The Boer War of 1899-1902

The War Memorial in the Wellhead Gardens at Bourne reminds us of the two great wars of the 20th century in which the young men of this town were called to serve and some of the smaller, though no less dangerous, conflicts, of more recent times, such as Malaya and Northern Ireland. Other wars preceded these but as they were now more than a century ago, and therefore in the dim and distant past and less well recorded, we tend to forget them and yet their effect was equally traumatic on those who fought and on their loved ones at home who waited daily for news of them, fearing that they would be badly hurt and even killed.

The public will no longer support a government that wishes to go to war unless the cause is proved to be unquestionably just and ministers must be prepared for tough questioning to support aggressive policies that might lead to the assignment of our troops overseas. But it was not always so and a century ago, jingoism was sufficient to sustain support at home for the pursuit of foreign adventures and this was never more evident than during the Boer War of 1899-1902, the second of the South African Wars waged between the British and the Dutch settlers.

These were the men who came forward when more troops were needed to support the campaign against the Boers and on 22nd December 1899, the Stamford Mercury reported: "The officer commanding has placed H Company, 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, at the service of the War Office. We hear that several in Bourne have already volunteered for active service."

Captain Cecil Walker Bell, a local solicitor, commanded H Company which was based at the Drill Hall in North Street, and his second in command was Lieutenant Thomas Mays. The Drill Hall had been bought for the unit in April 1899 when it was fitted out for military training and furnished with the latest gymnastic appliances to keep the men fit. There was also a clubroom for social activities and the unit contained a large number of recruits, mainly from Bourne and Billingborough, but also from the surrounding villages.

The War Office soon began to call on these volunteers and so several young men from the Bourne area joined thousands of others and sailed for South Africa. All had been specially selected for service and they were given a hearty send off with a dinner at the Nag's Head on Saturday 6th January 1900. Among the first to go were:

Trooper Emminson Bell (Bourne), Trooper George Franks (Rippingale), Trooper William Andrews (Scottlethorpe), Lance Corporal H Leslie Pike and Private Edward G Cliffe (Bourne), Private Johnson (Rippingale), Private A E Plowright (Market Deeping), Private B C Holmes (Dowsby), Private A Stennett and Private H Stennett (Billingborough) and Private Tewson (Corby Glen).

The Stamford Mercury reported the occasion in the spirit of the time: "There was a large gathering and the proceedings were very hearty and interesting. The local Yeomanry and Volunteers selected are fine, stalwart, healthy specimens of young English manhood and they will doubtless prove worthy soldiers of the Queen. Mr Arthur Saul [a local auctioneer and land agent], in submitting the toast of the Army, Navy and Reserve Forces, said in his speech: 'We are gratified to see how splendidly our volunteers have responded to the nation's call to arms. We are exceedingly proud of our guests who have been selected for the front. Though, for the moment, our fortunes seem under a cloud, I feel fully persuaded that our army will soon be completely triumphant. We sincerely hope that our gallant guests will return from their active service safe and well.'"

Captain Bell said that both he and his second in command, Lieutenant Mays, were gratified that so large a proportion of their company had been selected. "The present emergency has caused many to realise the utility of the reserve forces", he said. "The war has given great cause for satisfaction in the magnificent valour and fine discipline displayed by our troops. We are proud that the crisis has proved the sterling manhood, pluck, strength, moral purpose and boundless resources of the British Empire, by the splendidly patriotic responses to England's call to arms."

Captain Bell's speech was greeted with prolonged cheering and the evening ended with songs and recitations and music played on a gramophone by one of the volunteers, Private Cliffe.

The following Thursday, the selected volunteers were given a splendid send off when they left the town. The streets were gaily decorated with flags and the battalion band with a full complement of troops under the command of Captain Bell escorted the men to the railway station. Cheering crowds lined the pavements and the platform was packed. "The utmost enthusiasm was displayed", eulogised the Stamford Mercury, "and the stirring spectacle, reflecting the spirit of practical patriotism thrilling the Empire, will long be proudly remembered by the thousands who witnessed it. God speed, good luck and a safe return, was the hearty and universal wish of the crowd."

Soldiers from Bourne were already serving in South Africa, among them both regulars and reservists who had been called up at the outbreak of the war. One of them, George Cornwall, was with the 2nd Battalion, the Coldstream Guards, part of Lord Methuen's forces, and was wounded at Modder River, near Kimberley. On 24th November 1899, the day after the battle in which he was injured, he wrote home from hospital at Belmont to his father in Hereward Street:

It was a bit rough while it lasted, the Boers had such a strong position. If we had a force in the same position, it would have taken a very strong enemy to have driven us out. By what I saw of it yesterday, this way of fighting is the most unequal imaginable. The Boers get stuck on the top of the hills; you can't see them; you are lucky if you do. We never saw one of them till we got on the brow of the hill. Then they poked a bit of a white flag up so there was no chance whatsoever of getting our own back. They never expected to have to quit their camp in such a hurry; we could tell that by the condition in which we found it. 

