Colonel, 3rd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. Of Cliffe.

Extract from The Last Post - Roll of Officers who fell in South Africa 1899-1902 by Mildred G Dooner, published by Naval and Military Press

Wilson. - Col. John Gerald Wilson, C.B., commanding 3rd Batt. York and Lancaster Regt., died March 8th, 1902, of wounds received in action between Tweebosch and Palmietkuil the previous day. He was the eldest son of the late Richard Bassett Wilson, Esq., of Cliffe, by his marriage with Anne, daughter of the late William Fitzgerald, Esq., of Adelphi, co. Glare. Col. Wilson was born in 1841, and educated at Cheltenham. He joined the 84th Regt. in 1858 from the Royal Military College as an ensign. After the death of his father in 1867, and his succession to the family estate of Cliffe Hall, Piercebridge, Darlington, he retired from the army as a capt., but subsequently accepted a commission in the volunteer force, and in 1873 was appointed to the command of the 1st North Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers. From the latter he was transferred in 1883 to the command of the 3rd West Yorkshire Militia, now the 3rd Batt. York and Lancaster Regt., and in 1889 he was appointed to the command of the West Yorkshire Volunteer Brigade. He was awarded the C.B. on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria in 1897, and was hon. col. of the 2nd Volunteer Batt. Prince of Wales’s West Yorkshire Regt. His battalion was first embodied in Dec., 1899, being disembodied after twelve months’ service. It was again embodied in Dec., 1901, and volunteering for active service proceeded to South Africa. In the course of the war, Col. Wilson lost a brother (Col. Richard B. Wilson) and a son (2nd Lieut. Richard B. Wilson). The name of Col. J. G. Wilson is inscribed on the Eleanor Cross War Memorial erected at Cheltenham College.

Lieutenant, Imperial Yeomanry. Of Cliffe

Extract from The Last Post - Roll of Officers who fell in South Africa 1899-1902 by Mildred G Dooner, published by Naval and Military Press

Wilson. - Lieut. Richard Bassett Wilson, 3rd Batt. I.Y., died at Rustenburg on July 26th, 1900, of wounds received in action five days previously at Oliphant’s Nek. He was the eldest son of Col. John Gerald Wilson, C.B., commanding 3rd Batt. York and Lancashire Regt. He was born in 1874, and educated at Eton (Mr. Broadbent’s) and New College, Oxford. He entered the Yorkshire Hussars (Princess of Wales’s Own) Yeomanry Cavalry in Jan., 1900, and joining the I.Y. as lieut. went to South Africa on the 26th of the same month. Lieut. Wilson was a barrister, having been called to the bar on the day of his departure. A tablet has been erected to his memory in York Minster by his brother officers of the Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Hussars as a token of their sincere affection.

Captain, Imperial Yeomanry DSO

Extract from ‘Distinguished Service Order 1886-1915’ publish by Naval and Military Press

BACKHOUSE, MILES ROLAND CHARLES, Capt., was born 24 Nov. 1878, at the Rookery, Middleton Nyas, Yorkshire, son of Sir Jonathan E. Backhouse, Bart., and Florence, daughter of Sir John S. Trelawny, 9th Baronet (all deceased). He was educated at Eton, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and became Second Lieutenant, Northumberland Hussars (Yeomanry Cavalry) in April, 1897. He was employed in the 14th Yeomanry Squadron, Imperial Yeomanry, South Africa, from Jan. to the end of the war, in which he served as Lieutenant from Jan. 1900, to April, 1901, and was then promoted Captain (Honorary), and given command of a squadron. He was severely wounded; mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 29 July, 1902]; received the Queen’s Medal with three clasps; the King’s Medal with two clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order ondon Gazette, 31 Oct. 1902]: “Miles Roland Charles Backhouse, Capt., 5th Battn. Imperial Yeomanry. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa.” He married, 3 Sept. 1904, at Dunston, Norwich, Olive, second daughter of Geoffrey Fowell Buxton and Mary, daughter of the Honourable and Rev. John Harbord, and they have three sons : Roger Trelawny, born 5 Sept. 1905 Jonathan, born 16 March, 1907 ; Wilfrid Jasper, born 28 July, 1913, and one daughter. Patricia, born 23 April, 1911. He was promoted Major, and retired from the Territorial Force 27 June, 1903. He served in the European War from 1914-19 : went out with, the Northumberland Hussars, as Second-in-Command, Oct. 1914 : in command, Feb. to May, 1915 commanded time North Somerset Yeomanry, Sept. 1915, to March, 1917 commanded the 8th Battn. Yorkshire Regt. 1 Oct. 191, to Jan. 1919. He is now Lieutenant-Colonel in the Territorial Force Reserve. He was mentioned in Despatches four times : June, 1915 ; Jan. 1917 June, 1918 ; March, 1919, and awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service Order, for services in operations on the Piave, Italy, in Sept. and Oct. 1918 [London Gazette, 18 Nov. 1918].