Extract taken from 'Our Regiments in South Africa' by John Stirling, pages 145-149

ALEXANDRA PRINCESS OF WALES’S OWN
(YORKSHIRE REGIMENT).

THE 1st Battalion sailed on the Doune Castle about 24th November 1899, and arrived at the Cape about 15th December.

The 1st Yorkshire went out as part of Sir Charles Warren’s Vth Division, but while Sir Charles with six of his battalions went on to Natal, the 2nd Warwicks and 1st Yorkshire were dropped at Cape Town, and this battalion went up to the Colesberg district to help General French in his efforts to repel the Boer invasion of the colony. The force under General French was largely a cavalry one, but he had fortunately some fine infantry, including four companies of the 2nd Berkshire, who had been in South Africa when the war broke out, the 1st Welsh, who arrived about 22nd November, and the 1st Essex, who arrived early in December; later he got the Suffolks, and then the Wiltshires and other regiments of the VIth Division. While the din of Magersfontein, Colenso, and Spion Kop was in our ears we had little thought of the splendid work French was doing with a very slender force, but the events of the intervening years have taught us the inestimable value of that work. Had the enemy passed Naauwpoort, De Aar with its millions’ worth of stores would have been at his mercy, Lord Methuen’s communications would have been cut, and an advance by the Kimberley line made almost impossible.

The 1st Yorkshire had done their work in the Colesberg district without mistake, and when Lord Roberts in the beginning of February 1900 was making up a force for his great effort, the battalion, along with the 1st Essex and 1st Welsh, was taken to Modder River and there put into the 18th Brigade under Brigadier-General T. Stephenson, who at the time of his appointment was colonel of the 1st Essex. The other battalion was the 2nd Warwicks, which was then employed in the Britstown neighbourhood, and unfortunately did not join the brigade in time to take part in the triumph of Paardeberg. Evidently Lord Roberts desired to have in his force as many seasoned battalions as possible, as the 18th Brigade took the place of the 12th in the Vith Division under Lieut.-General Kelly-Kenny, the 12th being left under General Clements in the Colesberg district, where most of the troops of the 18th had just been.

The work of the VIth Division while acting together in the eastern advance has been sketched under the East Kent Regiment. Of that work the 1st Yorkshire took their share, as is proved by their losses. At Paardeberg on 18th February they had 1 officer and 30 men killed, 4 officers, including Colonel Bowles and Major Kirkpatrick, and over 100 men wounded. The heaviest regimental loss in that battle was that of the Seaforths, 33 killed, the Canadians and Welsh having about 20 each.

On the 20th the 1st Yorkshire again distinguished themselves in actions against parties of Boers who came to Cronje’s assistance, they and the Buffs taking 80 prisoners. On the 23rd they were in a stiff fight and did very well. On 10th March at Driefontein the 18th Brigade were in the front, and had again very hard fighting. The East Kent, Welsh, and Essex were first line, the 1st Yorkshire and 2nd Gloucesters supporting. Late in the afternoon the bayonet had to be used to clear the position. This battalion on the 10th lost 3 killed and 23 wounded. Three officers and 2 non - commissioned officers were mentioned in Lord Roberts’ despatch of 31st March 1900.

After the entry into Bloemfontein the VIth Division, as previously constituted, was broken up; but the 18th Brigade had again good luck and a post of highest honour, being along with the Guards Brigade put into the newly-formed XIth Division under Lieut.-General Pole-Carew. Under that general the 18th Brigade took part in the operations designed for the relief of Wepener and the driving from the south-east of the Orange River Colony of the strong Boer force which, during March and April 1900, was troubling the Commander-in-Chief by threatening his lines of communication and snapping up or defeating outlying columns, such as Broadwood’s at Sannah’s Post and the Royal Irish Rifles at Reddersburg.

In the northern advance, commencing 3rd May, the VIIth and XIth Divisions composed the centre of the army; but they had no severe fighting such as they had previously seen, or indeed such as fell to the lot of the troops on the flanks.

The 18th Brigade entered Johannesburg on 31st May along with Lord Roberts, and they provided his guard of honour. On 5th June they marched into Pretoria.

At Diamond Hill, 11th and 12th June, Pole-Carew’s XIth Division, which still included the 18th Brigade, was in the British centre, following the railway line; but at that part the enemy’s position was almost unassailable, and the whole of the two days’ fighting was done near the flanks. On the 12th the Guards Brigade was moved to the right to support Bruce Hamilton, the 18th Brigade remaining in the centre.

The 18th Brigade, as part of the XIth Division, took part in the eastern movement towards Koomati Poort (see 3rd Grenadier Guards), but in that movement the brigade had comparatively few casualties, as the most severe fighting was again invariably on the flanks. In Lord Roberts’ final despatch 9 officers and 17 non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Yorkshire were mentioned. In the desultory fighting which was to continue for another year and nine months the 18th Brigade were chiefly utilised for garrison work in the Eastern Transvaal, and none of the regiments had any serious losses in action.

