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Robert Wilberforce Myburgh

Lieutenant, Royal Navy – Anglo Boer War
Commander, Royal Navy – WWI
Captain, Royal Navy - Retired

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasp Cape Colony to Lieut. R.W. Myburgh, R.N. H.M.S. Doris
- 1914/15 Star to Commr. R.W. Myburgh, R.N.
- British War Medal to Commr. R.W. Myburgh, R.N.
- Victory Medal to Commr. R.W. Myburgh, R.N.
- Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Vellum for Saving a Sailor

Robert Myburgh was an interesting man who wasn’t afraid to flaunt convention in later life after many a year spent in the Royal Navy.

Myburgh was born in Cape Town, South Africa on 23 July 1873 the son of Gerhard Myburgh, a Merchant with widespread business interests, and his wife Jacomina Aletta Kock. Confirming that his heritage was firmly rooted in the Dutch population of the Cape Colony, his baptism took place on 9 November of that year in the Dutch Reformed Church in Stellenbosch.

Despite their antecedents the Myburgh family seemed to have an affinity with Great Britain and, at some point after he had received a rudimentary schooling in the Cape, he was sent oversea to stay with his paternal Uncle in London. His Uncle, Philip Albert Myburgh, (anglicised from Philipus Albertus Myburgh), was a leading Barrister of the Inner Temple and the son of Francois Gerhard Myburgh, an important official in the Cape of Good Hope Civil Service and young Robert’s grandfather. Another of Robert’s uncle’s, his namesake Robert Wilberforce Myburgh and the brother of Philip Albert, was a successful brewer also living in the United Kingdom.



At the age of 13 Myburgh joined the Training Ship Britannia as a Naval Cadet on 15 January 1887. His papers, at the time, described his father, erroneously, as being P. Myburgh, Q.C. of 31 Queens Gate Gardens, South Kensington, London. This, as we know, was in fact his Uncle Philip and not his father who had remained behind in the Cape Colony.

On passing out of Britannia he gained six months seniority and was promoted to Midshipman on 15 July 1889 where after he was appointed to the 3rd Class Battleship “Agincourt”, Flag-ship of the Channel Squadron, under Rear Admiral d’Arcy Irvine CB, in December 1888.

He transferred to the 1st Class Battleship “Anson” also serving with the Channel Squadron in May 1889 and was next appointed in December 1889 to the 1st class Cruiser “Imperieuse” on the China Station. After serving only four months in this ship he was transferred in June 1891 to the 1st Class Cruiser “Aurora”, part of the Channel Squadron. Following a stint aboard this ship he joined in May 1892 the “Narsissus”, 1st Class Cruiser in the same Squadron. Later in the same month he joined “Active”, 2nd Class Cruiser in the Training Squadron where Captain Poe, remarking on his ability, wrote that he “Requires experience but is improving”

On promotion to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 15 July 1893 he attended the Royal Naval College at “Excellent” for a Course of Study. On passing out he obtained 2nd Class Certificates in Torpedo, Gunnery and Pilotage and 3rd Class Certificates in Seamanship and College, and was confirmed in the rank of Sub Lieutenant with Captain Warren stating that he was “Athletic. No special qualities.” In August 1894 he joined the 1st Class Cruiser “Blenheim”, Channel Squadron, where he was described as “Zealous” by Captain Pelly, and on leaving this ship in April 1895 he was appointed to the Torpedo Boat Destroyer “Ardent”, Mediterranean Station where Captain Kingsford found him to be “Zealous, reliable” and having “good judgement” – whether this last epithet was true or not we will soon see. Whilst in this ship he was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 October 1895 and then transferred to the Special Torpedo Vessel “Polyphemos” serving on the same station.


HMS Doris

In May 1897 he joined “Excellent” for a short Gunnery Course and on passing out he obtained a 1st Class Certificate. Myburgh’s next appointment, in November 1897, was to “Doris”, a 2nd Class twin screw Cruiser of 5,600 tons and 8000-9600 HP and the Flag Ship of the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station under Vice Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, KCB. The “Doris” served in the Boer War between October 1899 and April 1901 and was commanded by Captain R C Prothero, CB.

