In October 1899 my Grandfather, Frederick Percival Churcher (above photo of him leading the gun carraige on the left) wrote a series of three letters to his sister Rose from the battlefields of the Boar War. He was a Sergeant in charge of one of the field guns of the 69th Battery Royal Field Artillery. His letters give details of his involvement in the first battle of the Boar War at Talana Hill, and the events immediately afterwards that led to the siege of Ladysmith. He describes his three months of entrapment at the hands of the Boar commando, and the eventual relief of Ladysmith.
His collection of photographs taken at the time give a valuable insight into the life in the British army at the start of the 20th Century.
He went on to serve in the army in East Africa and India, where he married Ellen Jane Berridge on 26th January 1909 in Bombay, and where my mother Catherine Ellen was born in Agra on 17th February 1910. When the family returned to England they were stationed at the fortress at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. During WW1 he was torpedoed at sea whilst returning from service in West Africa. He retired from the army as a Regimental Sergeant Major in about 1923 and moved to Swanmore in Hampshire.
69th Battery RFA
(Besieged at Ladysmith)
4.12.1899
Dear Rose
I think this is about the longest time I have ever kept you without a line, since I have been out here, but you know I have you this time, for I have a good excuse, our Battery formed part of the Dundee column and since the 20th October have had all communications with the civilised world cut, which of course you know from the papers. I don’t think the Boars are quite so strong round here now, as they have not been doing much heavy firing lately, and they have had several reverses down country, and we have just heard that they have been defeated 3 times at Modder River the other side of the Free State; we left Ladysmith on 5th Oct and did not expect to be back in Ladysmith quite so soon as we were.
I liked Dundee very much, only a very hungry place, it was such a difference to this dry old place here everything there was all green and the gardens were full of flowers of all descriptions. Nothing very unusual occurred till the 11th when the Boers declared War and the Dubs were sent back to Ladysmith as an attack was expected there, it however proved a false alarm, and they returned next day.
On Sunday 14th we had orders to turn out sharp, late that night as the Boers were reported to be only 10 miles away. Kaffers were coming in by hundreds they made every available hand help in pulling their guns over the hills etc. We also heard that Newcastle was occupied by them, and that they were preparing for a general advance.
On the 19th we turned out at 4 a.m. and waited till daybreak, but as nothing unusual was reported we turned in again, on the 20th we had orders to again turn out, everybody was shouting about the unnecessary loss of sleep etc, and still more so when at daybreak we were again ordered to turn in, the horses were sent off to water and everybody started getting their kits etc off, then the band played guns opened on us from a very strong position beyond Dundee the artillery camp being their point of attack, I suppose they thought if they annihilated us they hadn’t much else to fear, the horses or rather most of them stampeded mine in the lead and all was excitement for a short time I lost all my kit, but managed to catch a wheel horse with harness on, I put my range-finding instruments over my shirt and so went into action, in a short time we knocked their guns out, and we advanced to take the hill, in camp we had no casualties but as soon as we advanced young Trumpeter Horn the youngest in the Battery was the first to be killed, death was instantaneous as the shell struck him in the forehead, he was living at Forton, Anns Hill I think. We again advanced to within 1400 yards of them and the hill was gained and Majuba avenged about 4 p.m. I went up on top of the hill to fetch down some Boer ammunition but did not stop there long as the effect of our shell was not very nice to see.
