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Robert White was one of that select band that served with the Elswick Battery in the Boer War, earning plaudits from his O.C. Captain Wedgwood in the process. Not content with that he went on to see service in both the World Wars that were to follow. An enviable feat serving through 4 monarchs in the process.

Robert White

Gunner, 1st Northumberland Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) Elswick Battery – Anglo Boer War
Sergeant, South African Railways Overseas Dominion Section (S.A.R.O.D.S.) – WWI
Corporal, Active Citizen Force (A.C.F.) – WWII

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1901 to 7217 GNR. R. WHITE, 1ST NTLHD. VOL: ART.
- British War Medal to SJT. R. WHITE, S.A.R.O.D.S. SEC 1
- Victory Medal to SJT. R. WHITE, S.A.R.O.D.S. SEC 1
- Africa Service Medal to 140687 (ACF) R. WHITE

Robert White was born in Newcastle-Upon- Tyne, Northumberland, England in 1878 and was baptised on the 7th July in that year. His father James was a Railway Clerk by occupation and was wed to his mother, Elizabeth Victoria (born Russell) who was 5 years older than her husband.

Our first glimpse of a young Robert came with the 1881 England census where at the age of 2 he was resident with his parents and younger brother Henry (10 months) at 44 Stone Street, Westgate, Newcastle.

Ten years later at the time of the 1891 England census the family were still at the same address but had grown incrementally in number with the addition of siblings Beatrice (7), James Frederick (6), Elizabeth Jane (4) and Charles (1) along with a 12 year old Robert in the house.

Little was the boy Robert to know that, in the short space of 9 years he was to be in far-away South Africa as part of an exclusive band of Artillery embroiled in a fight with the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State pitted against the might of the Empire. It is worth exploring the history behind the “exclusive” artillery unit I made mention of by referring to an article entitled WORKING THE GUNS - THE HISTORY OF THE ELSWICK BATTERY, 1st NORTHUMBERLAND ROYAL GARRISON ARTILLERY (VOLUNTEERS) for their story.

It reads as follows and provides the necessary context to what White would have been exposed to, context so often lacking in respect of men who fought in less publicised and less documented outfits.

In January 1900, some 3 months after the Boer War had started, Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. received an order from Lady Meux for six 12-pounder 3-inch Q.F. naval guns to be mounted on field carriages. The guns for this order were taken off a Japanese battleship which was in the Company's Naval Yard at the time (whether they were removed with the consent of the Japanese is not recorded) and their conversion to Field pieces was carried out at the Elswick Ordnance Works at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The guns had a range of up to 10,000 yards. This was double that of the 15-pdr., then the standard armament of the British Field Artillery and nearly three times that of the R.H.A. 12-pdr. but they were rather heavier, needing four pairs of horses to pull them, as opposed to the other's three.

In February 1900 Lady Meux presented the guns to Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in South Africa, and they became his personal property, as distinct from belonging to the army. It was partially this that made them so exclusive.

Meanwhile the War Office had declared a policy of accepting only infantry and yeomanry volunteers for service in South Africa - Artillery was specifically excluded. However one Unit, the 1st Northumberland Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) managed to persuade officialdom to make an exception and in January 1900 authority was given for it to raise a battery for the war. This Unit had a Drill Hall near the Elswick Works, and the battery based there was composed entirely of men from the factory (White must have been employed there). The battery, which was raised for active service, came almost entirely from this drill hall and was given the title of the Elswick Battery.

It so happened that one of the Directors of Armstrong Whitworths was Sir Philip Watts, who was also Colonel of the 1st Northumberland R.G.A. (Vols.). As soon as Sir Philip heard that Lord Roberts had accepted the guns, he wired both Lord Roberts and Lady Meux to request that his service battery should be allowed to man them (they were originally to have been armed with 15-pdrs.). They both agreed. So in April 1900, 244 Officers and men comprising the Elswick Battery sailed for South Africa, probably the only gunners to be armed with field pieces which they themselves had made.

The guns were sent in crates direct from the factory to Cape Town, where they were collected by the Elswick Battery. The Battery at once set about putting the guns together, much to the subsequent wrath of the Army Ordnance Corps. However it was sensibly pointed out that if the men who made the guns could not assemble them, then who could?

After about three weeks training at Maitland Camp, outside Cape Town, they went to the front. Up to September and the advance to Komatipoort, they operated as a complete battery, mainly with Sir Ian Hamilton's Division. They were then split up into sections of two guns each. One section was posted to Edenburg on the main railway line to Pretoria. This was a favourite area for Boer incursions into Cape Province. Another was attached to General Broadwood's 2nd Cavalry Brigade and was almost continuously in action in the Western Transvaal up to the end of the year, when it was split into sub-sections.

One of these sub-sections remained with the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, and the other was attached to a column under Colonel Allenby. In the first quarter of 1901 both of these took part in one of the largest sweeps of the war designed to clear the Boer Commandos from the Eastern Transvaal. They remained in the Eastern Transvaal pursuing various Boer Commandos until they eventually came home. The remaining section also took part in various operations in the Western Transvaal including the relief of General Barton at Frederikstad at the end of October. In the New Year they, too, were split into sub-sections and in March joined the operations in the Eastern Transvaal in columns under Colonels Gordon and Ingouville-Williams. When the Battery was split up into sections Major H. Scott, the Battery Commander, took all the spare men to Potchefstroom, where he set up his headquarters, and joined in a number of local drives and actions. Although they were fortunate in not suffering any fatal casualties from enemy action, the men of this Battery saw a considerable amount of fighting and distinguished themselves, as evidenced by the decorations they received, two DSOs, two DCMs and thirteen mentions in despatches.

In June 1901, the Battery reunited at Elandsfontein and demobilised, handing its guns over to an Artillery Militia unit which had come out from Britain. They left South Africa at the end of June and arrived back in England on l6th July, 1901.

At the end of the war Lord Roberts presented the guns to various people and places. He presented one to Ladysmith and in 1947 it was reported as still being there, near the main road in a space in front of some of the principal buildings. Another was given to Cape Town. A third he kept and up to the 1939/45 war it was mounted at his former home at "The White House", Ascot. Alas during the war it was taken away and melted down for scrap.

As can be seen from the above, White and his compatriots weren’t destined to remain in South Africa for the remainder of the war which ended on 31 May 1902 – instead they were repatriated to England. He earned the clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1901 to his Queens Medal for his service as a Gunner. This medal was issued off the roll dated 12 July 1901 aboard the “S.S. Aurania” – the ship transporting the Battery back to England.

As an addendum to his service and certainly as a nice addition to his story I have an original letter addressed to White’s father by his Battery O.C. – none other than Captain Josiah Wedgwood of Wedgwood pottery fame. He wrote from the Grand Hotel in Pretoria on 25 June 1901 as follows:

“Dear Sir

I wish to let you know how valuable the services of your son Gunner White have been to the Elswick Battery and more particularly to me. I am afraid accurate gun laying is not a useful gift in civil life, but it has been a very happy accident for us, and has won D Gun much deserved praise.

A cool head – when others are excited – is always valuable. Gunner White too managed to be cheerful and smart in somewhat trying circumstances. He has a good seat and looked well on horseback.

If you can ever spare a photograph of him I should like to have it.

Yours sincerely

Josiah Wedgwood

Captain, R.A.”





Back on the home front whilst he was out in Africa his family had, according to the 1901 England census, moved to 31 Croydon Road in, unsurprisingly, the suburb of Elswick in Newcastle.

Whether or not White returned to England is uncertain. What is known is that he was to make his home in South Africa with the first sign of his residence coming with the baptism of his son Henry Robert Russell White (he had married Rachel Fuin in the intervening years) in Waterval-Boven in the Eastern Transvaal on 21 December 1913. Occupation-wise he had followed in his father’s footsteps and was now employed by the South African Railways at Kinross as a Railway Foreman.

