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Hi Smethwick,

I know this reply has nothing to do with your original post nor the Boer War.

However, maybe this information may help with your WW1 project.

A few months back I acquired a poignant 1914 Star, BWM, plaque and silk ribbon to John Henry Downing from Smethwick.

He landed in France on the 14th August 1914 and was captured shortly afterwards by the Germans and listed as missing on the 6th October 1914.

He tried to escape as a POW but unfortunately subsequently drowned.

Hopefully this is helpful and let me know if you need any further information.

Hi Sturgy,

Whilst my ABW & WW2 projects are Smethwick based my WW1 project is family centred – both my grandfathers and 3 great uncles and those who share the War Memorial of a school in York with John Fletcher Redhead. When Herbert, Joe, Jack, Bertie & Tom (MC X 2) went to war I doubt if any of them had heard of Smethwick.

The mention of a Downing in regard to Smethwick did initially cause me a bit of excitement as the Downing family, who made their money by being maltsters, were once “big” in Smethwick and Holly Lodge High School for Boys started life in 1927 in the Downing mansion which had been acquired some years before by Smethwick Council when the Downing family left Smethwick. Their other remaining legacy is Downing Street. But it did not take me long to calm down as a rank & file soldier living in Harding Street was not going to be a “legitimate” member of The Downings.

I can send you a part of the 1913/14 OS map showing the location of Harding St which has since disappeared owing to “improvements”. I have also found your man on the 1911 Census in Napier Barracks, Lahore, India as a member of the 1st Btn South Lancs Rgt. He and Catherine Ellen Owen married in Smethwick in Q3 1913. Also the 1921 Census shows remarried Catherine Ellen still living at 10 Harding Street. All a bit much to post on here but if you are interested in seeing them message me your email address.

His death does get reported in the Smethwick Telephone, but a year after the event! It is in the Smethwick Roll of Honour published on 11th August 1917 as follows – most of the other 10 or so get a full headed paragraph.



Regards, David (Smethwick)

Thanks David,

That's great information; thanks for that.

I'll keep an eye out for any ABW and WW2 medals with a link to Smethwick and I'll let you know if I see any.

Regards,
Sturgy

Interested Forum members
To return to the Faberge pear blossom sprig featured in the Antiques Road Show episode of 26/6/2017, the AR site tells us that Rachel, Countess of Dudley gave a sprig of pear blossom WORKED IN SILK to each member of the QOWH squadron destined to sail for SA on 7/1/1900 to form part of the IY. The silk sprig was intended to be worn in their hats.
Perhaps somewhere a pic exists of the silk pear blossom sprig being worn.
Regards
IL.

IL,

Bloemfontein Museum has one of the silk sprigs, a photograph of which can be found on p. 69 of The Anglo-Boer War in 100 Objects.





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I don't go a bundle on the ABW Museum caption - a boutonniere is worn in a button hole and Lady Dudley definitely handed them to the soldiers personally.

They did not only receive a silk sprig from the good lady and this article also proves the points I have made above:



Anybody wondering what a cholera belt was - the TNA website has some diagrams with this text attached: " A ‘cholera belt’ was a wide cloth waistband made of flannel or wool worn around the stomach. The ‘belt’ was supposed to protect the person from the cold and damp, as it was thought that a cold abdomen would lead to cholera or diarrhea, and other stomach ailments." If that does not suffice Rob D in a previous post gave a link to a 15 page article about them.

I have looked for a photo of Captain Arthur Bingham Crabbe in case he was wearing the sprig but, despite finding a lot of info about him, there was no photo attached.

I am far from convinced that the 16th (Worcestershire) Company of the IY ever entered Pretoria. This is an extract from Trooper Durose's service record:



I can locate 5 of the places mentioned and none are near Pretoria - Frederickstad appears to be in Norway I have two other Smethwickians who served in the 16th - one I have been in touch with a relative and in some material she has Vereeniging & the Vaal River are mentioned and his service record shows he was wounded at Kleinfontein. The third was hospitalised with enteric in Mafeking - he survived the experience although he was never quite right again and died in his 40's. I think of all the places I have mentioned Vereenging is the nearest to Pretoria at 60 miles SSW.

Finally Lady Dudley made a habit of handing out silk sprigs as this 1915 article shows: