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George Taylor

Died at Sea on 17 May 1900

Private, 5th Dragoon Guards

- Queens South Africa Medal (Defence of Ladysmith) to 4452 PTE. G. TAYLOR, 5TH DRAGOON GUARDS

George Taylor was born in Elstead, Surrey on 7 July 1872 the son of James Taylor, an Agricultural Labourer, and his wife Elizabeth. Baptismal records show that he was baptised on 10 February 1878, along with five of his siblings – possibly the Taylor’s had decided that they had neglected their Christian duty towards their children long enough.

The dawn of the 1881 England census found the family at home in Hookley Lane, Elstead. The family was a large one with George (7) surrounded by a throng of siblings in the form of Frederick (17), Thomas (14). Henry (12), Amos (10), twins Fanny and Julia (6) and Florence, a late addition at 7 months.

Ten years later, at the time of the 1891 England census, most of the younger members of the family had flown the coop. Remaining were the oldest brother Richard (27) and missing from the previous census, along with George who was now 18 years old and a Bricklayer’s Apprentice by trade. They were still living in Hookley Lane (Laybrook’s.)

Tiring of this life, Taylor decided that donning a uniform and taking the “Queens shilling” would be more to his liking – at nearby Godalming on 9 June 1894 he enlisted as a Private with the 5th Dragoon Guards and was assigned no. 4452. In the absence of a personnel file, the details of his service are unknown but, it can be safely assumed that he served with either B or C Squadrons.

Trouble was brewing in faraway South Africa where the two Dutch-speaking Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State were at loggerheads with the might of Imperial Britain. Matters came to a head, leading to the outbreak of war on 11 October 1899. In preparation for this eventuality and realising that their numbers were thin on the ground, the British Government had already dispatched troops stationed in other parts of the world to South Africa.

B, C and D Squadrons of the 5th Dragoons were based in Ladysmith, Natal – D Squadron which had arrived in Ladysmith on 12 October, were in time to be deployed with great success at Elandslaagte. “C" squadron arrived on S.S. Patiala on 20 October, and disembarked at Durban at 8 a.m. It left in two trains for Ladysmith at 6 p.m. in the driving rain. "C" squadron arrived in Ladysmith 10.30 a.m. the following day, and joined "D" squadron in camp. “B" squadron arrived at Durban on S.S. Veraiva, on 25 October; they were entrained, and left for Ladysmith joining the other two squadrons in camp. The whole regiment was now together again.

For the next while, the regiment was used in outpost and patrol duties.

On October 30th, the day of the ill-fated Battle of Ladysmith – the regiment was behind Limit Hill before dawn, and saw the Boers' gun "Long Tom" on Pepworth Hill fire his first shot, which fell into the town and burst. The bombardment had begun! The official report of the part taken by the 5th Dragoon Guards in the day's operations is as follows:

From the Officer Commanding 5th Dragoon Guards to the Brigade-Major of Cavalry, Ladysmith.

Sir,

I have the honour to report as follows upon the action near Lombard's Kop on 30th October, 1899 :—

The 5th Dragoon Guards paraded at 3.30 a.m., and rendezvoused at Limit Hill at 4.30 a.m. with other troops-During the artillery engagement the 5th Dragoon Guards remained at this spot, sending out an officer's patrol with special orders to endeavour to communicate with a force which had been despatched from Ladysmith in the direction of Walker's Hoek Farm (This was the "Nicholson's Nek" force.) at 11 p.m. the previous evening.

At 7.15 a.m. I received orders to proceed with two squadrons, and join Major-General French's force near Lombard's Kop. I took "B" and "D" squadrons with me, and went under the personal leading of General Brocklehurst. The country we had to pass over was covered with strong thorny scrub, intersected with nullahs, and very rocky—most unfavourable for cavalry. We joined General French in a most difficult nullah at the foot of the eastern slope of Lombard's Kop. I here received an order to dismount by sections with carbines, and simultaneously the enemy, from a hill commanding the entrance to this nullah, opened a sharp rifle fire upon us while dismounting. I took the dismounted men of my two squadrons, and advanced about 500 yards to my front along the hillside, gradually extending them all upwards. On gaining the ridge sloping down from right to left, which was my objective, I found that the enemy were threatening our right flank. I lined this ridge with dismounted men, and fired volleys into the scrub on the hill in my front, on the top of which there was also a small "sangar." One of our batteries now came into action from a position in my rear, firing over our heads at the same objective. ,