A little more than 8 months later the world erupted into what was to become known as the Great War. On 4 August 1914 Britain and Germany faced off against each other with a myriad of Allies on either side. South Africa too was drawn into the war on the side of the Empire – a bold and audacious move engineered by the Prime Minister, Louis Botha who, a mere 12 years earlier, had been at war with Great Britain.

White bided his time before enlisting with the S.A. Railways Overseas Dominion Section ON 16 November 1916 for service in the war. Completing the Attestation Papers at Potchefstroom he confirmed that he had been born in Newcastle, that he was now 38 years old and a Station Master at Abor Station in the Transvaal. He stated that he had spent 18 months with the 1st Northumberland Volunteer Battery, R.A. and that he was married to Rachel with one child. Assigned no. S.A.R. 181 he was deployed to Section 1 of S.A.R.O.D.S. with the rank of Sapper. Physically he was 5 feet 7 ½ inches in height with a fresh complexion, brown-grey eyes and brown hair. He had tattoos on both forearms and was a member of the Church of England.

Probably as a result of both his age and his experience he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on the same day. After a period of training and assimilation he embarked at Cape Town bound for England and the Western Front aboard the S.S. “Baranbah” on 29 January 1917 and, on arrival in England was posted to the Front with 92nd Company on 18 March 1917 landing at Rouen the following day. Having been appointed 3rd Grade Station Master and to receive pay at the rate of 2/1 from the date of appointment White was well set and certainly qualified for the job.

White was to be in action until 29 March 1919, long after the war was over, before being sent back to England from where he sailed to South Africa on the H.M.T. “Bellerophon” disembarking at Cape Town on 30 May 1919 and, after a short spell at the Depot, being demobilised on 28 June 1919 at Maitland in the Cape. For his efforts he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal which were despatched to him on 31 January 1922.

His Proceedings on Discharge form rated his Military Character as Very Good and he was credited with service of 2 years and 225 days. His discharge address was provided as c/o the Pavilion Hotel, St Johns Road, Sea Point, Cape Town.

Having completed service in both the Boer as well as 1st World War one could be forgiven for thinking that White had “had enough” – this wasn’t to be however as, with the advent of World War II in 1939 he was provided with yet another opportunity to don a uniform and offer his services to the cause of freedom. This time round the foe was again Germany and, no longer young at the age of 64, he volunteered at Springs in the Transvaal for home service (Active Citizen Force) with the 16th N.V.B. (National Volunteer Battalion) on 23 January 1942. Assigned no. 140678 and the rank of Corporal he provided his address as 7 Springs Road, Strubenvale, Springs.

On 10 September 1942 he was transferred to the 2nd N.V.B. before being discharged as Medically Unfit on 6 January 1943. For his efforts he was awarded the Africa Service Medal which was posted to him on 26 August 1955.

Robert White passed away at the age of 80 years and 11 months at Springs Nursing Home on 15 January 1953. He had buried one spouse and was survived by his second wife, Florence Mary White (formerly Brown, formerly Wilcock, born Elock) and his two children, Harry White and Pearl Denton. At the time of his death he was living at 325 Morris Crescent, Selection Park, Springs.

He had seen service through three wars and four monarchs and had done his duty to King and Country.

Good Morning Rory......

I can never stop saying it.......

Fantastic piece of research.....

I just wish I had your sources......

Bravo Zulu.......

Mike

Thanks Mike

You were fast! I hadn't finished editing the story!

For some reason or another page 2 of the letter from Wedgwood won't work when trying to insert it - I get an error (too many links) message

No matter the document is still there for all to see.

Regards

Rory

Sitting here with my morning Coffee...... Rory.......

Always check forum first even before email...... LOL

Mike

Hi Rory

As you know I have always admired this group, well finally thanks to your heads up one of Whites mates will be joining my collection.

Thanks again, pressure is now off

Brian

Well done Brian - thrilling to think our two chaps might have manned the same gun!