Natal Carbineers officers who served through the Siege of Ladysmith

Christmas in Ladysmith: Boer War 1899 5

View of Ladysmith from a sandbagged position

CHRISTMAS

Anniversaries relieved the monotony of the siege and were opportunities for celebration. Despite furious bombardment on the Prince of Wales’s birthday, 9 November, a 21-gun salute was fired and a tot of rum issued. Perhaps the salute was unnecessary additional noise. Herbert Watkins-Pitchford remarks that nearly a thousand Boer shells were directed at the town, ‘and the crash of our answering artillery, and the shatter of bursting shells, together with the incessant crackle of rifle fire, made the day a memorable one’.

With the approach of Christmas everyone pushed aside the depressing reality that they were still under siege and rose to the occasion, collecting whatever could be found to contribute to the festivities.

The Border Mounted Rifles staged a concert on 22 December, using improvised instruments such as a drum made of a flour cask with sheepskin stretched over it; the ensemble’s wind section included several tin whistles. Some officers organized a party for the town’s 200 children, providing toys, cake and ginger pop. There were four decorated Christmas Trees at this gathering, representing South Africa, Britain, Australia and Canada.

 

The Australia Christmas tree

Members of the Natal Mounted Rifles built a large brick oven to cook chickens bought at exorbitant prices - 5/- to 7/6. Plum cakes were on sale at 30/- and plum puddings at 40/-. The nurses at Intombi hospital weren’t forgotten: White himself sent each one a parcel with port wine, lime juice, currants, cornflour and tinned tongue. Kate Driver wrote that these items were put into a common fund for use throughout the hospital and that ‘later, when our sick nurses were in great need of such things, we wished we had all taken our parcels!’

Siege Menu

On Christmas Eve there were church services and carol-singing. The Boers started Christmas Day off with a bang, shelling beginning at 5 a.m. and continuing for three hours; there were no casualties. One 15 pounder shell didn’t burst and when examined was found to contain not explosive but plum pudding, and a message, ‘With the compliments of the season’.

Natal Carbineer Arthur Crosby attended Communion at All Saints and later reported, ‘Our dinner consisted of soup, stewed goat and baked beef, both very tough, and plum pudding, very elastic’, but there was rum to wash it down. Cecil William Park of the Devons did rather better ‘with tablecloths and real wine-glasses’ and a menu comprising hors d’oeuvres, soup, beef, olives, roast chicken, plum pudding and figs. Park had just been promoted Lieutenant Colonel and, after the loyal toast to the Queen, the men drank his health, with further toasts to sweethearts, wives and absent friends, followed by a singsong and hot rum punch.

The best Christmas present would have been the arrival of Buller’s army, but news of his disastrous defeat at Colenso on 15 December, with the loss of over a thousand men and ten guns, had put paid to that hope.

Saving the guns at Colenso: Freddy Roberts, son of Lord Roberts,
was killed in this action; he was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously.

Captain W Arnott, Adjutant of the Border Mounted Rifles, who had been wounded at End Hill, kept himself occupied during his convalescence by writing a serial letter to his wife mentioning that he’d had a very pleasant Christmas, but a note of foreboding crept in:

‘We got a present of some potatoes from Mrs Tatham and some jam. We managed a very good plum pudding and with a ration of rum instead of brandy or whisky we did very well. We had sports in the afternoon and a concert later in the week. Xmas week and New Year week were extremely wet and uncomfortable and with the wet we got a lot of sickness’. 

Boer War: Natal Carbineers

MUSTER ROLL OF THE NATAL CARBINEERS ANGLO-BOER WAR 1899-1902

Strength Of Regiment on Mobilization, 508,
and on being released from Active Service 530

Abbreviations:
L: In Siege of Ladysmith
R: On Relief Column
SS: Special Service Members
K: Killed
W: Wounded
D: Died
P: Prisoner
NGR: On Railway Work

[Where none of the above occur after the name, no further details are given on the Roll.]

OFFICERS

Lieut-Col E M Greene L
Maj D McKenzie R
Maj C E Taunton L K
Maj and Adjt J Weighton L
Maj G J Macfarlane L
Maj C B Addison L
Capt W S Shepstone L
Capt C G Willson L
Capt and Q-M A Lyle L
Capt F E Foxon L W
Capt A Hair L
Capt B Crompton L
Capt E Lucas L D
Capt G W Nourse-Varty L
Capt C N H Rodwell L
Capt G F Tatham L
Lieut W A Vanderplank L
Lieut W J Gallwey P
Lieut W Comrie L
Lieut D Sparks L
Lieut D W Mackay R W
Lieut W A Bartholomew L
Lieut W T Gage L
Lieut A C Townsend L
Lieut W E C Tanner L
Lieut A W Smallie L
Lieut T M Owen Depot
Lieut R Ashburnham R
Lieut J P S Woods R
Lieut T Duff L
Lieut A Wylde Browne SS D
Lieut R A C Cockburn L
Vet-Lieut F A Verney SS R


NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

RSM W Burkimsher R
RSM B M Bowen L D
Bandmaster J Keilly L
Q M Sergt W Munro L
O R S P W Stride L
S M Tailor W Walters, Depot
Saddler Sergt T W Lyle L
Far Sergt J Matraves L
Far Sergt F Pain L
Sergt Tptr E J Lawrance
Sergt Cook A Ashdown L
S S Mjr E W Barter L
S S Mjr B Buchanan L
S S Mjr P J C Deglon L
S S Mjr J W Johnston L
S S Mjr J Mapstone L
S S Mjr T Mitchell L
T S Mjr A Sclanders R
S S Mjr A B Vanderplank L
S S Mjr J W Tranmer R
T S Mjr H C Fitzgerald R
S S Mjr J W V Montgomery L
S Q M S T Castle L
S Q M S T W C Evans R
S Q M S J Hackland L
S Q M S R F Harte L
S Q M S G Jackson L
Sergt J W Armitage L
Sergt R Carbis L
Sergt A E Colville L K
Sergt R Comins L
Sergt J W Durham L
Sergt H J Harkness L
Sergt F G Holmes L
Sergt J A McCullough L
Sergt F G Mapstone L W D
Sergt W J Osborne L
Sergt C McD Patterson L
Sergt H Schwegmann L
Sergt S M Shaw L
Sergt P J Stevens R W
Sergt W P Stevens R
Sergt A Swan L
Sergt A E Todd L
Sergt F J C Topham L
Sergt H Wilkinson L
Corpl J L Armitage L
Corpl R C Boyd L
Corpl C A Carbutt L
Corpl D M Craig L
Corpl J Dicks L
Corpl T Ellerker L
Corpl J R Fayers L
Corpl W P Gray R
Corpl A T Hackland L
Corpl R W Hall R
Corpl R Hesom L
Corpl J H Holley L W
Corpl C Holmes SS R
Corpl W H Home L
Corpl W A Lang L
Corpl T McCathie L
Corpl J McCullough L
Corpl W McCullough L W
Corpl H K McDowell L
Corpl J McKenzie L
Corpl H McLean L
Corpl J A Mason L
Corpl E Reed R
Corpl R A Richmond R W
Corpl H Smith L
Corpl W H Sanders L
Corpl A Tanner L
Corpl J Watson L
Corpl-Tptr O E Dick L


