TOPIC:

"Wepener" Clasp to the Royal Engineers.
According to IL's well-thumbed copy of the Kaplan medal roll for the "Wepener" clasp, just eleven such were awarded to the Royal Engineers; one to Brevet Col. C. Maxwell and the remainder to Sappers. For those Forum members interested in this quite scarce clasp, here is the QSA/KSA pair to Sapper E.A.Wright of 12th Coy., Royal Engineers; along with comments about the R.E. role in the siege.


(a) QSA; clasps "Cape Colony", "Wepener', "Wittebergen" and "Belfast" - engraved to 21970 Sapr. E.A.Wright, R.E."
(b) KSA; clasps "SA1901" and "SA 1902" impressed as above.

Edward Abberley Wright , aged 24 years and one month (occupation, bricklayer status single) enlisted in the R.E. at Liverpool on 3/7/1895; citing previous part-time service with 3rd Lancs. Vol. Engrs. Being rather taller and better built than many of his contemporaries, our man's personal description does note "rather flat feet". However, such a tradesman would be very useful in a Corps that carried out many of the tasks necessary to support an active service army.
Sapper Wright was posted to 12th Coy., R.E. and gained a 3rd Class education certificate in 3/97, plus GC pay a year later. His service career appears otherwise unremarkable up to 2/7/1898; when he was placed on the reserve. Like many other reservists, Sapper Wright was recalled to duty as events escalated in South Africa. On 9/10/1899, he marched-in to his original unit and, barely a month later, embarked with it from Southampton for the Cape.
Upon disembarkation on 12/12/1899, the 12th Coy., R.E. was assigned to Gen. Gatacre's force. Already a highly regarded asset, at Sterkstroom it undertook much needed construction of "drifts" to ease traffic congestion. That particular task did not pass without comment; Maj. Pollock (writing in "With Seven Generals") wrote: "The men stuck to their tasks most manfully under a broiling sun; no navvies could have surpassed them". Further, "No.12 Company came out with a reputation and seemed determined to increase it". During the Stormberg operation however, the 12th Coy., R.E. had a back-seat role - acting as escort to the 3rd Echelon Field Hospital.
Upon the formation of Gen. Pole-Carey's 11th Div. on 16/4/1900, one of it's assets was the 12th Coy., R.E. By that time, however, a small detachment from that Coy. - commanded by Major C.Maxwell, R.E.- was attached to the Colonial Division and taking a very active part in the defence of the entrenchments near a little border town on the edge of Basutoland; Wepener. The detachment has arrived at the end of March and the town itself was occupied by a small component of the Colonial Division. Patrols and Basuto spies were reporting Boer concentrations heading towards Wepener. Reinforcements were urgently requested and arrived none too soon with Col.. Dalgety on 4th April, 1900.
For the British, the only seeming value of retaining that location would be to keep the friendly Basutos on side and reminding the already occupied districts of who was who. For the Boers, however, the presence of a large proportion of the hated Colonial Division offered an irresistible opportunity of a test of strength. Outnumbering the garrison by three-to-one, General DeWet could surely add Dalgety's humiliation to his list of recent successes.
The activities of that particular R.E. detachment at Wepener are mostly passed over rather lightly in the various siege accounts IL has read. However, a specific account of the actual contributions made by the handful of Sappers may be found in Cassell's "History of the Boer War" Vol.1. Indeed, that particular source has emphasised an important aspect of the siege quite absent from other accounts. That being the active participation of Basuto volunteers in the gathering of intelligence about Boer intentions and in the repair of fortifications damaged by artillery fire.
Prior to the actual siege commencing, an emissary arrived at the R.E. outpost bearing a letter signed by Boer General Banks. the emissary was taken to Maj. Maxwell blindfolder; that officer being amused to read a demand for immediate surrender. The offer was politely refused and - bearing a counter-offer of lenient terms - the re-blindfolded emissary sent on his way. Of such incidents were reputations made.
Delegated the task of defending the location, Maj. Maxwell decided that - rather than a classic, perimeter defence of Wepener itself - a series of mutually supporting entrenchments along the kopjies to the NW of the town, offered clear defensive advantages.Being in the general shape of Capital C's on end with open ends facing each other (see attached camp layout), the position dominated local roads and the bridge. It had no shelter for horses, wagons or baggage (these had to be laagered near the Northern defences), The position was generally subject to artillery fire; however the dispersed defences quickly proved to be better than having all the eggs in one basket and a prey to concentrated bombardment.