Private George Drakard of Bourne, a reservist who had been recalled to the colours at the outbreak of the war, was in the same regiment, the 2nd Battalion, the Coldstream Guards, and he was wounded at Belmont on November 23rd. He wrote home from Wynberg Hospital, Cape Town, on 2nd December 1899:

We have everything the heart could wish - fruit and strawberries and good nurses. I can hardly believe it is so near Christmas, the weather is so beautiful and we are close to the sea. This is Monday afternoon, December 2nd. Three funerals have passed by here in the last half hour. No doubt you have read of the three battles we had - Belmont, Graspan and Modder River; not a bad five days' work. I hope the accounts you read were good ones; I know they were good battles and so do many more. The last was the worst. We were under fire from 6 in the morning until 9 at night. I think it is the worst battle that has been fought up to now. You may bet the Boers got it pretty thick. In some places, the trenches were full of dead. They fully deserve what they got. I told you that at Belmont we couldn't see one of them until we had fought through the fire up to their trenches, then, when we see them and are eager to fight man to man, they poke up a white flag. They are not fit to be called men. About five in the afternoon I got hit. I had just put my hand up to my helmet to throw it back ready for another shot when a bullet struck through my left hand. They fired on our ambulance wagons whenever they saw a chance. As I was going off the field in one of the ambulance wagons, the drivers had to whip the mules up as several times their shells fell quite close to us. I don't think they will last out much longer. One of the Boer prisoners after the Belmont battle said: "The more we fire the faster you come on!" They were surprised and disappointed that we did not run away.

A fellow guardsman who was also injured in the battle at Belmont was Private S Tipler of the 1st Battalion, the Coldstream Guards, whose widowed mother lived in Eastgate. On 22nd December 1899, he wrote from Modder River to his sister Mrs Lunn, living at Dyke, saying:

You have no doubt heard that I was slightly wounded on November 23rd at Belmont. I caught it through the muscle of the right breast. I shall never forget the day. Talk about hailstones; they weren't in it with the shot rattling round our ears. We had a warm time of it. After firing on the Boers, we had to charge them out of the hills with fixed bayonets. They were off like a shot as soon as they saw the steel. They can't face out a fair fight. They are a cowardly lot. They all make for the hills and, as soon as they are routed from them, they all get horses. We can't flank them much as this country is pestered with barbed wire. While I was in hospital, our fellows marched 40 miles and fought three battles. I was out in time for the next set-to on December 11th. I rubbed through that time. But the Highlanders got cut up very much. We have been resting from fighting since then. But the big guns keep dropping a shell now and then. Long Tom [a large siege gun] has just put two lyddites [high explosive shells] into them this morning. The hills are swarmed with Boers. We should only like to attract them into the open plain. The Boers lost very heavily last time. The guns have done wonderful damage but it is awful to see some of our fellows' wounds. It makes your blood run cold to see their legs, arms and heads. I couldn't tell you all. But thank God, mine was not serious. I live in the hope of getting through. It's terrible when Kruger's bullets [Paul Kruger was the Boer leader] are whistling round your heads. It's almost enough to make you bob your head a bit. Then whizz comes a shell bursting amongst us! Nobody knows what it is like, only those who have been through it. I am quite well and in fighting order and hoping to get some of my own again.

Tipler was killed in action shortly afterwards, leaving a wife and three young children who were living near the regimental depot in London. Before being called up, he had only just recovered from a long illness and the day he rejoined his regiment, his home was wrecked by fire from which the children were rescued with some difficulty, the youngest being badly burned and was taken to hospital. His case was referred to the War Relief Fund with a request for financial assistance.

No 1192 Private George Tyers, a regular soldier from Bourne, was also serving at the front with H Company, 3rd King's Royal Rifles, and on 23rd January 1900, he wrote from Spearman's Hill in Natal to his sisters, Mrs Garfoot in Manor Lane and Miss M J Tyers, who was living in West Street:

I am sorry I could not be with you at Christmas as I promised. I think we shall soon finish this bit of an affair. We have been very busy. In our first fight, we were at it for eight hours under the boiling sun. You seem to get more news at home than we do here. When we landed, the civilians of Natal were very good to us. They gave us tobacco and cigarettes and if we wanted to buy fruit from the natives, they would not allow us but bought us what we wanted. We have had a lot of marching since I wrote last and we are expecting to have a warm reception before we get to Ladysmith. We have been marching through rivers and getting our clothes wet through. We let them dry on us. With having to fight our way through rivers up to the waist, we don't get on very fast. We sleep out at night with our coats to cover us. But we shall get over that. I hope sister is getting on well with her shop and that she will save me some cigarettes. I shall want a cartload to make up for lost time. I don't expect to get a smoke till we get to Ladysmith. When we get near the Boers, I shall get my own back. I owe them something for stopping my furlough [leave]. We have had another bit of a fight. We don't know what will happen next. Cheer up. God bless you all. If I never meet you on earth, I hope we may meet in heaven. Don't be downhearted. We can only do our duty and leave the rest in our Father's hands. He knows what is best. Give my love to all. Cheer up. 

