife Cecelia. Our first glimpse of a young Pat comes courtesy of the Militia Attestation forms he completed for service with the Royal Irish Fusiliers at Londonderry on 29 March 1895. Aged 18 years and 2 months he was a Labourer by trade in the employ of a Mr. J. Cook of Londonderry. Physically he was 5 feet 5 inches in height and had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. He was a Roman Catholic by way of religious denomination.

Having been passed as Fit by the Doctor he was assigned to the 5th (Militia) Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers with no. 1908. What followed was a period of the usual drill – 63 days of it in 1895, followed by training in 1896, 1897 and 1898. After 3 years of this he joined the Reserve on 4 July 1898. This all under the name of John Duffy (later corrected to Patrick.) The address of his next of kin was provided as John Duffy (his father) of 17 Rossville Street, Londonderry.

On a more personal level Duffy had found love. He wed Margaret in St. Eugene’s Cathedral, Londonderry on 26 July 1896. The couples first born, also named Patrick, came along on 29 September 1897.

As the 19th century wound down to its inevitable end storm clouds had gathered with some intensity over the southern tip of Africa. The two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State were at loggerheads with the might of Imperial Britian. Matters culminated in an ultimatum from the Boer side which, having expired unanswered, meant that war was declared on 11 October 1899. Duffy, called up from the Reserve, was dispatched to the front with the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. Reaching South Africa on 17 March 1900, he took to the field without delay by which time most of the seminal battles in the first phase of the war wherein the R.Innis.F. were involved – Colenso, Spioenkop, Vaal Heights etc. – were a thing of the past.

But there was still much to be done. Ladysmith had only just been relieved, after a long and arduous slog, 17 days earlier and the battalion which he joined was in the recovery and recuperation phase before tackling the ticklish task of expelling the Boers from the rest of Natal. When General Buller moved north from the Natal-Pretoria Railway towards Belfast on the Delagoa line, he took with him the Ladysmith garrison and the Inniskilling Fusiliers (including a fresh draft), who replaced the 2nd King's Royal Rifles, sent to Ceylon.

Map of Bergendal

It was at Bergendal that Duffy’s luck was to run out. Bergendal (also called Belfast) or Dalmanutha if you’re of the Boer persuasion, was probably the last pitched battle of the war – the battle that signalled the end of the first “structured” phase where identifiable Commandos fought against regiments of the British Army; and phase II or the guerilla phase as it became known – where the structure of Boer Commandos disintegrated with elements of various commandos being incorporated into composite forces led by Boer Generals who specialised in small scale “hit and run” operations – swooping down on isolated patrols and extended lines of communications, plundering what they could take away with them and disappearing into the distance before the columns could come to the rescue. Bergendal was also, famously, the last stand of the ZARP’s – the Transvaal Republics highly trained and organised Police Force.

The battle had raged on the farm Bergendal, outside the hamlet of Belfast, since 21 August, culminating in the final thrust on 27 August 1900. General Buller himself had gone out scouting early that morning. The Boers' right flank did not actually end at the railway line, but it did swing sharply clockwise. It thus formed a salient angle. The result was that their position on the farm Bergendal (occupied by the ZARPs) stuck out like a wart on the tip of one's nose. On both sides of this position the Boers' sangars were facing away from the tip, with the result that those occupying them could not assist those on the tip in the case of a frontal attack. Then there was some high ground some 3,000 yards south-west of the salient angle and that was an ideal place for the artillery he wanted to use.

About 36 guns were placed on this high ground and the bombardment of the ZARPs position started at 11:00. After three hours the Rifle Brigade and the Inniskilling Fusiliers charged and burst right through the Boer lines. When the fighting stopped they found that the position had been defended by the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek Politie. The British found 14 dead bodies and captured nineteen prisoners. The rest of the wounded were taken away by the Boers. British casualties for the day were: officers, 3 dead and 7 wounded; men, 100 wounded or missing and 12 dead. Initially it was thought that Duffy was one of those who would never see the light of day but it was found, subsequently, that rumours of his demise (no matter how official) were grossly exaggerated – he was in fact Severely Wounded in the action to displace the ZARP’s.

Cecelia Jooste, in an article for the South African Military History Journal, Vol 12 No 4 - December 2002 entitled “Battle of Bergendal” wrote more fulsomely as follows: -

“Early on the morning of 27 August, the 2nd Brigade under Colonel J F Brocklehurst, the 'A' Battery under Major L G F Gordon, and the 4th Division Mounted Infantry under Captain H K Steward, were to cover the advance of the Natal Field Army's regiments. Colonel Brocklehurst successfully placed the artillery in such a way that the British troops would be able to attack from the northern side and at the same time prevent any Boer attack. Colonel Kitchener's 7th Brigade moved along the ridge from Vogelstruispoort towards Bergendal. The 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment was detached to the right and entrenched itself on the eastern crest of the ridge.

