Edward John Southgate
Private
25th Battalion
Talana Hill
The crack of rifle fire and thunder of artillery echoed through the rolling hill country of Natal as British soldiers and Boer horseman clashed over the important high ground of Talana Hill. From atop his steed the youthful 21-year-old, Edward Southgate, waited impatiently as the battle unfolded before his very eyes. The order to dismount and to fire on the Boers had not yet been given despite the protests of a prominent officer and the perfect position in which the mounted force found itself. Instead, the cavalrymen and mounted infantrymen such as Edward remained inactive as their dismounted comrades advanced up the incline under withering fire from the enemy.
The mass of horseman shifted position throughout the contest, Edward’s blue-eyes scanning the scrub brush which ran up the side of the hill, helping to conceal the crafty Boers. Despite the skill of these farmers with their Mauser rifles, they began to break rank as the mass wave of British infantry stormed the top of the hill. As the British moved in, the Boers quickly began to jump upon their horses and take off in a retreat, the perfect opportunity for the mounted infantry to show off their newly developed horsemanship, yet they had shifted from their original positions and the grand moment was lost (1). To add insult to injury, a portion of Edwards unit, the mounted infantry company of the KRRC, was ordered to give chase alongside the 18th Hussars but was poorly led and resulted in them being surrounded and taken prisoner (2). The gross incompetence of their commanding officer certainly shook Edwards faith, especially when he found out that the KRRC’s Lieutenant-Colonel had been killed with the foot soldiers well trying to stop friendly artillery fire (1).
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The Veldt's Cavalrymen
Following the supposed “victory” at Talana Hill, the KRRC was put into a forced march back to the town of Ladysmith with large Boer armies in pursuit (3). It was a much more comfortable journey for Edward who rode from a saddle upon his horse there, a luxury that had befallen him by chance when he arrived in South Africa for garrison duty. He had had been one of a company’s worth of regular men selected to undergo mounted infantry training in 1899, which was quite exciting given his lack of any experience with horses or really any animals. His fresh complexion and London accent exposed that he had not been a farmer but a laborer and part time militia member before volunteering. Yet the South African war was quickly molding him into a veteran whose youthful eyes witnessed events totally foreign to his 8 siblings and his father who had only ever been a carpenter.
Even with their great training, it was impossible to match the skills of the Boers who were practically born in the saddle with a rifle in hand. During the siege of Ladysmith, Edward would see his fair share of action with the KRRC. The mounted infantry was involved in the disastrous action at Lombard’s Kop where antiquated British military leadership once again resulted in countless men being killed (4,5). Yet fresh replacements continuously arrived and eventually overwhelmed their few opponents, ending the deadly siege (5). From there on the Boers fought on the defensive as irregulars, in a style of guerrilla warfare that took on almost a wild west theme (5). The constant skirmishes made Edward a valuable asset, the KRRC’s mounted infantry taking on the challenge of subduing the highly mobile enemy in many small-scale fights (4). He became a cavalryman in the truest sense, conducting scouting missions, performing escort duty, and occasionally engaging Boer raiders in brief but ferocious firefights throughout Natal and the Orange Free State (5).
The London youth developed an affection for the openness of the Veldt, so much so that after returning to England briefly following his tour of duty with the KRRC in 1900, he volunteered for the South African Constabulary and returned in 1901. The newly created formation put his already developed skills to use patrolling and dealing with the experienced Boer horsemen. By the time of his discharge in May of 1902, the brave and ferocious Boer had been thoroughly subdued and brought into the fold of the British Empire. Whether Edward held sympathy for them is unknown, but he certainly had learned to respect them and their way of warfare. |
A Return to Arms
A sharp scribble of pen on paper in the enlistment office in the city of Hamilton confirmed Edward’s commitment to rejoining the active service in April of 1915. The now much older 36-year-old gave off the appearance of a true veteran with his sharp features, burly mustache, and the bold tattoo which now adorned his left forearm. For some time, he had returned to working as a laborer in the greater Toronto area of Canada after immigrating there in 1902. Yet he had staid disciplined by being involved in the 36th Peel Regiment of militia, passing up on the initial requests for volunteers in early 1914 (5). But with the war proving to last far longer than many presumed, he made the decision to bear arms once again, this time with the 36th Battalion.