Private Tyers wrote home again on February 28th, but this time from Colenso, near Ladysmith, to Mrs Fisher of Woodview, Bourne: 

We have been doing nothing these last ten days only fighting. It is not particularly pleasant to be lying behind a rock all night and all the next day without food or water and to hear the groans now and then of some poor wounded comrades. Only last Friday, a bullet tore half the sole of my shoe off. I am beginning to get old now with losing my back teeth cracking our hard biscuits. We enjoy them though.

Tyers was subsequently wounded in action and invalided home from Natal, having taken part in battles at Colenso, Spion Kop, Pieter's Kop and in the 13 days of fighting preceding the relief of Ladysmith on Februrary 28th. He had several narrow escapes and suffered a severe attack of enteric fever [typhoid] at Sunday River and after treatment at a local hospital, he was shipped home. "His narrative of the campaign under General Sir Redvers Buller is extremely interesting and he speaks cheerfully about rejoining his comrades", said the Stamford Mercury.

Another regular soldier and prolific correspondent home was No 5996 Gunner Charles Stuffins, serving with H Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery attached to the Cavalry Brigade. He wrote home to his mother at No 24 Woodview, Bourne, from the Orange River Free State on 23rd March 1900 saying:

We have relieved Kimberley [on February 15th after four months] and are on the road to Bloemfontein [capital of the Orange Free State]. We have some stiff fighting and some long day's marches. We keep jolly. I have not been undressed for three weeks now. I need not describe the battles. You will have read of them in the papers before you receive this. We are with [General John] French's Division. You ought to be here to see the fun. It is sport to see the Boers. They look as if a wash would do them good. I shall have a lot to tell you when I come home. I don't think it will be long now. I think they will soon give in. We were all very happy when the Queen sent a telegram to us for doing such good work.

By March 31st, Stuffins was in Bloemfontein and writing again to his mother saying:

You have no doubt heard of General French's victories and read full accounts of the relief of Kimberley. We had some hard fights and some long day's marches to get there. We were five days marching 100 miles and it was marching too, with the heat and the dust. Kimberley is a very nice place. The people were reduced to eating horseflesh. You may guess how pleased they were when we got there. The Boers had done a lot of damage with their big guns. The women and children were down the mines out of harm's way. When we marched through they cheered us. When we left there we captured [General Pieter] Cronje and seven thousand prisoners and ten guns at Paardeburg and then marched to Bloemfontein. [General Cronje and his Afrikaner (Boer) troops, had been forced to surrender in February 1900]. I think the Boers have had very nearly enough of it. The only place now is Pretoria and then home! I don't think we shall be long now. I am getting on all right. I am getting black with the sun. I expect you could do with a little more sunshine in England now. I shall have a lot to tell you when we come home, if all's well. We shall have a rest then we shall be ready for it. I have not had my clothes off for a month and we sleep out in the open, without tents.

Stuffins wrote again to his mother from Bloemfontein on April 6th saying:

We are now resting, waiting for fresh horses. When we shift again, it will be straight for Pretoria [in the Transvaal and administrative capital of South Africa] and when the move begins, I shall not have much time for writing. We had a sharp fight on March 28th at Glen, about 20 miles from here. The Boers fired 200 shells at us, killing one man and wounding two. We gave them beans. I am in the best of health, just a little black with the sun. It is very hot here now and they call it winter. I wonder what summer is like? The Lincolns are here now with us but have not had time to see who I know among them. I don't think the war will last much longer. I expect you have seen where U Battery lost their guns. We went with all speed to save them, but we were too late. They took all the men prisoners and shot all their horses.