On the kopje, Commandant Oosthuizen, the commander of the ZARPs, and Lieutenant S van Lier inspected the Boer positions. At this stage, it seemed that their ammunition was low. Then a mule wagon carrying supplies arrived. Then the British Bombardment started.

At 11.00, the three-hour, uninterrupted bombardment of the kopje began. This attack was a combination of a bombardment from the howitzers and salvos of shrapnel from a field Battery, assisted by the 4,7 inch naval gun placed at Belfast. The shells ploughed up the land and filled the air with yellow smoke, shrapnel and fragments of rock. The heavy projectiles from the naval guns blew to pieces some heavy blocks of rock on the kopje behind which the ZARPs had taken up their positions. The rock fragments were just as dangerous as the shrapnel. The British artillery had the upper hand, as the Boer guns were too far away to have any impact on Buller's men.

The ZARPs were well concealed behind and among the boulders, and despite the heavy bombardment and the sure knowledge that an infantry attack would follow, none of them attempted to leave his position. The only movement was when one took shelter behind a different boulder. Throughout the bombardment, Lieutenant W F Pohlman kept enquiring whether anybody was wounded, and encouraging the defenders not to fear the gunfire. Early on in the attack, Commandant P R Oosthuizen was wounded by a piece of flying stone and had to withdraw.

Boer dead at Bergendal

After three hours, the ZARPs still held their positions on the kopje. Buller then ordered the infantry onslaught, General Kitchener directed Lieutenant-Colonel Metcalfe to take up a position across the main east and west ridges of the kopje under cover of gunfire. His men were to attack from the west. Lieutenant-Colonel Payne was instructed to march the Inniskilling Fusiliers down the face of the gun ridge. Their assault would be from the south. The 1st Devonshire Regiment was positioned to support the left centre, while the right attack was supported by the Gordon Highlanders.

As the British infantry reached the foot of the kopje, bayonets were fixed and the final charge began, with 1 500 British attacking what was left of the ZARP contingent. Roberts and Buller watched the final phase of the attack through their field glasses. The ZARPs maintained steady and accurate fire from the time the British infantry began their advance across the open terrain until they were upon them. In his report to Roberts, Buller describes the final stages of the battle as follows:

'The enemy stood their ground with great gallantry, and only left their positions when the Rifles were among them and the Inniskilling Fusiliers on their flank, between 20 and 30 of them keeping up the fire until actually made prisoners.'

The historian, Conan Doyle, said of the ZARPs that no finer defence was made in the war. Knox, the medical doctor, who was present at the battle, and afterwards attended to the wounded, gives his impressions of the battle as it draws to a close:

'Bayonets glitter as the infantry double across the plain... The Boers stand up in their trenches emptying their rifles to the last moment. But they are doomed. The majority break and fly, some on horseback, some on foot... Time shrapnel is burst with beautiful and most accurate precision over the fugitive band that breaks across the railway line. Men on foot and men on horses caught in that hail are seen to stumble and fall'

It was not only the ZARPs who fought a brave battle. The day also belonged to the British artillery, who started the attack, and the infantry, who completed the victory. The British regiments had to advance on the kopje across open grassland without any cover. During the onslaught, the Rifle Brigade's colonel was wounded. However, the troops reformed and 'swept on their own initiative up the plateau carrying all before them'. The Devons supported the Rifle Brigade on the left, while the Gordon Highlanders and the Inniskilling Fusiliers moved in from the south. According to Buller's report to Roberts on 13 September 1900, the honours of the assault belonged to the men of Rifle Brigade, because they attacked the part of the kopje which was best protected from the British artillery fire.

The Boer defence was breached. The following day, 28 August, Buller's troops marched into Machadodorp, and on 1 September Roberts issued the proclamation declaring the entire Transvaal British territory.”

The battalion advanced with General Buller to Lydenburg, fighting there, and after the general had left for home they were long employed in the Eastern Transvaal. Their big days were over, but there was a lot of tidying up to do, and the Inniskilling’s always did well. In his despatch of 9th November 1900 General Buller, after referring to the battalion's very severe losses, gave praise to Colonel Payne, DSO, and remarks, "There can, I think, be but few instances in history in which a battalion after such heavy losses has returned a perfect machine into the fighting line within so short a time".

In December 1900 the battalion was put into a column under General Alderson to relieve and assist General Clements after his defeat at Nooitgedacht. Not long into the new year, on 16 April 1901 to be precise, Duffy was returned to England, his war over.

Back home, no doubt recovering from his wound, Duffy and Margaret set about adding to their family with Mary being born on 3 August 1902. On 26 June 1903 re-enlisted for service in the Reserve with the Militia Reserve completing the forms at Londonderry. Confirming that he was a Labourer in the employ of Mr W. McDaid he was 29 years 9 months old, and married with three children. Oddly no mention of his Boer War service was made although he confirmed that he had served in the Militia battalion (5th) of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and that he had departed them Time Expired.

