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Epsom and Ewell - Officers and GentlemenA Military History
The Boer WarSome 13 volunteers left Epsom for South Africa. There was George Holdsworth, the builder and decorator of 22 East Street, and William Rose, the tobacconist in the High Street. James Weaver of Kingston Lane and W. Skelton of East Street enlisted, as did the brothers W.E. Williams and E.T. Williams. Not all of them returned - W. Skelton died on service in South Africa. Another volunteer was Sergeant W. J. G. Dumbrill, who had been in the army serving in India and took part in the failed rescue of General Gordon at Khartoum, after which he served for eight years on the North West Frontier. He volunteered for South Africa with the other local men. The 2nd Battalion of the East Surreys took part in the relief of Ladysmith, Tugela Heights, Alemans Nok and the famous Spion Kop engagement.Local volunteers were held in high regard. The three members of the Epsom Foresters Society had their subscriptions paid while they were away, and the society undertook to supply their sick payment, should they come back wounded. They were presented with special certificates. Major Coates of Tayles Hill in Ewell had offered to pay the men's subscription but the society declined, as they thought they themselves should cover the men who were away. Their names were read out in church every Sunday and prayers were said for them. As well as local volunteers many local gentry went, including Captain Reginald White, later to become a local historian. His father George - 'lawyer White' - had been clerk to the old Board of Health and first clerk to Epsom Urban Council. Captain White's mother was sister to Henry Mayson Dorling, Clerk of the Course. There were two members of the Dorling family who served in the South African War, Lionel and Walter: both of them rose to the rank of Colonel. Lionel joined the Yorkshire Light Infantry and was mentioned in the dispatches and won the DSO. Another local officer was Lieutenant Colonel Henry John Archibald Banks DSO, of the Hampshire Regiment. He was a Captain at that time, serving as a signaling officer in the 7th Division, where he too was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the DSO. Major K.F. Davey, the Conservative agent to Epsom's MP, served in the Intelligence Department in the Eastern Transvaal. The conflict involved all ranks of society, up to the highest. Sir Charles Grant, who had married Lady Sybil the elder daughter of Lord Rosebery, was wounded during his time in South Africa. The Northey family lived up to their military reputation during the Boer War. Major General Northey, who had served in India, saw action in South Africa. Holding the rank of Captain, he was at the defense of Ladysmith and the battle of Talana. From 1900 he was in the eastern Transvaal, where he was wounded twice and mentioned in dispatches. When he returned to Epsom the town turned out in force and a carriage procession took place to his home. Many old boys of Epsom College fell in the South African war. There is a war memorial window to their memory, unveiled on Founder's Day in 1903 by Winston Churchill. Robert George Scott, who had been a pupil of the College, served as a sergeant in the Cape Mounted Riflemen during the Basuto War of 1879. When an attack was being made on Morosis Mountain, a stone wall was being used by the enemy as a barricade. From behind this they were able to bring heavy fire to bear on the riflemen. There were no hand grenades available, but Scott volunteered to throw time fuse shells over the wall instead. He made his men take cover, in case the shells burst prematurely. At the second attempt a shell exploded almost as he was holding it - his right hand was blown to pieces and he was wounded severely in the leg. For this he was awarded the Victoria Cross. In spite of his wounds he continued to serve in South Africa with the Kimberley Light Horse, Scotts Railway Guard and the Cape Railway Sharpshooters. He won a further decoration - a DSO - and reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The Zulu WarWhen Lieutenant Colonel Northey arrived in Zululand, he had already seen war in the Red River campaign in Canada. During the American Civil War, Britain had sympathized with the Confederate States and after it was over the American Government was prepared to allow, if not actively to encourage, raids over the border into Canada. From 1866 onwards these were made by Irish soldiers, who had formed a large part of the now disbanded Northern Army. Britain sent troops to stop their so-called Fenian raids. In 1869 Louis Riel, a half-breed trapper, organised a revolt at Fort Carry, the modern Winnipeg. His men imprisoned settlers and murdered those who had opposed them. Lieutenant Colonel Northey joined a tiny force of three regiments, one British and two Canadian, who struggled through the wilderness under almost impossible circumstances. After months of travelling the force arrived at Fort Carry and dispersed the rebels. Riel fled to the United States.Early on the morning of 11 January 1879, Lord Chelmsford entered Zululand. Crossing the Mzinathi River, he paused at Rorkes Drift. Chelmsford's N03 or center column was