MEN

Tmptr A Denness L
Tmptr T P Egner L
Tmptr W E Fyfe SS
Tmptr J A Keith L
Tmptr J H Mellis L
Troopers:
A H Abel SS L
C W Abel L
E P Adams SS
W T Adams SS R
P Adie SS R K
J Agnew SS R W
H F Albers L
F Allerston L
A F Anders L
J M Anderson SS
W Anderson SS L W
W N Angus SS R
R J M Antel L
W E Antel L
E S Archer L
A W Arnold L
E J W Ashe L
J W Ashton SS
W Bailey SS L
W J Baillie SS
R Baines SS L
T P Bale SS D
P Ballantyne R W
H M Ballenden L
C Banfield SS
A H Banwell SS
C Barnett L
T Barnett L
T Barron R
J Bassage L
J J Bassage L
W F Bassage L D
T Baum SS
G F Bennett L
H Benson L
W S Bigby SS L
J L Birkett L D
H G Bizley SS
G E Blaker L
J W Bonifant L
E M G Bowes L
A Bowman L
W S Boyce SS
T H Brandon SS R
C Brazier L
C Brennen SS R
F H Brittain SS L D
F L Brown SS
J H Brown L
B B Buntting L
F Burton L
W M Busch L
G W Butcher SS
J C Butter L
H L Button SS
W Buxton L K
A Cairns L
W Calder SS L
D P Campbell L
H C C Campbell SS
T Campbell SS
A F Carter L
C R Carter L
H B Carter L
H J Catchpole L
J G Chalklen
W M Chalmers SS L
P G Chambers L
E Chandley L
S Chapman SS L D
R Charlton SS L
B Cheney R
E Chisholm L
J P Christie SS
F Clark SS
W Cleaver SS L W D
A S Clouston L
A E Cockburn L
J B Cohen SS L D
J G Collins L
R Collins L
C Colville L
J S H Colville L D
A Comrie L
J M Comrie L
P C Comrie L
A O Cooke R
J J B Cooke R
G H Coombes SS
C F J Cope R
E P Corbet R
W J Corrigall L
H A Craig L
C Craik L W
B Crathorne R
A P Craw L
A Crickmore SS
G Crompton SS
A J Crosby SS L
H W Cross SS
J Cross SS R
H F B Crosse
A E Crouch L
B Crouch L
W J Crouch L
J T Crowsen L
E E Croysdale SS L
J Cumming SS L
W W Cummins SS R
G T Cundill L
T Cunningham SS
T Curran L
W H Currie L
P B Curry SS L
S Daly L W
C F Davies L
J E Davies L D
F P H De Bary
J H M de Bary L
R A H de Bary L
W E Deerans SS
E J Dicks L
G W Dicks L
H C Dicks L
H E H Dicks
J A Dicks
C J Diot L
W S Dobson SS L
C Douglas
D Dowsett NGR
J Duff SS L
F Duke SS L D
D J Dunn SS L
D Dunwoodie SS L
F W Durant L
W G Eccles R
W P Edwards SS R
W T Edwards L
J Elliott SS
T Elliott L K
J L Ennis SS
J F Fargerson SS
F C Farmer R
R N Faulder SS L
J G Ferrand SS
C J Fewings SS R
A H Firmstone SS L
G A Firmstone SS L
J W Flett L
F Ford SS
A G M Forder SS L
F Fowler SS
A P Francis L
G L Fraser L
J A Fraser SS R
W J Freeman SS L W
L O Fyvie L
C S M Gabriel SS L
M H Garson SS
W Gerhardt SS R
P T Gibson SS
J Gillam SS L W
T Gill SS R
M Goldstein SS R K
G M Gordon SS
J K Gordon SS P
R E Gordon SS
A F Grant R
G J Grant R
N J Grant R
R Grant L
W H Grant R
D M Gray R K
G D Gray L
K M Greenall L D
A H Greene L
S Gregory SS
J E Greig L W
C Groom SS L
H C Groom SS L
T Hackland L
H E Haddon SS L
C C Haine L
L P Haine SS L W
H W Hale SS
W A Hall L
E A Hamblin NGR
G A Hammond SS L
J W Hammond L
W J Harcourt D
E A C Harding
H Harding SS
F C Hardman L
F O Harris L
A E Harte L
W H F Harte L
C Hatley L
F W T Hatley L
H Hatley L
E H Hayes L
A G Hazell L
G C H Heckler L W
O Hesom L
S W Hewitt SS P
S R Higgins L
F C Hill L
A G Hinde SS R
C F Hodgson L
H A Hodgson
T L Hodgson SS L
R G Hodson
J B Holgate SS
Ralph Holliday L
Rupert Holliday L
F W Holmes L
W Hood SS
R Hope SS
L Hordern SS
F S Hornby L
J W Horsley L
H N Houghton
A S Houshold SS L
E E Houshold L
T H Houshold L
F J Howden SS
A Hutcheson L
F T Hyde L
T J Irving SS R
G Izatt SS
R H Jackson L
W Jackson L
J F Jacques L
H N Jenner SS R K
A C Johnson SS
W J Johnstone SS R
J Jones L
W W Jordan SS
J Joughin SS R
A S Joyner L
A Keachie L
E J Kean L
C G Kemp L
L E Kenmuir SS R
C Kennedy L
F E King R W
G F King L R
W W King
G B Kitchen SS
H J Kitchen L
W T Kitchen SS L
C D Knapp L
G F Kremer L
A H O Kruger L
C R Ladbrooke SS
W H Ladds L
J Laing SS L
G F Lane L
P P Lang L
R A Lang L
A Larsen SS