A week later, on April 13th, Stuffins wrote again to his mother from Bloemfontein:

I have sent you the Queen's chocolate box and some of the chocolate. [Queen Victoria sent a tin of chocolate bearing her portrait and the royal crest to all soldiers serving in South Africa]. I hope you will take care of it for me until I come home. The Queen sent it to us for a New Year's gift. We did not get it before because we have been on the move. I am sending you a Kruger shilling which you will find in the chocolate box. Please save it for me until I come home. There was a pound of chocolate in the box. It was very good of the Queen to send it to us. They are offering £10 for the chocolate boxes here but none of the men will sell their boxes. I hope you will enjoy the eating of the chocolate and think of me and of the Queen. I expect by the time you get this we shall be on the way to Pretoria. We start from here with 80,000 troops so I think we shall make a good sweep of it. I am in the best of health. I hope you get the chocolate box safely.

British scouts firing on a Boer patrol near Colesburg, 1900

Another letter arrived for his mother in November. It had been posted from Rhenoster River where there was still fierce fighting. Stuffins wrote:

We had a rough time on September 27th. De Wet [General Christian De Wet, a famous hunter and the most audacious of all the Boer commanders] shelled our camp but he did not do much harm as we were very soon saddled up and after him. One of the 16th Lancers was killed and one of our gunners was wounded in the face but he is going on very well. I don't know when we shall be home but I hope it will be soon. De Wet is the man we want to get hold of. When we have him, the war will soon finish.

Stuffins wrote again on November 1st, this time from Ventersburg:

We fought another battle on October 29th. We left Ventersburg station and marched 21 miles that night, attacking the Boers' position at daybreak. It was a rough march. It was quite dark. We had been marching all the day before. As soon as dawn broke, there was an awful crash of rifle fire from our infantry. A five-inch gun boomed in between the volleys. The infantry attacked on the north side and we attacked on the south. When daylight appeared, the Boers were surprised to find us round them. Our cavalry rushed to the top of the ridge and stood firing as hard as they could at the retreating enemy. We dashed up at a gallop and came into action with four guns and a pom-pom [a variety of large machine gun using one pound shells] and let them have it. They soon cleared off. I wish they would stand and fight so that we could finish it. We took 60 prisoners and we camped at seven in the morning to rest. We sent all the women out of Ventersburg to Kroonstadt and burnt the town down and all the farms near. Only the day before this, the Boers attacked the line and captured 88 of our men and stopped a train and started to set it on fire. But the armoured train came to the rescue and drove them off. A messenger was sent to us and we went in pursuit. They let all our men go again. This is between Bloemfontein and Kroonstadt. Tomorrow, November 2nd, we start for Bloemfontein. Our mail was in the train they stopped but it was not damaged. I am in the best of health. The sun is very hot here now. I expect you could do with a little of it in Lincolnshire now.

Mafeking, a small town in Cape Province on the railway line to Rhodesia, was relieved on May 17th by a flying column riding up from Kimberley and after joining forces with a second one and reinforced by Canadians, quickly broke enemy resistance. The garrison had been under siege since 12th October 1899, but under the command of Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, later to achieve prominence as founder of the Boy Scout movement, had successfully held out against the Boers for 217 days. There was great rejoicing when the news reached Britain by a Reuters agency message and theatrical productions in London were interrupted for special announcements. At Covent Garden, someone shouted down from the gallery that Mafeking had been relieved as the curtain came down on Lohengrin and the audience broke into patriotic songs with the Prince of Wales beating time from the royal box.

In Bourne, townspeople gathered in the market place to celebrate on May 18th when an effigy of the Boer leader Paul Kruger was suspended on a rope strung between the Town Hall and the hardware shop on the corner of West Street and South Street, then occupied by F J Clarke and now by Harrison and Dunn. The effigy was later retrieved by townspeople and ceremoniously burned. There was also an outbreak of window smashing by drunken revellers who rampaged through the streets throwing rocks and stones at shop fronts as they went.

Among the other regular soldiers from Bourne serving at the front was Driver Joseph Dickens of the 83rd Battery, Royal Field Artillery. He wrote home to his father, Mr R Dickens of Woodview in early April 1900:

We have just lately had some bad weather. The rain has been very heavy. It would make you open your eyes to see us turn out of our beds in the morning - our beds being the couch of mother earth, and our roof our wagon covers. We have a blanket. To see us in camp when night has fallen would make you wonder. All around, you would see men lying on the top of their harness. Some have used the horse collar for a pillow and some, like runaway Jacob, are happy enough to have a big stone for a pillow. It is a sight, I can tell you. Sludge! There is plenty of that. We are up to the knees in it when grooming the horses. But all's well. We keep cheery. Keep your spirits up. Remember me to all.

