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John Neil Jordan

Gunner, Prince Alfred’s Own Cape Artillery - Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal to 357 GNR. J.N. JORDAN, PRINCE ALF. O. CAPE. A. and clasps Cape Colony, Transvaal & Wittebergen
- Kings South Africa Medal to 357 GNR. J.N. JORDAN, P.A.O. CAPE. ART. and clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902

John Jordan was born in Belfast, County Antrim in Northern Ireland on 11 May 1881 the son of Samuel Jordan and his wife Mary Ann Gibson Froude. The Jordan family was quite a large one and young John was joined in the house by siblings Robert, Thomas Froude, Samuel Froude, David Victor, Elizabeth and Lydia Neill.

It’s not known exactly when the family, or part of it, decided to leave their home shores to settle in South Africa but leave they did and, having arrived, settled down to life in the Cape Town area of the country.

On 16 October 1899, five days after the outbreak of the Boer War, Prince Alfred’s Own Cape Artillery was mobilised, and pitched camp on Green Point Common in Cape Town. Jordan was of that number. The P.A.O.C.A. had six 15-pounder guns at their disposal but no horses to convey them. Initially they were hauled by hand to the goods station at Cape Town where the 121 strong N.C.O.’s and men met them.

By 20 November both the advance party of 20 men and the main body had reached De Aar. Here the battery was split up with two guns ready to depart for Naauwpoort and the remainder put in position on the adjacent hills around De Aar.

Jordan was part of the Right Section under Lieutenant Janisch and orders had been received for them to move. No transport of any sort had been provided to get the guns to the railway siding and an almighty effort had to be made by the men to get them there. Janisch was ready to entrain with half of the Black Watch for Naauwpoort where French’s force was being threatened by De La Rey and De Wet.

The Right Section was subjected to a particularly boring and unbroken stay at Naauwpoort for four and a half months but had their patience rewarded on 6 April 1900 by being detached to General Brabant’s Colonial Division. Passing through Aliwal North they were soon on the extreme right of the advance through the Free State and were at the general engagement at Bushman’s Hop on 21/22 April south of Wepener. The P.A.O.C.A. were not called upon to fire but they were in action at Fouche’s Farm two days later.

Brabant’s mounted men came suddenly on the Boers in the vicinity of Wepener at a range of about 190 yards. Things were hot under the Boer fire when he called up Janisch’s two guns, whose detachments he knew had never been under fire before.

They, nevertheless went into action under intense rifle fire at a range which had closed to 65 yards. Firing shrapnel Janisch’s section cleared the hillside.

Janisch wired his O.C., Inglesby briefly; ‘Our first engagement 24th, lasting six hours. Fired about 160 rounds, men behaved splendidly under very heavy rifle fire at close ranges. No casualties.’

The next month was a bit of an anti-climax for the Right Section as they moved through Dewetsdorp, Donkerpoort, Thaba N’chu, Ladybrand and Clocolan, where they were on May 25. They were in action again at Spitzkop on 8 June 1900 and at Senekal on 21 June.

Jordan secured for himself the Wittebergen clasp - granted to all troops who were inside a line drawn from Harrismith to Bethlehem, thence to Senekal and Clocolan, along the Basuto border, and back to Harrismith, between July 1st and 29th, 1900, both dates inclusive.

The advance continued, this time in the Western Transvaal to Zeerust which Janisch and his men left on 25 August, five days later they were again in action at Vlakfontein followed by a heavy engagement the next day at Kwaggafontein before the section passed through Krugersdorp on 2 September 1900. In reserve at Cyferfontein, they entered Johannesburg on 3 September, camping there for three weeks before moving to Elandsfontein, as Germiston was known in those days.

Within three weeks, Janisch and his gunners had recrossed the Vaal at Viljoen’s Drift and arrived at Heilbron in the Free State on 22 September to encamp for five days. On October 5th they took part in the fighting in the Vredefort hills south of Parys where they were mainly engaged in counter battery work against Boer guns which were part of De Wet’s force.

It was the final action for Janisch’s men who then returned to Cape Town. It is not known how Jordan was deployed thereafter although he must have stayed on earning for himself the Kings South Africa medal with both date bars, one of only 50 P.A.O.C.A. men to do so.

Post-war Jordan returned to his primary occupation, that of a Bricklayer. The next momentous event in his life was his marriage to Elizabeth Mary Waugh.

Elizabeth was to bear him two children; William Waugh Jordan born 1908 and his namesake, John Neil Jordan born 2 May 1910. The family were resident at Orange Street in Somerset West when John was born.

At some point Jordan must have travelled to England, either to meet with family or for business purposes. He was on the manifest of the Kenilworth Castle returning to Cape Town from London on 23 September 1916, listed as a 35 year old Builder.

Sadly Elizabeth was to pass away at the young age of 32 on 3 April 1920 leaving John to raise two boys both younger than 10. The Jordan’s were living in Station Road, Somerset West when this came to pass.

Moving to Northern Rhodesia to start a new life, Jordan remarried this time a lady called Elizabeth Glenn Gregg. He made one more trip overseas arriving at Southampton aboard the “Ujassa” on 20 January 1932. He is listed as a 50 year old Builder.

It was also around this time that his son John, a member of the Northern Rhodesia Police, was awarded the Kings Police Medal for Bravery, The incident involved the recovery of the body of someone who had leapt over the Victoria Falls in a successful suicide attempt.

John Jordan later returned to live in South Africa. He passed away, a retired Building Contractor, at his home in Armagh Road, Westcliff, Hermanus at the age of 75 years and 10 months on 4 April 1957. He was survived by his two sons from his first marriage and his second wife.

Another excellent piece of research Rory. Many thanks
David