In October 1899 the war clouds which had gathered over South Africa finally led to the outbreak of hostilities between the two Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal and the might of Great Britain. Despite the war being a mostly land-based affair, the Royal Navy and the Cape Station in particular were called upon to play quite a prominent role – both as transport for troops from the various corners of the Empire to South Africa and also, together with some of the naval guns hauled with great effort to some of the more decisive battles of the conflict.



In 1900 Myburgh, already in Cape waters, was lent to “Tartar”, for service on shore – attachment to this ship earned him entitlement to the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasp ‘Cape Colony’. Aboard Tartar 4 officers and 39 other ranks received the Queen’s South Africa Medal with the Cape Colony clasp – Myburgh was among this number.

In January 1902 he was appointed to Excellent for a Torpedo Course where he obtained a 1st Class Certificate. Shortly after joining “Conflict” in January 1902 the ship was in collision with “Starfish” on 3 February 1902 - the Court of Enquiry found that he “displayed want of judgement” and in particular was “found wanting in nerve and decision in a destroyer” and ruled that he be superseded. He next spent short periods aboard the Torpedo Boat Destroyer “Fawn” (April 1902), the 1st Class Battleship “Benbow” (April 1903), and the 1st Class Battleship “Russel”, part of the Home Fleet (April 1904).

Seemingly forgiven his indiscretion he was appointed in June 1904 as 1st Lieutenant of the 2nd Class Cruiser “Dido”, Home Fleet. In 1905 he was awarded a Testimonial on vellum from the Royal Humane Society for saving a seaman from drowning at Lamlash on 23 September 1904. The 16 December 1904 edition of “The Scotsman” carried the story:

“On September 23rd when coming into the anchorage, a seaman fell over board from HMS Bedford, the “Dido” being then some 350 yards astern. On coming up, the man was seen to be sinking, when Lieutenant Myburgh sprang in, and supported him till they were picked up by a boat.” By dint of this act he had probably redeemed himself in the eyes of his superiors.

In April 1905 he joined “Goliath” on the China Station as 1st Lieutenant but before sailing for China came a change in his domestic arrangements – Myburgh, at the age of 32, took the marital plunge wedding Agnes Alice Wilshire Deneys, a 41 year old widow and the daughter of a Clergyman, at St. Stephen’s Church in the Parish of Kensington on 6 May 1905. The address both provided was that of his Uncle Philip – 37 Queens Gate Gardens, Kensington. The marriage licence he applied for on 21 January 1905 referred to him as “Myburgh of His Majesty’s Ship “Dido” now at Chatham in the County of Kent.”

After 2 years in this ship he was appointed in January 1908 to the Command of the 1st Class Torpedo Gun Boat “Speedy” and continued to serve in this ship until promoted to Commander on 31 December 1908. During 1909 he underwent a Signal Course at Portsmouth and the War Course at Greenwich where he obtained a 2nd Class Certificate. He was then given the Command of the Torpedo Boat Destroyer “Star”, part of the Home Fleet in February 1910, followed in August 1910 by the Command of “Albacore”.

It was here that disaster struck once more - in the form of a collision between “Albacore” and “Spiteful” in Portsmouth Harbour in May 1911 - the Court of Enquiry found that sole blame was attached to him for not asking for assistance when the steam steering gear failed when approaching a difficult berth in strong winds and a flood tide and that he be strongly reprimanded. His record shows that he was “Steaming up harbour (Portsmouth) in a strong SSW wind and with a strong flood tide to take up a difficult berth with only hand steering gear available, not previously reporting steam steering gear defective and asking for assistance if required, which was wholly unjustifiable.”


The Albacore

In July 1911 he took Command of the Battleship Hood, Flag-ship of Rear Admiral Sir Charles Coke, KCVO, Deputy to the Admiral Commanding Coastguard and Reserves. His next appointment in January 1913 was to the 1st class Cruiser “Endymion” Gunnery Training Ship “Sheerness” and for Special Service in Command of the Torpedo Boat Flotilla. In December 1913 he was posted to the Command of the Light Cruiser “Colleen” and for Special Duties in Command of the Torpedo Boat Flotilla based at Queenstown. In November 1914 the Vice Admiral stationed there recommended his promotion. By this time the “war to end all wars” had burst forth on the international stage.