In the first half of 1901 the battalion was on garrison duty about Koomati Poort, Kaapmuiden, Avoca, and Barberton, and suffered from fever so badly at the first-named place that over 50 per cent of the battalion was in hospital. At the end of July a half-company made a very fine march of forty-seven miles in thirty-six hours with a temperature of 110⁰ in the shade, the object being to reinforce Steinacker’s Horse in Swaziland. In August the battalion was moved to Pretoria, and in September to Ladysmith in connection with the threatened reinvasion of Natal. In October they were entrained for Elandsfontein, near which they remained holding the line Springs to ViIjeon’s Drift to the close.

Although their opportunities were few, the Yorkshire Regiment were able to pick up a few mentions in the despatches of Lord Kitchener, written during the war, for exceptional work, chiefly with Mounted Infantry, and in the final despatch 2 officers and 4 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned.

2nd Lieutenant, 1st Battalion. Killed in action near Paaderberg 18th February 1900. Born June 1877. Mentioned in despatches London Gazette 10th September 1900.

Extract from 'The Last Post - Roll of Officers who fell in OSuth Africa 1899-1902' by Mildred G Dooner.

Neave. - 2nd Lieut. Arthur Cormack Neave, 1st Batt. Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regt., was killed in action near Paardeberg, Feb. 18th, 1900. He was born in June, 1877, and entered his regiment from the New Zealand Local Military Forces Nov., 1899. This officer’s death is mentioned in the despatch of F.-M. Earl Roberts from Paardeberg, Feb. 28th, 1900. 2nd Lieut. Neave was also mentioned in despatches, L.G., Sept. 10th, 1900.

Private, 4th Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private 138, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease 13th February 1901 at Norval's Pont. Also commemorated on St Mary's Boer Memorial, Richmond, Yorkshire

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease. Commemorated in Cape Town (Maitland) Cemetery, Cape Town, South Africa

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Sergeant, 1st Battalion. Died of wounds 18th February 1900 at Paardeberg. Aged 26. Awarded the Victoria Cross (V.C.) On 18 February 1900 during the Battle of Paardeberg, South Africa, Sergeant Atkinson went out seven times under heavy and close fire to obtain water for the wounded. At the seventh attempt he was wounded in the head and died a few days afterwards. See Wikepedia entry for this man

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of wounds

Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

C. Sergeant, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease Port Elizabeth 25th September 1901

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of wounds Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of wounds Driefontein 10th March 1900

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of wounds Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of wounds

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of wounds

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private 5465, 1st Battalion. Died of disease 17th March 1900 at Wynberg. Commemorated in Cape Town (Maitland) Cemetery, Cape Town, South Africa. Also commemorated on West Hartlepool Boer War Memorial.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private 5961, 1st Battalion. Died of disease 29th December 1900 at Kromati Point. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease Port Elizabeth 5th August 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease Bloemfontein 3rd June 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Lance Corporal, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Drummer, 1st Battalion. Died of wounds Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Sergeant, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Bandsman, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private 1696, 1st Battalion. Died of disease Johannesburg 22nd October 1900. Also commemorated on West Hartlepool Boer War Memorial.

DORMAN

Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, Alexandra Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment). Died of enteric 30th March 1901 at Kroonstad. Born 23rd May 1880 at Norton, Stockton on Tees. Son of the industrialist, Sir Arthur Dorman (co-founder of Dorman Long and Co Ltd, builders of the Tyne Bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge, etc) . Educated at Lockers Park School and Eton. His father founded the Dorman Memorial Museum as a memorial to him and the other comrades of the Yorkshire Regiment who fell in the Boer War, it was opened on 1st July 1904 by Colonel Hoole of the Yorkshire Regiment. The museum coontains among other things George's book of letters, published by his mother after his death and also many family items, photographs, scrapbooks etc., as well as George's collections of ethnography and natural history.

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

Dorman. - Lieut. George Lockwood Dorman, 3rd Batt. the Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regt. (5th West York Militia), died of enteric at Kroonstad March 30th, 1901. He was educated at Eton (Mr. Hare’s), and entered his regiment Jan., 1900, being promoted lieut. the following Dec. His battalion proceeded to South Africa Feb., 1900, and Lieut. Dorman served with it in the Cape and Orange River Colonies.

See also Middlesbrough Boer War and Richmond Boer War Memorials

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 4th Battalion, Died of disease

Private 3149, 1st Battalion. Killed in action 15th January 1900 at Slingerfontein. Also commemorated on West Hartlepool Boer War Memorial.

Corporal, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Corporal, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Sergeant 4465, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease 22 February 1901 at Kroonstad. Born 1877 at Ferry Hill, Co. Durham. Raised in Stockton on Tees, married Flornce Vertha Lamb in Middleseborough in 1899. Also commemorated on St Mary's Boer Memorial, Richmond, Yorkshire

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 4th Battalion, Killed in action

Private, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease Slabert's Nek 23rd July 1900

Corporal, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease

Private 2945, 1st Battalion. Died of disease Bloemfontein 7th May 1900. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 23rd February 1900

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Drummer, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease Kroonstad 28th March 1901

Band Sergeant, 1st Battalion. Died of disease. 1891 census he is listed as a band sergeant with the 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, based at that time in Portsea, Hants, by 1901 as his wife is listed as a widow in that census. He had 7 young children when he died (the oldest was aged 11).

