TOPIC:

John Alfred Anderson

Private (Cyclist Detachment), Durban Light Infantry
Private, Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal (Orange Free State, Transvaal) to 571 PTE J.A. ANDERSON. DURBAN L.I. – also entitled to Relief of Ladysmith clasp

John Anderson was born in Durban, Natal on 12 October 1867 the son of John Thomas Anderson, a Wheelwright by trade, and his wife Emma, born Todman. John was the first-born to the couple and was followed by William George born 1869, Charlotte Emily born 1972 and Natalia Hannah Elizabeth born 1877. He was 14 years old when his father passed away at the age of 40 on 14 March 1881.

Durban was a bustling and rapidly expanding port city when John first made his appearance and, at an acceptable age, he would have joined the ranks of one of the local regiments for militia training – in his case, he chose the Durban Light Infantry and was assigned No. 571 and the rank of Private.



By the time the Anglo Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899 he was already an integral part of the Cyclist Detachment of the DLI, under the command of Sergeant (later Lieutenant) R.L. Goulding. As the Boers moved over the border heading for Dundee and, ultimately, Ladysmith there was growing concern that their progress to Durban and the sea would be difficult to halt. The DLI had been placed on a war footing since late September 1899 and the men were moved upcountry in coal trucks to Estcourt where they established several forts in the vicinity as they lay in waiting for brother Boer to make his appearance.

The Boers didn’t disappoint – once Ladysmith had been laid siege to a stalemate of sorts began to play out. Neither side seemed intent on seizing the initiative and, that being the status quo, many Burghers were taken from the cordon that surrounded the town and sent down to Colenso and as far as Mooi River in order to ascertain the lie of the land. It was during this period, especially, that Anderson and his Cyclist comrades played a prominent role.

The History of the Durban Light Infantry (Volume I) takes up the story of what occurred on 6 November 1899 (and shortly thereafter) in so far as the Cyclists and the famous ‘Churchill Train Incident’ were concerned:-

“On the 6th the train went out again and found Boers in Colenso. On the 8th, again under Capt. Hensley, it proceeded to Frere, where it picked up four cyclists of the Durban Light Infantry who were doing their usual scouting well in advance of Estcourt. They were Ptes. Grey and Southam, riding tandem, and Ptes. Anderson and Parkes riding solo. Winston Churchill who had only arrived in Estcourt the day before, was on the train, and gives a pleasing picture of one of the men (possibly Anderson) who was, in civilian life, a builder. Churchill in London to Ladysmith (page 55) describes him as intelligent, good at translating for Capt. Hensley’s reports made to him by Zulus, and his equipment as a Martini-Henry rifle, a large pair of field glasses, a dainty pair of grey skin cycling shoes, and a slouch hat.

He proved so interesting that Churchill engaged him in conversation, to learn that he employed 9 men in ordinary life, and had won 8 medals for cycling. He sized him up as “friendly,” “true and valiant,” soberly facing his duty as a citizen, and prepared to give his life for his country.”

The information secured through the interpretation of the Cyclist of the DLI was that there was a considerable Boer force on and around Grobelaar’s Kop.”



That was Martin’s precis of the encounter with Churchill. In Churchill’s own words, he wrote more fulsomely as follows:

“On a mound beyond the village rose the outline of the sandbag fort constructed by the Naval Brigade. The flagstaff, without the flag, still stood up boldly. But, so far as we could tell, the whole place was deserted.

There followed a discussion. Perhaps the Boers were lying in wait for the armoured train; perhaps they had trained a gun on some telegraph post, and would fire the moment the engine passed it; or perhaps, again, they were even now breaking the line behind us. Some Kaffirs approached respectfully, saluting. A Natal Volunteer— one of the cyclists—came forward to interrogate. He was an intelligent little man, with a Martini-Metford rifle, a large pair of field glasses, a dainty pair of grey skin cycling shoes, and a slouch hat. He questioned the natives, and reported their answers. The Kaffirs said that the Dutchmen were assuredly in the neighbourhood. They had been seen only that morning. ‘How many?’ The reply was vague—twelve, or seventeen, or one thousand ; also they had a gun—or five guns—mounted in the old fort, or on the platform of the station, or on the hill behind the town. At daylight they had shelled Colenso. ‘But why,’ we asked, “should they shell Colenso?’ Evidently to make sure of the range of some telegraph post. ‘It only takes one shell to do the trick with the engine,’ said the captain who commanded. ‘Got to hit us first, though,’ he added. ‘Well, let’s get a little bit nearer.’