Physically he was 5 feet 6 ½ inches in height, weighed 131 lbs. and had a dark complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He had two pugilists tattooed on his right forearm. Having been found Fit by the Doctors, he was assigned no. 2874 and the rank of Private with the 5th Militia Battalion. He was discharged on 25 June 1907.

The 1911 Ireland census showed that Duffy (39) was a Labourer resident at St. Columb’s Wells, Londonderry. The family had ground in leaps and bounds with wife Maggie, a Shirt Maker (35) and children Patrick (14), Mary (9), Maggie (7) and Sarah (5). Margaret’s siblings William Chambers (25) and Susan Chambers (27) were lodging with the family.

The pace of daily life was rudely disturbed by the outbreak of the Great War on 4 August 1914. Great Britain was at war with Imperial Germany – a gruelling war on an unprecedented scale and one which was to exact many millions of lives until the final shot was fired on 11 November 1918. Duffy, no longer in the first flower of youth at 41 years of age, signed up for service by completing attestation papers (Army Reserve (Special Reservists) One Year’s Service) in Londonderry on 24 September 1914. A Dock Labourer by occupation, he acknowledged prior service with the 5th Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Physically 5 feet 6 inches in height he weighed 130 lbs. and had brown hair and brown eyes. By way of distinguishing characteristics about his person he sported a scar on his buttocks and he still had the pugilists tattoo referred to be on a previous occasion. Assigned no. 13728 he was posted as a Private to the 8th Royal Inniskilling’s – a unit with whom he was very familiar – on 8 October 1914. On the same day he absented himself and was posted to Supernumerary Strength there being no Court of Inquiry held.

Where he had disappeared to is unknown but on 7 December 1914, at Londonderry, he completed Short Service (Duration of the War) forms for service with the Royal Irish Rifles. Was this an attempt to confuse the authorities? He had, after all, deserted. Providing his address as 88 St. Columb’s Wells, Londonderry, he claimed to be 40 years old (many servicemen were “loose” with the admission of their age) and confirmed that he had prior service with the Royal Inniskilling’s and that he was a Dock Labourer. The following day he was posted to the 6th Battalion. On 6 April 1915 he was awarded 14 days Field Punishment for absence without leave.

The Irish Independent of 24 June 1915 carried an article wherein: - “Patrick Duffy, Newry, R.I.F., who was arrested, charged with being a deserter has been removed to the Armagh Military Barracks. While drunk he had taken off his uniform and thrown it down beside a quarry on Sunday, and the next day while the police were dragging the water hole, accused passed in a cart and watched the operations.”

On 7 August 1915 he found himself back with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (7th Battalion) and on 16 February 1916 he was sent over to France with the British Expeditionary Force. On 4 August 1916 he was admitted to a 112 Field Hospital with Myalgia (the medical term for muscle pain), rejoining his unit from Etaples on 27 August 1916. On 31 August he was sent to the Inniskilling Base Details camp as “Unfit”.

On 8 September 1916 he was awarded a further 15 days Field Punishment for Drunkenness while on Duty, arriving at Etaples as a Prisoner on 27 September 1916. The remainder of his service on the Front was punctuated by admissions to hospital (Myalgia) and a litany of petty offences, primarily for drunkenness, until, on 7 December 1918 he was repatriated to England aboard the H.S Cambria from Boulogne. On 19 December he was discharged being no longer physically fit for war service, ironically with a Character rating of Very Good and awarded the Silver Wound Badge. He had a total service of 4 years and 13 days.

Having earned the British War and Victory Medals to go with his Boer War Queens medal he resumed his civilian occupation. A pension claim showed that he received 8/3 per week from 20 December 1918 until 23 December 1919 [30% rate for a pension Class V soldier/Pte]. A pension ledger page clarified the fact that his disability was for Myalgia aggravated by service with a Final Award Myalgia on 26 April 1922. An index card for a Grant by Military Services (Civil Liabilities) Department shows he was awarded a grant of £50 on 6 January 1921, towards purchase of horse & card, harness & stock for business of coal dealing – a clear indication that he was wanting to try and make his own living. The pension claim was considered DEAD on 26 May 1929 which would normally indicate that he had passed away on that date.

John Bull article

How did he fare after the war? The publication John Bull, on 31 March 1923, carried an article headed “Cadging for Crumbs” which might well refer directly to Duffy. It read as follows: -

“War-spent Patrick Duffy, after giving Britain his best in South Africa and in France, was so poverty-stricken that he had to beg in Newry’s streets, so the “humane” police locked him up. To the credit of Newry’s Magistrates it stands that they made a collection among themselves for him and directed that he should be sent into hospital. The pity is that one who followed the drums was ever left to cadge for crumbs.”

His son, Patrick Duffy, serving with the 6th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, earned the Military Medal for Bravery on the Western Front in 1918.