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 23rd February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 23rd February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private 3387, 1st Battalion. Died of disease Bloemfontein 9th May 1900. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Colour Sergeant 3924, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease Kronstad 5th January 1902

Lance-Sergeant, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Corporal, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease. Also commemorated on West Hartlepool Boer War Memorial.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Killed in action

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Sergeant, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease Kronstad 25th MArch 1901

Private, 3rd Battalion, Killed in action

Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Volunteer Battalion. Died of disease

Private 4360, 4th Battalion, Died of disease Vryburg 11th May 1902. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

NAGGINGTON

Corporal, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease Middelburg, TVL, 11th August 1901

Private, 4th Battalion. Killed in action 1

Second Lieutenant, 1st Battalion. Killed in action 8th February 1900 near Paadeberg. Aged 22. Born June 1877. Second Lieutenant, 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment, was killed in action near Paadeberg, February 18th, 1900. He was born in June, 1877, and entered his regiment from the New Zealand Local Military Forces November, 1899. This officer's death is mentioned in the despatch of Field Marshall Earl Robert's from Paadeberg, february 28th, 1900. 2nd Lieutenant Neave was also mentioned in despatches, London Gazette, September 10th, 1900. Also commemorated on Cheltenahm Boer War Memorial

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private 6015, 1st Battalion. Died of enteric fever 9th April 1900. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial and Castle Howard Reformatory School Boer, Yorkshire

Private, 3rd Battalion, Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Captain, Commanding Mounted Infantry, 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment late Yorkshire Regiment. Died of wounds received in action at Schalkie Farm, near Bethlehem, the same day, 12th November 1901. Born June 1870. Educated at Haileybury. Eldest son of Col. C.S.Noble, of Inerwick, Murrayfield, Edinburgh. Mentioned in despatches London Gazette 7th May 1901. Buried in Harrissmith Cemetery.

Extract from 'The Last Post - Roll of Officers who fell in OSuth Africa 1899-1902' by Mildred G Dooner.

Noble. - Capt. Charles John Herbert Hay Noble, commanding the M.I., 2nd Batt. Manchester Regt., died Nov. 12th, 1901, of wounds received in action at Schalkie Farm, near Bethlehem, the same day. He was the eldest son of Col. C. S. Noble, of Innerwick, Murrayfield, Edinburgh, was born June, 1870, and educated at Halleybury. He served in the ranks for over five years, was given a commission in the Yorkshire Regt. in Sept., 1894, being promoted lieut. Jan., 1897, and capt. in the Manchester Regt. June, 1900. He served with the Jsazai Expedition, 1892; and in the campaign on the North West Frontier of India, under the late Sir William Lockhart, 1897-98, with the Tirah Expeditionary Force; as transport officer to the 2nd Batt. Yorkshire Regt. He was present at the capture of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes, the capture of Bagh, the Dwatoi reconnaissance, the reconnaissance and engagement of the Saran Sar, and engagement Nov. 11th, and took part in the operations in the Bazar Valley, being mentioned in despatches, L.G., April 5th, 1898, and received the medal with two clasps. In September, 1899, Capt. Noble proceeded to South Africa from India on special service, and was through the siege of Ladysmith as transport officer to Lieut.-Gen. Sir Ian Hamilton. He then served at Wynberg and at Senekal, and acted as Intelligence Officer at Bethlehem, and led a successful night attack on a Boer farm in March, 1901. He was afterwards on the Staff of the 17th Brigade, and in Aug., 1901, was given command of the M.I. Company of his battalion. In one engagement he was wounded, and for his services was mentioned in despatches, L.G., May 7th, 1901. He is buried in Harrismith military cemetery.

Private, 4th Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Killed in action

Private, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease Bloemfontein 22nd April 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Sergeant, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 23rd February 1900.

C Sergeant, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Slingersfontein 15th January 1900.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease Kronstad 4th June 1901

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 23rd February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Killed in action

Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Corporal, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease

C. Sergeant, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Sergeant 4526, 4th Battalion. Died of disease 12th May 1902 at Vryburg. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease. Also commemorated on Middlesbrough Boer War Memorial

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Sergeant, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease 20th December 1899. Commemorated on Woodstock Cemetery Memorial, Cape Town.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Corporal, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease Kroonstad 18th January 1901

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action Paardeberg 18th February 1900

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease Springfontein 29th April 1900

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease in the Maitland area. Commemorated in Cape Town (Maitland) Cemetery, Cape Town, South Africa

Private, 1st Battalion. Killed in action

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease in the Maitland area. Commemorated in Cape Town (Maitland) Cemetery, Cape Town, South Africa

F

Private, 3rd Battalion, Died of disease

Private, 1st Battalion. Died of disease.

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