On the Saturday we were compelled to leave camp as another Boar column had taken up a very strong position with heavy siege guns, we did not get back again, so we lost our tents etc. On Sunday night we were compelled to leave Dundee and march night and day to Ladysmith we had to go almost into Zululand and the longest rest we got was 4 hours, it rained almost every day and the Boers were following us up all the way, we however had a good start and gave them the slip, the Infantry threw away their cloaks and blankets and everything except their rifles and ammunition. I don’t think I shall every forget that march. We arrived in Ladysmith on the Thursday and the following Monday fought the battle of Lombards Kop: we were in a very tight place there but up to the present we have only had 2 killed and 10 wounded in our battery. We had Melton Prior, the War Correspondent of the Daily Graphic round our guns, so you ought to get a glowing description of how we manned our guns out of action there. Since then we have been undergoing a siege with very little to do. I am now in charge of one gun and we continually fire and then run under cover, quite Boer tactics. I have taken a Sergeants place who was wounded at Dundee and is now in the hands of the Boers. Throughout the whole business I have kept in the best of health altho’ continually wet through and without a dry change and insufficiency of good food, I have not suffered the least cold, and up to the present have not received a scratch altho’ I have had some narrow squeaks, but I suppose a miss is as good as a mile; our principal diet here is crushed Indian Corn and bread at the commencement we were able to buy a few luxuries, but now everything in town has been commandeered, and the civilians have to live on government rations , during the day they live in caves down by the river where no shell can reach them, when purchasable a tin of Condensed milk costs 1/3,
Tinned Fish (4 fish) 2/9,
Sugar 6 per lb,
Salmon 2/9,
Bread (2 lb loaf) 1/6,
Cheese per lb 3/-,
and on the road from Dundee a box of matches sold for 6/-a, these things were the last to give out, almost any other could not be purchased in the early part of the siege.
Today (Thursday 7th) we got the news that Lord Methuen had fought and defeated the Boers 3 times near Kimberly, before the war started I was always under the impression that all would be over within 3 months, but now I think we shall be considerably longer. On the Sunday after our arrival here I went down to the Devons camp and saw Sid Downing and had tea, he doesn’t seem to have altered a great deal except for the Indian tan etc, since then we have all dispersed and wandered, I don’t even know if he got over Lombards Kop. I also saw several who was at the Depot with me , has Jim Paice gone up with the Guards, or has he got his time in yet? I suppose you will see the Seymours pretty often instead of playing Ludo we play ninepins with Boer shell, some of which weigh 9lb, I think they have a hard cheek to throw such things at us don’t you considering our shell only weigh 15lb, by the way we had a change in our diet this morning, we had a mixture of mealie meal and linseed, how would that go down for breakfast at home without sugar or milk.
Later ( Fountain Pen given out)
8th December
The 5th Lancers, Imperial Light Horse and the Carbineers did a fine piece of work the Boers had a big gun on a hill called Lombards Kop known a Long Tom, of Dundee fame, on the night in question they made an attack on this, captured and blew it up with very little resistance. You know the Boers have a mortal dread of the bayonet so one of the Imperial Light Horse shouted out Fix Bayonets at the same time they rattled their carbines on the rocks, on hearing this they took to their heels, consequence death of Long Tom.
On the 12th 5 Companies of the Rifle Brigade went out and captured 2 more, they were allowed to get to the top of the hill when they were halted in plain English as they still kept on a shot was fired and one sentry was heard to say “don’t fire Charlie”so they threw down their arms and ran, result guns blown up, on coming down the hill they were met by a large party of the Boers and a tremendous fusillade was the consequence, the Rifles did most of their work with the bayonet, they say that during the operation several declared they were Englishmen, the Boer Army is composed of a great number of Britishers, Germans, and Frenchmen.
Sunday December 17th
8 days to Christmas.
The despatch of presents for the coming notable day has been indefinitely postponed owing to the present discourtesy of the Boers.
We are living well here, bread and bread sandwiches and tea. Lunch, meat with excessive heat,
Let ‘em all come
The shell are arriving here at our post pretty thick, altho’ none of our fellows take any notice, one of their large 40 (Ki?) howitzer shapnel fell very close to us scattering the fragments in all directions, not a few falling all around us, our fellows seem to have an utter contempt for them, 2 of them are lying asleep, a group is playing cards, and I am writing this epistle, one of the Rifle officers had the audacity to stand on a wall and wave his helmet in their direction.
A few days ago a party of the Manchesters went out to dig potatoes at Becters Farm close to the Boer lines, they saw a large party of Boer on a small hill in front, the Sgts gave the order “charge” so the Manchesters marched up the hill with spades, the cowardly Boers ran away result, capture of the Hotchkiss gun, and most probably a medal for the Sgt.