J O Larsen SS L
G Lawrence L SS
J Lawrence L
S W Lawrence SS
F W Lean SS L
W Leathern L
J Leddra SS
H P Lefebre SS
J T Legge SS R
P Lewis SS L
T Lewis SS L
G Liggett SS
R E Lightfoot L
D P Lindsay SS L
R A Lindsay L W
T J Locke SS R
W Long SS R
A H Loram SS R
C H Luja SS L
W E Lupton SS L
G Macfarlane SS
J McBlain SS
J R McCullough L
W A McCullough L
A S McDonald L
G McKellar L
N McKellar L
C K McKenzie L
L R McKenzie L
O S McKenzie L
R McKenzie L
W McLean L
F G H McLeod SS
A Madsen L
M Madsen L
G G Mann SS D
R J Marshall L
T W Martin SS L
A J Mason L
R J Mason SS R W
W F Mason L
H Meares L
G H Mellis L
E W Meyer L
F Meyer L
H F Meyer L
J Meyer L
A Miles L
A J Miller L
C E J Miller SS L W
H E Miller L
R M M Miller SS L K
W J Milliken L
H T Mitchell L
W J Mitchell SS L
W H Mitchell L
C Molyneux SS L
W E C Molyneux SS
S G Monckton SS R
R Money L
Q H Montgomery L
W R Moody L D
E B Moreland L
H D Munro SS R
J H Murray L D
T R Murray SS
G Newlands L
W C F Napier SS L
D D Newton L
T Newton L
A Nicholson L W
B Nicholson SS R
J B Nicholson L
W G Nunn SS R
D O'Brien SS
A H O Osborn SS
R Owen SS L
A Paine L W
F Palfrey SS
E C Palmer SS R
W A Paterson SS
G S Paton SS L
D Patton L D
J Paxton SS R
H J Peake SS R
J Pepworth L
H W Peters L
G J Player SS
B C T Pottow L
J N A Pottow L
J Price L D
S H Prince L
W E Quested L
F R Ralfe, R
G Rattray SS R
R J Raw R W
S W Raw L D
W G Raw L
W H Rawlings L
R Read SS
W L Read
W C Reeves SS
A B Richardson SS
J B Richardson L
G H Richardson SS L
W N Ridgway L
J Risley SS
S Robinson SS R
T Robinson
T J Robinson L
J Robertson
W D Roche SS L
W T Rochester SS L
E H Rose SS
L Ross L
E O Rowles L
B L Royal SS
F S Rundle SS P
E Russell R W
R C Samuelson L
H E Saner SS W
S Savage L
R Schofield SS
H W Seale R
S Schofield SS
D G Sclanders R
W J Sclater L
D A Shaw L
A G Shaw SS L
E H Shaw SS L D
J G Shaw SS L
W H Shaw SS R
W L Shaw R
G H Stepstone SS L
M A Shepstone SS L
F H Sherman SS R
G G Shores L
G F Simon SS L
W B Skottowe SS
C R Skottowe SS
P H Smallridge L
E E Smith SS L W
H Smith L
Jas Smith SS
J H Smith L
R Smith L
W C Smith L K
E P Smithwick SS
P F Smithwick
D W Smythe L
H G Snodgrass SS
J G Speirs L SS
J Spence L
F Spencer L W
G W Spencer SS
R Spencer L
D J Spillman SS
C E Stainbank SS L
F Stanbury SS R
B L Stead L
H P Stead L
A C Street SS
B J Stevens R
F Stevens R
F N Stevens R
A Stutters SS L
J Sullivan L
J Surgeson L
H G Swindon L
O Swindon L
W Sutherland L
W F B Sutherland SS L
J Symes SS
T Symes
W Symes L
G Symons SS R
H E Symons R
J Talanda SS
W A Talbot L
R M Tanner L
H Tarboton SS
F W Taunton SS
A E Taylor SS L
B Taylor L
C P K Taylor L
E Taylor R W
E R Taylor SS R
M Taylor L
R P Taylor SS L
W F Taylor L
W J Taylor L
J Taylor SS R
A E Taynton SS L
G W Teasdale R W
J Tennant SS R
A L Thompson L
H W Thompson L
A G Thomson SS L
G L Thomson L
F C Thomalla SS
W A P Thorne SS R
H Tillett SS
R Timm
P Tomlinson SS R
R Tomlinson SS L
R Trodd R
A H Trow SS L
A R Tucker SS L
H Turner SS L
C J Tytherleigh L
W J Ulyate SS
P J Upton SS L
H J Urquhart L
J P Urquhart L
F B Wade L D
H C Waite SS L
A Walker L
A M Walker SS R
H Walker SS L
H P Walker SS R
F W Walker SS R
H P Walsh
J D Walsh SS
L D Walsh R
F A Ward SS W P
H C Ward L
B W Warren SS R K
W S Warwick L W
T E Warwick L
R Watts SS L W
C W Webber L W
A F Weedon L
F Westermeyer L
J Westray L
H D Wheeler SS
L Wheeler SS L
S M Wheeler
G C White SS
W R A White SS
C C Whitelaw SS R
W Whitridge SS R
S J C Wilkinson SS
J Williamson R
T B Willoughby R
W J H Wilmot L
J L D Wilson SS
R S Wilson SS
A L Wingfield L
E A Woods R
F T G Woods R
M M Woods R
W H Woodward SS
J E Woolley SS L
B Wray L
D C Wright L
W E Wright L
A J Yeaman SS R
G Yirrell L
E W Young SS
E C Zunckel R
O M Zunckel R