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I am trying to put together a family History for my Grandsons and the information that I have from a cousin is that my Grandfather was in South Africa 1901-1902 but apart from Diamond Hill information is pretty slim, I would be very grateful for any extra that anybody has knowledge of.

Hello and welcome here,
Sullivan's very detailed service papers have survived at Kew and are available on line, so the obvious thing to do is take some time and have a close look at them, it was a very hard ride to Kimberley and beyond with John French.
Regards Frank Kelley

lyndann wrote: I am trying to put together a family History for my Grandsons and the information that I have from a cousin is that my Grandfather was in South Africa 1901-1902 but apart from Diamond Hill information is pretty slim, I would be very grateful for any extra that anybody has knowledge of.

Hello again,
I had meant to say that whilst I don't feel there is anything really unusual about your grandfather, the events of this week, exactly one hundred years ago are certainly not lost upon me and I hope they are of interest to you too.
Your grandfather was mobilised on the 5th of August 1914, just like so many others, as I'm sure you will know, war had been declared the day before.
He joined the 7th Reserve Cavalry Regiment, where an issue of kit would have been made (including brand new boots! ) and on the 19th of August, he re joined his old regiment, the 9th Lancers.
When the war began, the regiment was part of the soon to be very famous 2nd Cavalry Brigade, they were stationed at Mooltan Barracks at Tidworth.
After breakfast, on the 15th of August, the regiment marched off to Amesbury railway station and boarded trains for Southampton, they took with them, their 613 horses.

I doubt if many of them realised as they saw the shoreline of England behind them it would be for the last time, just nine days later, many would be dead or wounded.
Once safely in France, the regiment was part of the Cavalry Division and moved forward across the border and advanced towards Mons, your grandfather would have had a billet in Jeumont which was near Maubeuge.
I dare say your grandfather might well have taken a place on one or more of the patrols around the bridges on the Mons canal over the next couple of days and he may have caught a glimpse of his opposite numbers in the enemies Uhlan regiments, he might even have exchanged a few bullets with them too.
On the 24th of August a German Army Corps had moved forward beyond Thulin and became a very serious threat to one of the British Infantry Divisions.
At Audregnies near Elouges long lines of Germans began to appear and your grandfathers Brigade commander on that day was General de Lisle, he saw the danger and decided to act, he told your grandfathers commanding officer, David Campbell, that he was going to charge the enemy and he would order the 4th Dragoon Guards to attack on the left flank and ordered Campbell to do the same on the right.
The charge was carried out but it failed because your grandfathers regiment could not close with the enemy, but, this was not their fault, it was really because of the nature of the ground was all sunken lanes and railway cuttings, with the odd annoying wire fence.

Notwithstanding all of your grandfathers prior service, I would think the remainder of August would have been the most intense period of his life, he was older and more wise than before, I think he was very lucky to have survived the month.
He re joined the 7th Reserve Cavalry Regiment on the 31st of August after leaving the 9th Lancers the day before, I would think he was like so many, completely worn out and almost dead on his feet by then, but, he had survived.
The retreat from Mons was awful, though, the 9th Lancers were rather more lucky than most.

On Sunday I hope you will take some time to think about your grandfather and what he was doing exactly one hundred years ago!

Again, regards Frank Kelley.

Well, over a long lunch today, I raised a glass (or three!) to all the Delhi Spearmen, your grandfather and in particular all those from the regiment who lost their life on this day exactly one hundred years ago, rest in peace gentlemen.

That was very fitting gesture, Frank.

Morning David,
Well really David any excuse is a good one, but, in all seriousness, this particular regiment has always been a long term favourite, they were always superb and Sullivan was there in what I always think of as the golden age, before the rot set in, he was present throughout the Anglo Boer War and saw it from beginning to end, who knows, perhaps he was one of the few who actually managed to get their furled pennons stained with Afrikaner blood on the 21st of February 1900!
Kind regards Frank

djb wrote: That was very fitting gesture, Frank.