2
Details of more vital importance
A market for the sale of produce was held on Sunday 19th, the following is a few of the prices paid
Eggs one dozen 9 /- 9 d each
Potatoes 4 lb 7 /- (later)
7 lb tin Jam 12/6 1 Chicken 12/6
1 doz Apples 4/-
2 Rabbits 7/6
these were a few of the things sold you can give a rough estimate of how the Tommies live. It wants two days to Christmas now, I am afraid our chances of relief is very slight before then, I expect very few in England
(continued in next letter)
would care to swop dinners, but roll on.
There is some rumour that we are likely to go home after this, but I am afraid this has eminated from the fevered brain of a besieged one, if we are ordered to India, I may take the chance and leave the service, if a good opening turns up. There will be plenty of situations vacant, of course this is all under condition that I am spared to see the end of this, I have been very fortunate up to the present thank God. I am afraid there is more dying here from fever and dysentery than from the bullets of the Boers.
23rd
My gun had a very hot time of it this day, it was a very good thing we are behind good cover, or we might have got socks. They were bursting 40 (lb?) shrapnel splendidly over us, these shell contain about a thousand bullets and it seemed to us that there was not a square inch for 500 yds around that was not ploughed up with them several struck the gun but did no damage but I and the other gunner was too sharp for them, you see we never have more than two members working the guns and the empaulments.
24th Sunday. The Boers as a rule does not fire on Sundays, but of course that rule of theirs is open to exception.
Last Sunday 2 Cavalry regts thinking they were perfectly safe stopped in the lines result Long Tom fired on them; but fortunately did not hit anything what is very peculiar to an observer there did not seem to have been a place they could not have done any damage except a space of about 10 yds in the whole mass of horses and strange to relate their shell fell there, no more than one in that lot of men came to the conclusion that providence had a hand in that. You know the Boers have a saying that they lay their guns trusting to God to direct the shell, and throughout this siege there is no doubt he has done for if a space of 4 yds could be found of waste ground the shell would fall there, about 2% of the thousands of rounds fired by them have done any damage.
25th Christmas Day
I don’t know how long it will be before you get this but I wish all a very happy Christmas and a merry new year, Uncle, Aunt, Portsmouthites and all the other the compliments of the season. I expect at dinner you will be wondering how I am faring. I suppose we must not grumble our principal diet this morning was the news that an Officer had bet £5.00 that Buller would be in by the 26th. We are all hoping that he will be so as to get to get the line open and consequent abundance of food. We are anxiously looking forward to dinner time as it is rumoured that the ingredients for a pudding has been scraped together, provisions are getting very short, fever and dysentery is plentiful; Sorry I cannot send any presents to the younger members, but unfortunately we have nothing here except particles of Boer shell any plenty of bullets, and I expect you would sooner be without them at home.
(4p.m.) We have had a very easy time of it today up to the present. This afternoon we have all been saying what we shall do when we get home. I have come to the conclusion that the best thing I can do is to invest my clearance in Quinine and Iron (O.?) and develop an enormous appetite and then all pity the tea I’ll sit down to. We have just been talking about tea-cakes, shrimps etc until we have got fairly mad thinking of it. When the tea comes up we shall get it without milk or sugar and about 3 ozs of bread and that will last us till the following morning when the course is repeated with the addition of crushed Indian cor with no milk and a little salt, (we had duff for dinner, very good, not much, can’t grumble).
Up to the present no news of Buller. We have been doing a good deal of firing at our gun today (26th) we have to contend with four guns of the enemy so we have our work cut out. Our Major has altered considerably lately, he is very fretful and fidgety and it is a very difficult thing to do anything right for him. At the commencement of this affair he could say nothing but praise for the men, but now it is all altered. I suppose he is terribly worried and also he has had a good deal of dysentery, an old enemy of his, so perhaps there is a lot of an excuse, but like all the rest in authority he forgets that it is the subordinates who suffer.