both his strongest and his most experienced; normally it was under the command of one of the Glyn family, Colonel Richard Glyn of the 24th Regiment. But the presence of Chelmsford in effect took away his command. Chelmsford advanced until some four rules from Isandhlwana, where they stopped. He had issued detailed regulations for the defense of all camps, calling for wagon laagers or earth entrenchments at every stop. Colonel Glyn suggested protecting the camp at Isandhlwana. Chelmsford himself decided against it - but after the event he tried to blame Colonel Glyn. Chelmsford, with Colonel Glyn, left Isandhlwana with six companies of the 2/24th, setting off in pursuit of what they believed to be the main Zulu army. While they were gone the Zulu attacked. No one member of the remaining six companies of the 24th survived. The casualties among the defenders were the largest ever inflicted on the British army by a native army. Of the 1,700 men left in camp, only 460 remained. From early March in 1879, reinforcements of British regulars began to arrive in Zululand and by the end of the month Chelmsford felt strong enough to undertake the relief of Eshowe. He took with him a powerful force of 3,390 Europeans and 2,280 Africans. Chelmsford was determined that nothing should go wrong this time: baggage was kept to a minimum. Campsites were to be fortified every night, boxes of spare ammunition their lids already unscrewed, were to be ready at all times. By the 1st April the column had reached a place called Gingindlovu, though the troops rapidly turned the name into 'Gin, gin, I love you'. They encamped without incident, though increasing numbers of Zulus were being sighted. Chelmsford decided to stay in camp on April 2nd, partly hoping that the Zulus would oblige by attacking his strongly fortified position, and also to rest his men and animals. As dawn broke, the enemy did exactly what Chelmsford had hoped for. An impi of 10,000 warriors, all veterans of Isandhlwana, came storming across the Inyezane River in their classic fighting formation. 'It must', wrote a contemporary observer, 'have been about 6.20 am when the Zulus made their first great effort to storm the front, right and rear faces of our defences. Their advance was indeed a splendid sight, as just at that moment the sun came out and shone full on the lines of plumed warriors, who, with their arms and legs adorned with streaming cow-tails and each brandishing his coloured ox-hide shield and flashing assegais, rushed forward with a dash and elan that no civilised troops could have exceeded'. In the laager at Gingindlovu all was ready; a few orders were given - 'no independent firing - volleys by companies when they are within three hundred yards'. The Gatling gun was allowed a short burst at 800 yards, and cut a swathe through the Zulu ranks which was a foretaste of what was to come. The Zulus closed in on all sides of the laager, coming under increasingly heavy fire from the regulars and an assortment of others perched in the waggons. Again and again the Zulus stormed up the laager, taking terrible losses. Only one got inside, a young boy who was captured and ended up a mascot on a ship of the Royal Navy. After about an hour and a half, the Zulus began to fall back in a retreat, which became a rout when Chelmsford unleashed the colonial mounted infantry and natives in pursuit. The Zulus lost over 1,000 men, Chelmsford 13. Lieutenant Colonel Northey was serving with the 3rd battalion of the 60th Rifles. He commanded six companies of the 3/60th as part of the Rear Division of Chelmsford's column. The Zulus could not breach the British defences at Gingindlovu, but they were able to use captured rifles to open fire on Chelmsford's men. Lt Col Northey was hit deep in the right shoulder by a Zulu bullet. He turned his command over and went to the surgeon who removed the bullet. As he cheered his men on, shouting to be heard above the din, he suffered a sudden haemorrhage and collapsed, bleeding heavily from his brachial artery. He died four days later, on the 6th of April. Initially he was buried with the other casualties of the conflict (another officer, and eleven privates, had died) but later his body was exhumed and brought to England. The fighting had long finished when a war correspondent wrote that 'a sharp canter of ten minutes brought us to the laager, which is still covered with debris. A great many Zulu shields are scattered about the field; any heap which gives the slightest covering is a sure find. The tombstones of Lieutenant Johnstone and some men of the 99th, and that of Colonel Northey, which lies close to them, were rapidly sketched. These were in a good state of preservation; the wooden fencing around Colonel Northey's tomb has a rustic aspect, and the gravestone looks solemn and impressive, standing alone in the centre of this dreary plain. No dead bodies were to be seen, but I was told that they were lying in the surrounding bush'. Lt Col Northey was interred in the Northey family plot near the chapel in Epsom Cemetery. His original wooden grave marker, made from a packing case lid, was brought back from Zululand and mounted behind glass on the gravestone.
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