In June 1900, Lance Corporal Herbert Marsh of the 14th Hussars, son of William Marsh, a postman who lived in Woodview, Bourne, was invalided home from South Africa. He had arrived in Natal early the previous January and was engaged in the fighting up to the relief of the garrison town and rail junction of Ladysmith on February 28th after a siege of 118 days, the 14th Hussars being the first cavalry regiment to enter the beleaguered city. Marsh subsequently saw much active service in the Biggarsberg mountains of Natal, being mainly employed in the dangerous duty of scouting. It was while bearing despatches from Captain Hamilton to the general in command near Reenan's Pass that he was wounded in the left foot by a party of Boers concealed behind rocks. He had already delivered his despatches safely and was on his return journey when shot. His wound was treated at hospital in Ladysmith and he was then shipped back to England. The Stamford Mercury reported: "He is a bright, intelligent young fellow of smart, soldierly appearance. His description of the country and fighting are wonderfully clear and realistic."

Troops lining the trenches ready to repel a Boer attack at Honey Nest Kloof, 1900

Private A Percival, another regular soldier from Bourne, was an infantryman serving with the Bedfordshire Regiment, and he wrote home in August 1900 to his mother, Mrs Clements who lived in Hereward Street, with much cheerfulness and optimism about the progress of the campaign: 

The Boer resistance will soon be at an end. We have kept them on the move. I hope that we will all soon be back in dear old England. For myself, I am in the very best of health.

Little had been heard of the volunteers from Bourne until Lance Corporal Pike, one of the soldiers who had attended the farewell dinner at the Nag's Head, wrote home to his family in West Road in August 1900. He was serving with H Company of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment, his own unit, but had been wounded and was invalided home in August, receiving a rousing reception from his friends and family in the town. Pike had seen active service at Bloemfontein and at Kroonstadt where he had become a victim to an attack of enteric fever. He recovered from his illness and returned to Bourne looking bronzed and fit. But before leaving the front, he had applied to join the new mounted police force formed to keep order in the colony by Colonel Robert Baden-Powell who had become a popular hero during the siege of Mafeking. While on leave, Pike took his final examination and was accepted with the rank of corporal, sailing for South Africa in December to join his new unit. His father, Mr Arthur Pike, later called his house in West Road, Kimberley House.

Quarter-Master Sergeant Harrison, son-in-law of Mrs Christopher of Church Street, Bourne, also arrived home on leave from the front about the same time. He was serving as a paymaster-sergeant at Cape Town. The Stamford Mercury reported: "He is a fine, soldierly young man, and his promotion has been rapid as, when he rejoined the colours before Christmas as a reservist, he ranked as corporal. He has quite recently been advanced to quarter-master sergeant. His furlough is very brief. Sergeant Harrison, who is a man of keen observation and intelligence, expresses the fullest confidence in the future prosperity of the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal under British rule. He considers the Boers are dirty and lazy as farmers. He says that for builders, agriculturalists, miners and manufacturers, there is a splendid field for enterprise."

At home, there was still a tremendous interest in the war and on Wednesday 14th November 1900, a public lecture entitled With Roberts to Pretoria was given at the Drill Hall in North Street to a crowded and appreciative audience. The lecture had been written by Earl Rosslyn and was delivered by Joseph Davies, headmaster of the Abbey Road Primary School and a well known local speaker, while lantern slides were shown by Mr Alfred Stubley, a painter and plumber of West Street who was associated with many public functions in the town. Captain Bell presided at the lecture which was the first of a series given during that winter in aid of funds for the Bourne Institute.

Private Bennett Rodgers, one the soldiers who had volunteered for regular service with the 2nd Lincolnshire Regiment soon after the war started, died from enteric fever at Reitfontein on 23rd January 1901. He was the son of Mr John Rodgers of Eastgate, Bourne, and had been in South Africa for nine months. "He was a finely-built, brave, bright young fellow and the deepest sympathy is felt for his parents", said the Stamford Mercury. The captain commanding his unit wrote a letter of sympathy to Mr Rodgers speaking highly in praise of his conduct: "He stuck to his duty until compelled by fever to fall out of the line of march. He was buried in Reitfontein cemetery, a small cross being erected by the regiment over his grave. The hospitals are now well manned and equipped and you may rest assured that your son received every attention so far as medical skill is concerned, and every comfort." 

At this time, another regular soldier, Private Parker, son of Mr Parker of Bedford Cottages, Eastgate, Bourne, was invalided home. He had been serving with the 2nd Battalion, the Coldstream Guards, but had been in hospital after being wounded at Belfast in the Transvaal the previous August. "He has many interesting reminiscences of the war", reported the Stamford Mercury. "On his return home he received a very hearty welcome from his friends."

Although the main pressure of the war had now eased, reinforcements were still required and on Monday 11th February 1901, another small contingent left H Company of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment, for South Africa after being specially selected for active service. The party, under the command of Colour Sergeant Hipple of Billingborough, included Corporal Marshall (Billingborough), Private F Yates (son of Mr Alfred Yates, master of the Bourne workhouse), Privates Dewey and Francis (Bourne), Private Snow (Market Deeping) and Privates Musson and Holliday (Rippingale).