Though Ontario was his unit’s home province, they would be split up after training in Shorncliffe, England (5). Edward was assigned to the 25th Battalion, which was a Nova Scotian formation. In October of 1915, he landed in France with a number of other eager and somewhat naive replacements who were excited to get into the field. The grizzled veteran knew better, he was one of the few who had seen death and combat before in South Africa, it was nothing to cheer for. On October 26th, he marched into what was left of Entente controlled Belgium with 26 other fresh faces, joining the Nova Scotians who were beginning to take on the soon to be infamous weathered look of veterans of the trenches. |
Edward had seen the effectiveness of modern weaponry before, but it paled in comparison to the wholesale slaughter it created in the Ypres Salient. Day in and day out they were shelled by a plethora of artillery of every conceivable caliber. He had also witnessed death and cruelty before but not to the magnitude demonstrated here, where the bodies of the fallen were abandoned and slowly became part of the miserable landscape, creating a stench that burned the noses of the living. For days on end the 25th remained in and out of the trenches, suffering consistent casualties in the line. Despite his wealth of military experience, this was all new to him and he therefore learned the ropes of the trenches in the same manner as those completely new to the service.
Courcelette
In September of 1916, the 25th finished up the last of their training for a large offensive planned as part of the greater battle of the Somme (6). Edward was one of many now experienced soldiers in the Battalion who were ready to stick it to the Germans. They were moved into positions near the town of Pozieres with the occupied French town of Courcelette within their sights (6). By now each man knew their duty and prepared their kit without second thought. The gritty Englishman, ready to face combat once again alongside those sons of his adopted country. On September 15th, the battle kicked off with Canadians leading the way alongside a new war winning weapon, the tank (6). Unfortunately, the weapon proved less then useful, and the German positions had to be taken by the courage of the infantry alone. By that evening, the initial objectives had been taken and Edward was moved up with those in his Battalion to advance on the actual town of Courcelette.
To their right were the French Canadians of the 22nd and to their left the westerners of the PPCLI (6). There was an immense amount of ground to cover, but a rolling barrage helped ease their fear as the order to move was given around 6:00 pm (6). The 25th advanced unceasingly upon the ruins of the town as two reservist German Regiments peppered them from behind the cover of brush and the ruins of buildings (7). The men did not falter and engaged the Germans at bayonet point, driving them from cover (6). The engagement was short, and the village taken, the 25th moving just out in front of it and digging in (5). Casualties were sustained and continued to mount as the German artillery opened up on them (7). That night and into the next day, the 25th men clung to the earth as artillery pounded them in one of the worst barrages ever experienced by the unit (7). Yet they refused to give up this contested earth and remained firmly entrenched until eventually relieved (7). |
The victory had been great, but it was the last experienced by Edward who had just turned 38-years-old before being killed on September 16th. The brave soldier was among 241 other casualties in the Battalion, the steep cost paid for a single town in France where Edward and many others still lie. He was an adopted son of Canada and is remembered as such on the Vimy Memorial.
Sources:
(1) Battle of Talana Hill. BritishBattles.com, 2022, https://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/battle-of-talana-hill/
(2) Hendey, Brett. “Fred Lawrence.” AngloBoerWar.com, https://www.angloboerwar.com/forum/apow-l/8957-private-f-lawrence-1st-king-s-royal-rifle-corps
(3) “A Brief History of The King's Royal Rifle Corps.” The King's Royal Rifle Corps Chronicle, 1912, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/57761/57761-h/57761-h.htm.
(4) Rickard, J (5 February 2007), Battle of Lombard’s Kop, 30 October 1899 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_lombard_kop.html
(5) Lees, G.H. 36th Overseas (Reinforcing) Battalion 1914 - 1915. https://www.mccofc.ca/WWI-CEF-Badges/P12-sect-H-CEF-infantry-badges-36-43.pdf. (6) https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1453&context=cmh
(6) Campbell, David. A Forgotten Victory" Courcelette, 15 September 1916. 2007, https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1453&context=cmh.
(7) War diaries - 25th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Library and Archives of Canada,
2004835, https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=2004665&q=25th%20Canadian%20Infantry%20Battalion%20War%20Diaries
(1) Battle of Talana Hill. BritishBattles.com, 2022, https://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/battle-of-talana-hill/
(2) Hendey, Brett. “Fred Lawrence.” AngloBoerWar.com, https://www.angloboerwar.com/forum/apow-l/8957-private-f-lawrence-1st-king-s-royal-rifle-corps
(3) “A Brief History of The King's Royal Rifle Corps.” The King's Royal Rifle Corps Chronicle, 1912, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/57761/57761-h/57761-h.htm.
(4) Rickard, J (5 February 2007), Battle of Lombard’s Kop, 30 October 1899 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_lombard_kop.html
(5) Lees, G.H. 36th Overseas (Reinforcing) Battalion 1914 - 1915. https://www.mccofc.ca/WWI-CEF-Badges/P12-sect-H-CEF-infantry-badges-36-43.pdf. (6) https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1453&context=cmh
(6) Campbell, David. A Forgotten Victory" Courcelette, 15 September 1916. 2007, https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1453&context=cmh.
(7) War diaries - 25th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Library and Archives of Canada,
2004835, https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=2004665&q=25th%20Canadian%20Infantry%20Battalion%20War%20Diaries