The electric bell rang three times, and we crept forward—halted—looked around, forward again—halt again—another look round ; and so, yard by yard, we approached Colenso, Half a mile away we stopped finally. The officer, taking a sergeant with him, went on towards the village on foot. I followed. We soon reached the trenches that had been made by the British troops before they evacuated the place. ‘ Awful rot giving this place up,’ said the officer. ‘ These lines took us a week to dig.’ From here Colenso lay exposed about two hundred yards away …

They (the Boers) had resolved to use it in their further advance, and their confidence in the ultimate issue is shown by the care with which they avoid seriously damaging the permanent way. We had learned all that there was to learn—where the line was broken, that the village was deserted, that the bridge was safe, and we made haste to rejoin the train. Then the engine was reversed, and we withdrew out of range of the hills beyond Colenso at full speed—and some said that the Boers did not fire because they hoped to draw us nearer, and others that there were no Boers within ten miles.

On the way back I talked with the volunteer. He was friendly and communicative. ‘Durban Light Infantry,’ he said; ‘that’s my corps. I’m a builder myself by trade—nine men under me. But I had to send them all away when I was called out. I don't know how I’m going on when I get back after it’s over. Oh, I’m glad to come. I wish I was in Ladysmith. You see these Dutchmen have come quite far enough into our country. The Imperial Government promised us protection. You've seen what protection Colenso got ; Dundee and Newcastle, just the same; I don’t doubt they've tried their best, and I don't blame them; but we want help here badly. I don’t hold with a man crying out for help unless he makes a start himself, so I came out. I'm a cyclist. I've got eight medals at home for cycling.’

‘How will you like a new one—with the Queen’s head on it?’ His eye brightened. ‘ Ah,’ he said, ‘I should treasure that more than all the other eight—even more than the twenty-mile championship one.’

So we rattled back to Estcourt through the twilight ; and the long car, crowded with brown-clad soldiers who sprawled smoking on the floor or lounged against the sides, the rows of loopholes along the iron walls, the black smoke of the engine bulging overhead, the sense of headlong motion, and the atmosphere of war made the volunteer seem perhaps more than he was; and I thought him a true and valiant man, who had come forward in time of trouble quietly and soberly to bear his part in warfare, and who was ready, if necessary, to surrender his humble life in honourably sustaining the quarrel of the State. Nor do I care to correct the impression now.”

High praise indeed from the great man himself! But the war waged on and Anderson’s skills were in much demand long after the Armoured Train had been derailed and Churchill marched off, a Prisoner of War. Such was their workload that the Hull Daily Mail of 1 December 1899 reported that, “The Cyclist Corps attached to the Durban Light Infantry has proved most useful for the purposes of scouting. In one day they covered a route of 90 miles.”

Christmas of 1899 came and went with no sign that the war would be over anytime soon. The Lakes Chronicle & Reporter of 3 January 1900 intimating that, “The cyclist corps attached to the Durban Light Infantry are doing good work in the Transvaal. They recently covered 90 miles in one day for the purpose of obtaining information on the Boer forces, doing no small amount of fighting on the way. Their tactics and rapidity of movement are a source of much worry to Kruger’s satellites.”

Mention was made above of the Transvaal – if this report is accurate then the Cyclist detachment were indeed adventurous – it must be remembered that, in early January when the article was written, Ladysmith was still under siege, Spionkop had yet to be fought and the Boers were still very much in evidence in most parts of Natal.

Little is known (or written) about the Cyclists subsequent movements but, suffice it to say, Buller finally relieved Ladysmith on 1 March 1900 and, after a few weeks of rest and recuperation, his army moved through Northern Natal, finally expelling the Boers from the colony by mid-June 1900. For most Colonial volunteers in Natal the war was now over. Orders were received for them to stand down and return to their homes. It was decided, however, that a select few would be retained to constitute a Voluntary Composite Regiment and volunteers were called for. It was no surprise that Anderson put his hand up and was accepted as No. 52 with the rank of Private.

The NVCR was short-lived and existed, primarily, to act as a buffer in the northern reaches of Natal, to ensure that the Boers didn’t try their luck and re-enter the colony. Anderson was discharged from their ranks, Medically Unfit, on 14 February 1902 and was to take no further part in the war.

For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps Orange Free State, Transvaal and the Relief of Ladysmith – this last is not affixed to the medal.

Nothing further is known about John Alfred Anderson.

Acknowledgements:
- The Durban Light Infantry Volume I by A.C. Martins
- London to Ladysmith by Winston Spencer Churchill
- Various newspapers as quoted in the above text.