The first troops returning from the Boer War had arrived home in triumph on 29th October 1900. In London, they were given a hero's welcome and the crowds were so dense that the procession by the City of London Imperial Volunteers took five hours to cross from Paddington station to St Paul's for a thanksgiving service. The Prince of Wales reviewed the parade from Marlborough House as it wound its way towards the Guildhall where the troops were welcomed by the Lord Mayor. A number of people were injured in the crush and celebrations went on late into the night.

In Bourne, a meeting was held on Thursday 2nd May 1901 to make preparations to welcome their returning soldiers. Robert Gardner, a local bank manager and magistrate, presided and was supported by Captain Bell and it was decided to give the men a dinner on the day of their return and to present each of them with a memento and a reception committee was appointed to make the arrangements.

The dinner was held in the Corn Exchange on Wednesday 29th May 1901 when the chairman was Sir John Lawrance, a former captain of the Volunteers and MP for South Lincolnshire. He was supported by Captain Bell, the commanding officer of H Company, with Mr Gardner, Mr A Farr and Mr C Everard and several members of Bourne Urban District Council who had all helped organise the event. Over 120 people attended the dinner which was prepared and served by James Shilcock and his staff from the Nag's Head Hotel.

Mr Farr proposed a toast to the Imperial Forces, saying: "Some defects have been disclosed while the army has been serving in South Africa. Generals and officers might have made some mistakes but I do not think we are in a position to criticise their actions. Tommy Atkins was the same as of old, and he possessed the same courage and determination. The army had an uphill task and had it not been for the help of the Volunteers and other forces outside the regular army, the war would not have been in such a forward state as it was at the present time. We all appreciate the readiness in which the Volunteers responded to the call to arms and I am sure that they have come out of the fire with honour."

Captain Bell, who responded, appealed to employers who were present to give their workers the opportunity to join the much-neglected auxiliary force, the militia, and added: "So far as the Volunteers are concerned, we are glad of the chance to show that they had done something else besides playing at soldiers".

Sir John proposed the toast to "Our Guests", saying that it was impossible to over-estimate the service rendered to the country by the Volunteer forces during this time of stress and difficulty. "Our company has contributed something like 20 men, some of whom are still fighting or engaged in the war", he said. "Two or three of them have preferred to stay in South Africa and we all regret that out of the ten remaining, only nine have returned. But I hope that no one will think that the life that has been lost was a life wasted. The war has taught us serious lessons. In the first instance, our generals undervalued the forces arrayed against us. That was the reason why they had to look beyond their regular army which was not at any time, a large one. The appeal was not in vain and the response deserves the well wishes of the country and I think that the manner in which the Colonial forces came to our assistance is worthy of the highest praise.

"I am pleased to see that efforts are being made to form a yeomanry force for Lincolnshire and I hope it will succeed. As to our army in South Africa, England has been able to do what no other country in the world has been able to do, namely to send 250,000 men out to South Africa and when we remember that the line of communication that they had to keep had been as far as from London to Vienna, a distance of 3,000 miles. The Volunteers who went out gave up home comforts, employment, and everything for the purpose of serving their country. I hope they will be respected for it. It is with great pleasure that I ask you to drink the health of the men who have returned, and to couple this toast with the names of Private Cliffe and Private Holmes."

The toasts were drunk with much enthusiasm and musical honours and the two soldiers were presented with gifts of tobacco, including one for Private Tewson who did not attend the dinner. Songs were sung and Mr A Rippon's band from Stamford played selections to end the evening of celebration.

Trooper George Franks of the Leicestershire Yeomanry arrived back on Tuesday 11th June 1901. His train reached Bourne at 4 pm and after a short stay among friends in the town, he was driven home to Rippingale where the village had been decorated with red, white and blue bunting, especially in the vicinity of the Manor House, home of his father Mr Henry Franks, a local farmer. Here, several streamers had been hung across the roadway and a triumphal arch with the inscription "Welcome Home" had been erected across the entrance gate. Hundreds of villagers turned out to cheer him and the schoolmaster, Mr John Caunce, secretary of the official reception committee, read an address of welcome and congratulations upon his safe return and good wishes for his future happiness and prosperity. The Stamford Mercury reported: "Mounting a horse, the gallant young yeoman afterwards made a tour of the village and was everywhere vociferously cheered. Many peals were rung on the church bells during the day and on every side, there were signs of rejoicing."

