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With a surname like Malhanch I thought my research would be a little easier to search for and embellish the life of another Victorian soldier who served in the Anglo Boer War. Alas, the information provided and shared with the forum is my interpretation of the limited data I could find. As always, any errors are entirely down to me. Additional suggestions and information are always welcomed by my fellow forummers.

Malhanch/ Milhanch
Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair).

Alexander Malhanch was born in Mossley Cross Lancashire circa 1875 /76. Aged 18 years and 2 months he made his way to Carlisle in 1893 to join the 1st Battalion Border Regiment. He had no previous military affiliations and made his living as a Baker. Alexander was deemed fit for service in May 1893. He was of fair complexion with grey eyes, and red hair. He stood at 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighed 9 stone. An anchor and crossed hearts with the obligatory blue dots were present on his arm and hand. The first 4 years of Alexander's service was based in England. 1897 brought about his first overseas posting which took him to Malta for approximately 2 years . It was from the Floriana barracks in Malta that the 1st Border Regiment were deployed to South Africa. On Wednesday the 27th September 1899, approximately 985 men of the 1st Border regiment set sail on the S S Sumatra and arrived in Cape Town on the 21st of October 1899. They made there way to De Aar, onto East London, then on to Durban by steamer. Along with the 1st Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1st Connaught Rangers, and the 1st Dublin Fusiliers, they formed the 5th Brigade under Major General Hart, the Border Regiment taking the place of the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles, which had been left in Cape Colony. 


Border regiment

At Willow Grange the battalion was in support only.
At Colenso on 15th December 1899 the battalion was again in support of the rest of the brigade in the attack near Bridle Drift. It lost 6 men killed, 3 officers and 42 men wounded. The battalion was specially mentioned by General Buller.



The attestation papers of Private Malhanch records him being wounded slightly in the thigh at Spioen Kop on the 20th of January 1899. However, as the Natal Field Force records can be notoriously inaccurate regarding locations and date entries. It is more likely that Private Malhanch's injury occurred during the attack to secure the Tabanyama ridge where the Border regiment ended up at the head of a Y shaped ravine / valley. The position was only about 800m from the Boer trenches, which overlooked them on three sides, as they were far in front of the rest of the line. The regiment withdrew after dark, but sustained many casualties that day.


Highlighted area of Borders action.

Gen. Hart led his Irish Brigade (1st Borders, 1st Inniskilling Fusiliers, and 2nd Dublin Fusiliers) through the sheltering men.

Recollection of Pte Phipps of the Borders: “As soon as we started to advance the bullets began to fly, but we took no notice of this; when, imagine our surprise to see our firing line cuddled up in a heap behind the small hill .When we got to them we could plainly see they were in a state of blue funk, the officers were as bad or worse than the men. Our men indignantly told them what they thought about their action, & after a lot of persuasion (one way or another) they commenced to advance like a pack of frightened sheep. All of a sudden an automatic Maxim Nordenfeldt (pompom) began to play upon us. That stopped the firing line, for flat on their faces they fell & devil of a move would they make at all. Then the effects of discipline was exhibited. Our officers, equal to any emergency, shouted, 'advance & leave the cowards there', and to a man the Dubs & Borders responded, walking along like men on parade” No surprise after reading the above notes of Private Phipps, that the Border regiment suffered severe casualties associated with the Tabanyana action.

The serious casualties from the Border regiment would have been moved to Spearman Camp. Slightly wounded soldiers may have been attended to in the field. Private Malhanch recovered reasonably quickly and went on to serve 616 days in South Africa and returned to England during June 1901. He spent the next 5 years on home soil where he qualified for the mounted infantry after instruction at Longmoor and Borden camp. 1906 he was on the move again and spent just over a year in Gibraltar. His service with the Border Regiment equated to over 14 years and he was discharged in October 1907.

After his discharge from the colours I have been unsuccessful in locating Alexander's whereabouts. It is not until the 1911 Census that an Alexander Milhanch ( different surname) appears on a record that has him living at the George Eliot lodging house at Abbey Green, Nuneaton. The age and place of birth fit and he is recorded as being single and formerly a labourer. I did not find a marriage certificate or any children connected to Alexander. However, a call to arms in 1914 must have reverberated with Alexander as he made his way to Sheffield from Ashton-Under Lyne and enlists in the Sherwood Foresters ( Nottingham and Derbyshire Regiment) 6072 Private Alexander Malhanch of the 2nd Battalion begins a new military chapter aged 40. After a brief time in Cambridge, Private Malhanch landed at St Nazaire.
The 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters were engaged in the Guillermont region of France. During an attack on German positions on the outskirts of Guillermont, Private Alexander Malhanch was killed in action on the 16th September 1916. He is remembered with honour at the Thiepval Memorial.



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Additional Information and Observations

Previous owner of A Malhanch's medal was fellow forum member and moderator Coldstream ( 10 years ago)

Medal suspension refixed, clasps with unofficial connections.

Possible findings of mother Alice, Father Samuel ? 2 brother's Thomas and Frederick and 2 possible sisters Mary and Annie?

1904 Court Martial for Gross misconduct with another soldier. Not Guilty.

Multiple forfeits of pay and good conduct badges.

WW1 medal document for 1914 - 1915 Star
( No Victory or BWM paperwork found at present)

Acknowledgments and Thank yous to the following:-

Ancestry UK, Find My Past, Commonwealth War Graves, South African Military History Society, Sherwood Foresters.com, NAM. ABW.com

I would also like to mention and thank forum members RobD and DavidH for answering my questions 3 years ago reference the Borders at Spioen Kop. I cannot believe it has taken me this long to revist Private A Malhanch.

Best regards

Dave.

'Tempus fugit!' Dave. Thanks for sharing his story with a true soldier's end.
Cheers Steve

Dave - think this is your man getting into a bit of bother aged 11/12 from the Stalybridge Reporter of 24th September 1887. Have also attached a map showing Mossley, Stalybridge, Dukinfield & Ashton-under-Lyne were all close together and to the east of Manchester. A widowed Sarah Milhench of the right age can be found on the 1911 Census living alone in Manchester in 2 rooms. She filled in the children alive & dead columns which showed she had a total of 7 children all still alive - so Thomas & Frederick presumably arrived after the 1881 census which you obviously found.