I know myself I shall be very glad when this siege is raised, we get very little of good food to eat and we have all the elements to battle with. We have been 3 months without shelter except an old cover which lets the rain in like a sieve and attracts the heat like Uncle's greenhouse,we cant have it very high or the Boers would make a target of it, we only have one blanket, so I don’t think our life is an enviable one, for myself I think I could sleep anywhere having had plenty of practise coming from Dundee. I have snatched a few hours broken rest leaning against a tree in the pouring rain, and when we have been standing at our gun all night I have dozed standing, soaking wet thro to the skin standing in water up over the boots but alls well that ends well we cant expect to be allowed on service and fight for our country expect to live same as home can we.
We have had a hot time here this morning, shrapnel has been bursting over us splendid , but as usual did no damage, one segment struck the back of my helmet but luckily did not have force enough to even enter it. We have just heard news that Buller has given the Boers an awful licking not far away but we don’t know how true it is, we hope it is not all rumour we have had too many of them during this siege. At one time we heard that he was at Bloemfontein, and then a few days after news came that Methuen had gained his victory at Kimberly, we get some very strange news at time but I suppose we must expect that in times like this.
30th December 1899
Not relieved yet and don’t seem very much more forward, the New Year will soon be in and expect to see part of it here in this hole. We have had our rations cut shorter still if we hang out much longer we shall have green grass, to make things much better we have had three days and nights continual rain, I suppose it means plenty of hospl for some. One Battery up to last week had 50 sick and expected a lot more; we are pretty well off ourselves I suppose it is due to our previous Colonial service and consequent supply of inferior rations but we are bad enough off God knows but I suppose it wont last much longer. We have been working the guns this morning up over our boots in water not very pleasant is it. We had news yesterday that Gen French had worked round to the north and cut off the Boers supplies but I am afraid this is too good to be true. We are all longing to get the line open so as to have some news of the outside world and to hear something of home life, and I suppose you are the same, we hope you all had a good Christmas, one of the old sort at home, we hope to have ours later on, it is the opinion that we wont move very far from here in fact I am doubtful if we shall be able to, for although we are bad off they are looking very poor, they get barely enough to live on. We have just be told to get our letters written as the Post Office will be open. I suppose they want to get as many letters in as soon as possible so as not to have too big a rush when the line is open I expect the PO will have a busy time of it the first week or two. I expect mail of my own if I have luck, but I suppose that lies with you. I am afraid I wont be able to tell you by this that Ladysmith is relieved but I will write as often as possible. I will try and write to Mrs Seymour and Jim, if you see them let them know that up to the present I am safe and in good health, except for the weakness due to short rations and loss of sleep but I’ll make up for that when the line is open and try what indigestion is like. I expect this will get round to a good many so I hope this will do for a lot of unanswered correspondence. I hope it will prove interesting although I am afraid it is not very cheerful in places, that is owing to writing it at different periods of the siege. I have not told you half of what has occurred but I must leave a little to a later date. (….) yarns of how the Boers shelled us in our bks at night and a lot of others etc but that can wait.
Now I am afraid I must draw this epistle to a conclusion with love and best wishes for the new year to all friends and relations, Lily, Charlie, Loo, Amy, Ern, Mother and Father and all the little ites.
Your loving brother
Fred
I hope the next 69th Battery RA
will contain some
news of relief and Hiding in Ladysmith
consequent banishment of
bad rations and desease
24.2. 1900
Dearest Rose
I think in my last attempt at writing a short account of our doings here I left off at a date shortly after Christmas, since then I have come to the conclusion that you would have been somewhat wearied with detailed accounts of short rations too much of a much ness so I broke off and missed the horrible days of hunger and disease, how we subsisted solely on horse meat and 4 oz of meale bread per day and jumped to better times so I’ll proceed.
On the 22nd February news of a very important character was received from Buller which made Gen White issue an order to the effect that full rations were to be issued to the troops , which he straightway did to great satisfaction of all concerned as you can imagine so we are having now ¾ lb of biscuits and 4 ozs of mealie meal and 1 lb of beef, very substancial living considering that we used to get 1 ½ lb of horse meat and only ¼ lb of biscuits or bread before. Hurrah !!!