Basuto scouts and the Division's patrols warned of Boer movements and time was running out. Critically, the defences allocated to the CMR on the SW perimeter were far from satisfactory (indicated by arrows on the camp layout). The ground was rocky and rudimentary shelters and striong points of piled up rocks had to suffice. The defensive layout shows the R.E. detachment placed behind that of the CMR (indicated by a dot) - where it was going to be needed. During the time remaining before the shells arrived, readers may be assured that Sapper Wright, his comrades and everybody else laboured mightily. The first shell landed in the defended area at 0630 on 9/4/1900 and an epic defence commenced.
Various accounts of the siege list four serious Boer assaults on the Colonial Division's defences; those of the 9th April, the 10th and 11th, the12th and 13th, and that of the 24th May. The CMR positions were especially targeted. Cassell's Vol. 1 tells us of Basuto spies keeping the defenders aware of impending assaults; some assaults were co-ordinated with artillery and others covered by a storm of rifle fire. At ant time, the British defences could be and were shelled - all hands to the trenches, including Basuto volunteers. Maj. Maxwell himself had his pony shot from under him as he galloped from site to site. The onset of heavy rain on the 15th of May made matters miserable for both sides. The Colonial Division was made of tough stuff- and they prevailed.
After the relief of Wepener, Sapper Wright's active service included operations in the Wittebergen (possibly still attached to the Colonial Division) and then conducting entrenching at Belfast. His next encounter caused probably as much grief as any of the clasps on his eventual QSA; being sent for Court Martial for the serious offence of "offering violence to an officer". Conviction meant loss of GC pay and his detention from 29/8/1901 to 1/3/1902. Subsequent to the cessation of hostilities, Sapper Wright soldiered on until being posted back to the UK; arriving 11/10/1902. He was back on GC pay five months later and placed on the reserve on 3/7/1903. After twelve years' service, Sapper Wright was "discharged from further obligations" at Chatham on 2/7/1907; transiting to the civilian world and his wife and three children - with his savings, gratuity and two medals. After a long and hopefully fruitful life, Edward Abberley Wright died in 1968.
In conclusion, IL notes that the Royal Engineers barracks at Chatham features an imposing Memorial (unveiled July 1905) dedicated to the activities of the Corps in South Africa. One of the memorial panels features the battle honour "WEPENER". IL likes to think that, upon "marching out" in July of 1907, Sapper Wright might have glanced at that particular panel; reflecting perhaps on the siege - and the unfortunate fact that Lt. Col. Cedric Maxwell himself never saw the Memorial. That long-serving and brilliant Officer of Engineers died on 20th May,1901 at Rouxville; suffering concussion of the brain after a fall from his horse.
IL.
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Sorry, chaps, the illustration of the camp layout did not "go" where I wanted it to! Here it is:

IL
Thank you for another excellent account of' 'the man behind the medals' and his military career. As usual, I learnt a lot that was new to me.
Regards
Brett

Allow me to echo Brett's sentiments IL. A well thought out and constructed account of the man and the campaign.

Let's see more of these.

Regards

Rory

Very nice medal and a good write up - especially stressing the use of Basutos, the British (and to an extent the Boers) would have been blind without the use of the native African population.

Some maps in the contemporary histories of the siege positions are lamentable in their accuracy. You should look up Wepener on Google Earth, it is very easy to see the position and the Jammerberg above Wepener is a very dramatic feature. Would love to see the ground in person.

This is an image from Google Earth of the positions on the 9th April that I did for a talk on the siege.

IL,

An excellent account of the man and the action especially, as SWB notes, regarding the Basuto involvement. The account posted on the site today have been wonderful to read and very much add to the story of the Boer War.