TOPIC:

Steve,

William Young Birrell

S Van Breda

Steve,

FamilySearch has several men of this name linked to the Wynberg area which is worth investigating.

David,
Many thanks again for taking the time to post these documents. I now have some good leads which will hopefully result in some more write ups to these men in the near future.
Cheers Steve

22216 TROOPER SIDNEY WILLIAM SQUIRE: COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S BODYGUARD

QUEENS SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL
CLASPS: CAPE COLONY/ORANGE FREE STATE


I do not have the QSA to this man in my collection. I do not even know if it is still extant or if it lies in a box in someone's dusty attic or has found it's way into the crucible!
However, please indulge me as the important thing is the soldier's story which I believe is worth telling and should be posted amid a thread to his comrades.

Sidney William Squire was born on 2nd October 1865 at Newbury Farm, Silsoe, Eaton Socon, Bedfordshire, England. He was baptized on 13 th November 1865 by the Church of England at St. Mary's Church, Eaton Socon.

The 1871 Census finds Sidney, a 6 year old living at Newbury Farm with his father Edward Frederick Squire (42), a farmer who farmed a sizable holding of 274 acres employing 8 men and 5 boys. Also his mother Mary Elizabeth (33) and their large family comprising of Ethel Mary (9), Herbert Edward 8, Isabella (5), Lawrence Henry (2) and newborn Hastings (0).
Domestic Servants numbered two, Anne Hopkins (27) and Sarah Brumwill (17).

At some point the family were without Isabella and Lawrence Henry as seen by their absence from the 1881 Census, but as a 16 year old still living at Newbury Farm he had gained siblings Maurice Frederick born in 1873 and John in 1876.
The family still employed two female servants.

The Census of 1891 does not list the 26 year old Sidney at Newbury Farm ( however, good to see Isabella returned home.).

There is no record of the Squire family being present at Newbury Farm for 1901 Census.

So it is reasonable to assume that due to being brought up on a working farm, Sidney would have been a proficient horseman and would have been well acquainted with firearms.
This would stand him in good stead for the next chapter of his life in South Africa.
The next we hear of Sidney is when he attests to the Commander-in-Chiefs Bodyguard with service number 22216 at Cape Town on 10th November 1900. As the recruitment advertisement in the local press said " only good horsemen and excellent marksmen need apply".

On 3rd January 1901, Trooper Squire had served for less than two months with the regiment when while out in column with the unit's Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. David Tyrie Laing they were ambushed at Frederick's Dale, a farm near Lindsey/Reitz by burghers of the Kroonstad Commando under the command of General Philip Botha. The burghers were well hidden in long grass with the advantage of an excellent field of fire creating a perfect killing ground. The men of the Bodyguard didn't stand much of a chance and during the desperate battle lost 14 men either killed including Laing and 33 wounded 7 of those wounded dying later from their wounds. Many of the remainder were taken prisoner.
Trooper Squire was severely wounded in this incident. He was then taken to a casualty station to find the medical care he required. We will never know if his wounds of battle were survivable as Trooper Squire met the fate of so many other soldier's in the campaign. He died of enteric fever (typhoid) at Kroonstad as a result of contact with contaminated food or water. His date of death is recorded as 24th February 1901. Perhaps he was on the road to recovery only to be knocked over by enteric?

The Medal Roll for the regiment, WO100/243 , confirms Sidney's entitlement to the QSA with clasps CC & OFS.
As with the medal to 26371 Trooper Norman Lewis Hawkyard also of the Bodyguard and described earlier on in this thread, we find another anomaly in the recording of the cause of death.
Both the Nominal Roll and the Remarks column of the Medal Roll state that Sidney was Killed in Action on 24th February 1901 when we now know that he died of disease. There is no mention of his being wounded either. Clearly there was a lack of communication within their reporting system!





Trooper Squire is commemorated on monument 18 at North Road, Kroonstad as shown in the above images.
This area is known as the Kroonstad Garden of Remembrance.



He is also commemorated on a fine brass plaque in a diamond shape located on the south wall of the inside of St. Mary's Church, Great North Road, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, PE19 8EJ, England the church where he was baptized.
As the reader will see the plaque is intricately engraved to the margins and an ornate decorative roundel is to be found at each of the east, west and south corners of the plaque. The diamond at the top in pride of place bears the Lord Roberts badge of the regiment.
I am afraid that my reproduction of the image (for research purposes only) does not do justice to the memorial. Therefore, please find below the central inscription:
"IN LOVING MEMORY OF SIDNEY WILLIAM SQUIRE VOLUNTEER IN THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEFS BODYGUARD, WHO WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED NEAR LINDLEY JAN 3RD AND DIED OF ENTERIC FEVER IN KROONSTAD HOSPITAL S. AFRICA FEB 24TH 1901. AGED 37".
"HERE HAVE WE NO CONTINUING CITY."




And finally, here we have an inscription on a family grave.

The family and community obviously felt great pride and love for Sidney William Squire and felt his loss keenly. They wanted to ensure that we do not forget him.
I like to think that they have succeeded.

Many thanks for a very interesting post, Steve.