I suppose you had detailed accounts of how we repulsed the Boers in the beginning of January so I wont say much about that except that we were in the trenches of our gun pit from 5a.m. till dark wet thru and very miserable with cold etc we were at it the whole time firing as hard as we could so you can guess we had a lively time, the Infantry caught the brunt and got it very rough over 120 killed but alls well that ends well and we kept em out thank God.
I have since been released from the posts on the hills and I am now in charge of the batteries horse lines, I may say that we have only 65 horses in the battery now out of 140 having used them up for food, these few we have left live almost on grass as they are only allowed 2 lb of grain a day so we lose (…) 3 almost every day if they once get down they are not strong enough in the back to get up again so they receive a bullet and finis.
I don’t think we shall be very long getting relieved now, I hope not as I should very much like to know what they are going to do with us as we are certainly not fit enough to go further up. I live in hopes that we go to a convalescent station for a time to pull up a bit, rumours say we go home, which I cannot take in as that is too good for us I think it will be more probable that we go on to (Mhow?), but I suppose patience will tell a tale bye and bye.
I have had a few narrow scrapes since I last wrote but the worst and most miraculous was caused by this a cyclone which visited us a short time ago; the only shelter we had was an old corrugated iron and wood one open at the front and sides well during the storm this blew down on top of us, I was very lucky and was caught by a six foot portion of tin which bent round to my shape the heavy framework of the roof missing me, of course I was unable to move so was in more danger of drowning than anything else as the flood rushed thru, at last I managed to get clear and went to the assistance of the other men by this time I was soaked thro and thro when I got the others out, one had had his thigh smashed with the bone protruding thro the skin. I took him to hospital in the drenching rain, so was all that night in my sodden clothes without the possibility of a dry change till morning, at 3 a.m. I had to turn out with the battery, so I can tell you that day I did not feel very happy, neither did I catch cold of any sort.
I am still in the best of health and if a merciful bullet does not put me out of action I hope to be, as the fever season is pretty well over now. I am in charge of the drivers here. I have had to put them thro carbine drill and in case we are attacked again, I am in charge of them and take our place in the front line of defence with the Infantry, we are very short of men so have to resort to all kinds of schemes for defence as Gen White does not want to lose the reputation he has gained. 900 civilians are drilled and armed the same so in case of them turning on us when driven from Buller we shall be able to do our utmost to keep them out.
Roberts seems to be getting on well in the Free State a few weeks ago a circular came round to the effect the Roberts hoped to be able to help Ladysmith in a few days we are still……
PS
I have completely botched this letter up, you may have some difficulty to decipher it as it is all over the show.
I am still well and fairly happy as far as good spirits can make me.
Yours
Fred
69th FA Battery
Ladysmith
Natal SA
1.3.1900
Dearest Rose
Just a short line to let you know that “alls well”. I am afraid this must necessarily be curtailed as the mail goes out at 3 this afternoon.
On the morning of 28th all the troops were put altogether down with the news that we had to be cut to ¼ rations again, which was accordingly done but not reckoning on the fortunes of war, as you will see, for at 5.30 the same afternoon some of Bullers column arrived here, so now we are all right the Boers have all left, and this morning we went out with a few troops and helped them on a bit had a pretty sharp fight saw trains of stuff leaving but owing to the few troops being in a very unfit state was unable to capture anything. I may say that the Colonel was shot that we were with ( Col Pickwood) not dangerously). On the way back us three rangefinders went foraging on our own, and got plenty of good stuff that the Boers had left, flour, potatoes, dried bread, pumpkins, onions, tea, splendid dripping, so we are now in the land of plenty cant give it away quick enough, so you can see one day we are starving next day- - - - -
The Boers left very quickly splendid suit of clothing, shirts etc left hurrah:::::::::; and last but the most important of all plenty of tobacco. (Chars again).
The meeting between Buller and White was very pathetic (White burst into tears.
Later
One of our number has just retd with all kinds of supplies, part of the Convoy has arrived.
Now I must conclude with love and best wishes to all, am in the best of health and spirits myself.
Your loving brother
Fred
The originals started in ink, and finished in pencil
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