He remained in this posting until July 1915 when he was superseded on appointment to “Tamar” for Duties in the Hong Kong Dockyard. He was to see out the war in the Far East earning himself, for his earlier service, the 1915/15 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal to the rank of Commander. Myburgh returned to England in April 1919 and joined “Vivid” for Special Services (Strike) early in 1920 after a stint in Italy.

In February 1921 he attended the Intelligence Course at Greenwich and on 4 April of that year he applied for re-employment. The Admiralty informed him, on 25 May 1921 that they could not depart from their previous decision re his future enlistment. After this rebuff he was, at his own request, placed on the Retired List with the rank of Captain on 5 June 1921 and, with this final act, the curtain came down on a lengthy, incident-filled Naval career.

But this was not the last we were to hear from Myburgh – in his retirement he took an active part in the Scouting movement – an item in “The Courier” of 16 December 1938 made special mention under “More Scouts Wanted”, that “District Commissioner Grove asked parents to encourage their boys to join the Scout movement at the annual meeting of the 1st Benenden Group held at the Assembly Room under the chairmanship of Captain R.W. Myburgh.”

Myburgh was also in the news for the wrong reasons on a number of occasions – war-torn England had very strict blackout and food rationing rules during the Second World War but Myburgh was not above flouting these to suit his own ends. On 11 November 1938, a year before the war started, “The Courier” carried an article entitled “Dogs Strayed In Infected Area” in which he “gained a mention” as follows:-

“Three dog owners were summoned for failing to keep their dogs under proper control during the prevalence of foot and mouth disease at Benenden. Evidence that the dogs were seen on different dates at Mounts Farm, Benenden, one of the infected areas, was heard, together with the explanations by the defendants, ……., and Captain Robert Wilberforce Myburgh, Under Mount, Benenden. Captain Myburgh was ordered to pay 4s. Court fees, there being no special costs in his case.

No 1941 England census was taken as a result of the war but a 1939 Register exists which enables us to place Myburgh in the Borough of Cranbrook where, at the age of 73, he lived at Under Mount pursuing the occupation of Farmer. Alongside his entry appears the words “Captain, Royal Navy (Retd.)

With the phony war very much in evidence, “The Courier” of 5 January 1940, under the heading “Lights” wrote that;-

“The following were fined for contravening the Lighting Restrictions … Robert Wilberforce Myburgh, 10s.”

Almost as proof positive that he was aging he was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham with osteoarthritis on 18 June 1940, being released three days later after treatment.

His next escapade appeared in “The Courier” of 6 November 1942 under the heading “Meat Prosecutions At Cranbrook – Butchers and Customers Fined”:-

“At Cranbrook Petty Sessions on Monday, before Mr Selmes in the chair, William John Reynolds, of Fir Tree House, Benenden retail butcher, was summoned for supplying meat above the value of rations to 13 registered households.” Needless to say, Myburgh was one of the “thirteen”.

That his wife’s health was failing (she passed away in 1949) becomes apparent from a “Wanted” advertisement he placed in the Hastings & St. Leonard Observer of Saturday, 29 June 1946 which read as follows:

“WANTED – Capable woman to look after invalid lady, 9 to 5 daily – Captain Myburgh, R.N. 51 Warrior Square, St. Leonards.” Whether or not a suitable lady was found is unknown.

Robert Wilberforce Myburgh’s colourful life came to an end on 8 February 1963 at the age of almost 90. Having had no children of his own, his bequests were to a nephew, Claude John Myburgh, stockbroker and Michael Blyth Myburgh attorney and notary. His effects were not inconsiderable, amounting to £54 109.

Good gracious me Rory, a very pleasing group, Britain really was great back in those days, a far cry from today, it makes me wonder if I should have taken Naval medals more seriously than I ever did.

Good Morning Rory...…

Again a great piece of research.....
I m sure that you have seen www.dreadnoughtproject.org
That is where I found a lot of information on my man Hughes.....

Mike