The following Friday, Trooper Franks was entertained to dinner at the Assembly Rooms, the meal for 120 guests provided by Arthur Bradley, landlord of the Bull Inn, and Mr Thomas Pick of Dunsby Hall presided, supported by Mr Franks, Captain Bell from Bourne and representatives from other towns and villages in the area. Mr Redhead of Peterborough proposed the toast to the Imperial Forces saying: "The people of Rippingale should be congratulated on sending such a gallant young soldier to help fight the battles of the King [Queen Victoria had died on 22nd January 1901 and had been succeeded by King Edward VII]. While we have such noble fellows willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the country, they need never fear that England will ever give in to any other nation. The Volunteers have fought side by side with the regulars and have shown by their pluck, perseverance and determination that they are a very formidable force. We are all delighted to know that our guest of the evening has arrived safely home. He has left a good many behind him, unfortunately, but we thank providence that he has been spared to come home again to his friends. He went out at the call of the country as a good Englishman and, like all others, he has done his duty."

In reply, Captain Bell said that the war had touched the spirit of the country. He went on: "Trooper Franks never regretted joining inasmuch as it gave him a chance of going out and I appeal to all employers and parents to put no obstacles in the way of young men joining the auxiliary forces."

Mr Henry Goodyear toasted "Our Guest" and said that they were heartily glad to see their young friend back again and that he would soon be restored to health and strength. "By his service in South Africa, he has seen and learned a new lesson, a lesson that he could never have learned in England, and much, no doubt, will be helpful and useful to him in after life. I do not know what active service he has seen but I feel quite certain that the lad who was dutiful at home would be dutiful abroad and knowing the young gentleman as I have done from a child, I feel proud of him and all those who went out to fight the battle for this country."

At this point in the proceedings, Trooper Franks was presented with an 18ct. gold hunter watch supplied by Joseph Ellicock, watch and clock maker of South Street, Bourne. The inner case was inscribed: "Presented to George Franks on his return from active service with the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa, June 1901". The outer case bore the monogram of the recipient and attached to the watch was a handsome 18ct. gold chain of the long link pattern and a spade ace guinea from the reign of George III (1787) in a perfect state of preservation. These were supplied by Messrs Edward Pearce and Co of North Street, Bourne. The chairman said that he made the presentation on behalf of the 300 subscribers in Rippingale, Bourne and the neighbourhood.

Trooper Franks made a suitable reply, saying: "No words can adequately express my thanks for the very handsome things you have thought fit to give me. I desire no special recognition for doing my duty. However, I shall value these gifts most highly." He then recounted some of his experiences at the front and kept the company interested for some time. A number of ladies who had come into the room to witness the presentation stood at the back enthralled by what he said. There were many more toasts and no lack of singing and Mr Berry of Bourne ably presided at the pianoforte.

Trooper Emminson Bell did not return to Bourne. He chose to stay in South Africa and joined the Johannesburg Police and in November 1901 was promoted to colour sergeant.

Private Edward Cliffe came home and took over the family business in West Street that survived into the 21st century as Cliffe and Sons, furnishings and removals.

A silver trophy was presented to H Company by Dr James Watson Burdwood, a local general practitioner and Medical Officer of Health to Bourne Rural District Council. It was known as the Pretoria Cup, to be awarded each year for the highest score in marksmanship on the anniversary of Lord Roberts' entry into Pretoria in September 1900. The first winner was Private George Stennett who received the trophy at a presentation during a smoking concert held by the company at the Foresters' Hall in Billingborough on Saturday 11th February 1902.

As a direct result of the war, the Countess of Ancaster suggested that more men in civilian life ought to be trained to handle a rifle in case they were needed for military service in the future and this lead to the formation of the Bourne Rifle Club. The idea was first mooted early in 1902 when the troops were returning from South Africa. A meeting was called at the Drill Hall on Thursday 20th March to consider the formation of a club to be affiliated to the National Rifle Association and to provide instruction and practice in the use of the service rifle, to encourage recruiting for the army and auxiliary forces and to be a reserve for home defence. Mr Henry Chappell, a builder of North Street, provided the use of an old granary adjoining the Bourne Institute in West Street for this purpose and sufficient money was raised to fund the project. The range was ready within two months and an official opening by the Earl of Ancaster, accompanied by Lady Ancaster, was held on Wednesday 28th May 1902, when Lady Ancaster fired one of the first shots and scored a bull's eye.

Soldiers from H Company who had served in the Boer War were selected to represent the regiment at the festivities in London for the Coronation of King Edward VII on Saturday 13th August 1902. They were among a detachment of 25 men drawn from each of the eight companies forming the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment, who lined the Mall through which the royal procession passed on the return journey from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. The men, under the command of Captain Bell and Lieutenant D S Carter, travelled to and from London by special train and Captain Bell was also allotted a seat in the stand at Horse Guards' Parade.

