TOPIC:

PRIVATE P. WALL, 1ST BATTALION ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT, PRISONER OF WAR AT SLINGERFONTEIN, 12/2/1900.
QSA with CC, OFS and TR officially impressed: 6511 Pte. P. WALL 1st. RL. IRISH REGt.

The following description of the action at Slingerfontein is taken from the regimental history of the Royal Irish Regiment:
As the cavalry division was now required to cover the concentration of the main army, French returned to Rensberg to superintend its transfer to the Orange-River-Kimberley line and on the 6th of February, after seeing the last of his own troops quietly disappear from the neighborhood of Colesberg, he made over the command of the district to Clements, whom Lord Roberts had appointed to continue the work hitherto performed by the cavalry commander. The duty entrusted to Clements was no easy one. The detachment left with him was weak in numbers, weaker still in mobility it consisted of two squadrons of regular cavalry about 650 Australian volunteers, many of whom had arrived in South Africa as foot soldiers 450 regular infantry, of whom a considerable proportion were by no means good riders one battery of Horse, one of Field artillery, and two howitzers the 12th brigade of infantry and half a battalion of the Royal Berkshire regiment. With this small force he had to maintain himself on a front twenty-five miles in length against a foe whose numbers were now estimated to be between 11,000 and 12,000 men, well-armed and mounted and whose artillery, a 40 pounder, five field-guns, and five pom-poms, was by no means to be despised. Clements carried on the system of defense devised by French. Companies or larger detachments of infantry were posted on important points, a mile or more apart, in rough forts built of the stones and boulders with which the hills were strewn. Every opportunity was taken to make these works more secure, and as the Royal Irish plied pick and shovel and crowbar to improve their defenses, careful observation was kept on the enemy's big gun, and whenever the 40 pounder. was turned in their direction a signal warned them to take cover instantly. Thanks to the vigilance of their look-out men, the Royal Irish, though frequently shelled, were able always able to go to earth in time, and suffered no losses from the cannonade. The front and flanks of the positions were watched by groups of sentries, concealed from the enemy's view and fire by sangarsthe dry-stone breast-works of which constant use was made throughout the war. Very soon after French’s troops had been withdrawn, the burghers discovered that the British facing them had perceptibly diminished in strength, and at once began a series of attempts to turn Clements flanks and cut off his communications with the rest of the army. Between the 6th and the 11th February there was fighting on various parts of the line, and so many shells fell among the tents of the Royal Irish and the Worcester that the camps were removed to less exposed positions. On the 12th, both flanks were severely bombarded and then attacked by riflemen, who succeeded in ousting the defenders of Hobkirks farm, the post marking our extreme left. At the other end of the line the half battalion of the Worcestershire, which was holding a group of kopjes to the east of Slingersfontein, was hotly shelled, and then exposed to rifle-fire so heavy that after considerable loss it was unable to retain the whole of the ground entrusted to it, though the greater part was stubbornly and successfully defended till nightfall. Clements had been obliged to throw every available man into his fighting line, and thus, when his left was turned and his right in serious danger, he had no reserves in hand with which to recapture the lost positions. He decided therefore to retire, and while the troops on the flanks were still able to hold the Boers in some degree in check, he made his preparations to fall back on Rensberg. From details which have been preserved of the way in which the troops were withdrawn from the right of the line, we learn that each of the detachments, scattered over the many miles of country comprised in the Slingersfontein area, received orders to leave its post at an hour timed to bring it into the camp 30 minutes before the column was due to march. At about 8 pm, after all the Kaffirs employed as bullock drivers had been rounded up and placed under guard to prevent their bolting the oxen were spanned with as little noise as possible, and as each wagon was ready it was sent off to the unit to which it was allotted. The tents were then struck, each corps leaving a few standing to deceive the enemy and finally the telegraph and signaling stations were dismantled and packed up. While the carts and wagons were returning to the rendezvous of the baggage, a company of the Royal Irish was sent to reinforce a detachment of the battalion in guarding a defile through which the column was about to retire, and when the troops were assembled the march began. Part of the XVIII, preceded by a few mounted scouts, formed the advance-guard then came two guns of the Royal Horse artillery, followed by the whole of the transport vehicles and the remainder of the guns, under escort of dismounted troops. The convoy was flanked by infantry, with supports distributed at intervals throughout its length, The rear-guard was composed of the rest of the foot soldiers in the column of half companies at column distance, followed by a company in extended order, and covered by the whole of the mounted troops widely extended. Thanks to the brilliancy of the moonlight and to the fact that the burghers made no attempt to harass the retreat, Clements arrived early on the 13th at Rensberg, where to his annoyance he found that the Boers had anticipated his movements by occupying a range of kopjes, which from the east commanded the railway from Rensberg to Arundel, the next station southward on the line towards Naauwpoort Junction. As the presence of the enemy among these kopjes made it impossible for him to remain at Rensberg, the General determined to fall back on Arundel, which he reached at 5 am. on the 14th of February.

John - a transcript record on FMyP says 6511 Pte P Wall was liberated from Waterval on 6th June 1900 (Source: The London Times).

I can't access the London Times but found this notice in about half a dozen other newspapers:



The above from the Morning Leader of 11 July 1900.

David.

Hi David,
Thank you very much! This is great! I sincerely appreciate it.