The efforts of Lords Kesteven and Ancaster to form a Yeomanry Corps for Lincolnshire were successful and in one recruiting session alone, at the Angel Hotel in Bourne on Thursday 24th October 1901, 12 recruits were enrolled. By the following year, the unit had been designated A Squadron of the Lincolnshire Imperial Yeomanry under the command of Major Lord Willoughby de Eresby M P and their first parade was held in Bourne on Friday 28th February 1902 when there was a good muster with all of the men mounted and looking smart in their new khaki uniforms. After being instructed for about an hour in mounted drill, the troop marched out to Thurlby and back and practised advance and rear guards under their instructor, Squadron Sergeant-Major Christmas.

The war that began with a string of British defeats, ended on 31st May 1902 after two years and seven months. The Boer leaders arrived in Pretoria to meet Lord Milner, the High Commissioner, and Lord Kitchener, the Commander-in-Chief, and less than an hour before the expiry of the British deadline, at midnight on the last day of May, they signed the terms of surrender although the announcement did not become public in London until the next day which was a Sunday. The news reached Bourne on Monday 2nd June and there were demonstrations in the market place where bonfires were lit and blazing tar barrels rolled down the road. The police were called out and 29 people were arrested.

H Company, 2nd Volunteer Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment, had provided 28 active service soldiers for the campaign and 22 arrived home safely. On Wednesday 6th August 1902, each member of the company was honoured with the presentation of a silver tobacco box bearing an inscription referring to the occasion on which it was made. The ceremony took place in the Market Place amid a large crowd when the gifts were presented by Mrs R A Gardner, whose husband was chairman of the reception committee. A dinner was then held in the Corn Exchange when the vicar, the Rev Hugh Mansfield, toasted the unit. "The work of the active service men has been honourable work for which they have gained the admiration of their country", he said. "The men responded to their country's call and the country appreciated their services. When it was found that the regulars were not sufficient to ensure success, it was then that the volunteers so splendidly responded. There have been faults in the conduct of the war but Tommy Atkins has escaped this criticism. We are glad to see them back and we envy them because they have done such a great duty which kept the flag of old England still waving on to victory." Yates, now a lance-corporal, thanked the reception committee for the hearty manner in which they had been received home and the evening ended with music and songs.

Another regular soldier from Bourne, Private William Glenn, returned home safely after serving in South Africa with the 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers. On Monday13th October 1902, he attended a presentation at the Eastgate School under the chairmanship of the vicar, the Rev Hugh Mansfield, supported by George Mays, chairman of Bourne Urban District Council, and other dignitaries. The chairman referred to the campaigns through which Private Glenn had passed and added: "It gives me great pleasure that he has returned home without a scratch. I am always thankful to hear of soldiers that have fought for me because when they fight for their country I consider they are fighting for me and we wish to show our appreciation of the services he has given with these articles to which we have all subscribed." Private Glenn was then presented with a silver watch and chain, a pipe, a cigarette holder, tobacco and a scarf pin.

Two of Lord Ancaster's sons, Major Charles Willoughby and Captain Claud Willoughby, who had been on active service in South Africa, returned home on Tuesday 4th November 1902. They arrived at Bourne station by the 5.50 pm train and received a hearty reception from H Company who turned out in force together with a contingent of the Imperial Yeomanry. The Volunteer band played "See the conquering hero comes" and the route from the station was lined with cheering people. Major Willoughby gave a brief speech of thanks before he and his brother were escorted by torchlight procession through the streets with the band playing "For he's a jolly good fellow" before leaving for Grimsthorpe Castle escorted by a small contingent of troops from the two units.

The silver tobacco boxes however cost more than the reception committee had allocated for this purpose and the debt was still outstanding in the summer of 1904 when Captain Bell attempted to raise money towards the deficiency of £20 by holding a garden fete in the grounds of his home at Bourne House in West Street on Wednesday 24th August. The attractions included a stall of work, croquet and tennis matches in the afternoon and a promenade concert and dancing in the evening, and at dusk, the grounds were illuminated with fairy lamps and Chinese lanterns. The music was provided by the band of H Company with Mr J H Berry at the piano and there were afternoon teas and refreshments in the evening. A large number of people attended and £6 10s was raised from gate money for the benefit of the fund.

See also

The peace celebrations in Bourne - 29 arrested

Bourne Volunteers     Bourne honours a Boer War general     Bourne rifle range    

Charles Stuffins     Herbert Stennett    Thomas Mays     The Cliffe family

Note: Compiled with the help of contemporary news reports from the Stamford Mercury and elsewhere. 
Images from the Boer War are reproduced from the book The Victorian and Edwardian Army
from old photographs by John Fabb & W Y Carman, courtesy Chrysalis Books.

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