The situation remained almost the same from 9 a.m. until 12.30. Meantime I had seen our infantry attack issue from my left rear, and apparently retire again towards Ladysmith: a battery which galloped forward to support this infantry was also soon forced to limber up and retire, leaving one gun behind it. I then received an order from General Brocklehurst to withdraw my men and mount. I waited till the 18th Hussars (who had been lining the same ridge above me) had withdrawn past me, and then led my men back to their horses. All the cavalry at this part of the field mounted and retired: in doing so my regiment became mixed up in the nullah with men of the 18th Hussars and Imperial Light Horse, the whole making their way towards the Helpmakaar Road over an extremely difficult country. During this unavoidable confusion, the enemy kept up a steady shell-fire, causing several casualties.

Meantime "C" squadron, under Captain Eustace, remained behind Limit Hill until 9 a.m. He was then ordered to take his squadron to the Commander-in-chief, whom he found in the direction of Lombard's Kop. He next received orders to assist a cavalry picquet which was being pressed on the Helpmakaar Road. He reported himself to Lieut.-Colonel Fawcett, and received from him orders to cover the retirement of No. 69 Field Battery R.A. He did so, retiring with it as its escort under artillery fire. He afterwards rejoined the regiment on the Helpmakaar Road.”


Map of Ladysmith showing 5th Dragoon Guards location

Not long after this, on 3 November 1899, Ladysmith was invested with the Boers in possession of most of the hills surrounding the town. On these they placed their heavy artillery, lobbing shells into the town on every day except Sunday, a day of faith which the Boers rigidly observed.

The 3rd November was also the day of the Long Valley incident in which the regiment played a part.

The O.C.’s official report read thus:

“The 5th Dragoon Guards received orders in camp at 8.20 a.m. to rendezvous at Range Post. " D " squadron was ordered to escort our battery, and the remaining two squadrons to follow it. I kept them echeloned on the right rear of the guns, in line, at half-extended files—the escort squadron being in a similar position on the left of the guns, and nearer to them. When our guns came into action, the second shell fired by the enemy struck the ground a few yards in front of my escorting squadron. This gun of the enemy's being quickly silenced no further casualties occurred at this time.

About 2.30 p.m. I was ordered by General Brocklehurst to endeavour to extricate some of the Imperial Light Horse —who had pushed on too far—from a difficult position in which they had become involved. I rode out to where the main body of the Imperial Light Horse were lying dismounted in a nullah, and from there I could see that the dismounted men of one of their squadrons were lying down under a small ridge, about seven or eight hundred yards from the crest-line held by the enemy. I then sent back for " B " squadron of my regiment commanded by Major Heneage, and put the horses into the nullah, and lined the banks with dismounted men. I detached from here two troops of dismounted men and ordered them to work round in front of my right, and take up a position to cover the retreat of the Imperial Light Horse with fire. I also ordered them to send a man to the advance party of the Imperial Light Horse already mentioned, with orders from General Brocklehurst that they were to retire.

Meantime our guns were playing on the crests of the Kopjes in our front, and on our left front, and I also fired volleys in quick succession with all my men at the same objective, directing my men to fire over the top of their backsights (1500 yards). These volleys produced a noticeable effect, and several times the fire of the enemy was temporarily silenced.]

Under cover of this fire the advanced squadron of the Imperial Light Horse commenced doubling back, and received a tremendous fire in doing so, which nothing could keep down. They ultimately regained their horses in the nullah where I was. My two advanced troops were now ably withdrawn without any casualties. I then arranged with the officer commanding Imperial Light Horse that his men should make the first retirement, covered by me. He galloped back about 500 yards under fire, and then dismounted to cover my retirement. The enemy now knew what to expect, and had got our range: when we came out of the nullah we were met with a hot and accurate fire, as we galloped away. I then marched my regiment back to camp with the remainder of our force, and nothing further of interest occurred.”

The next day " B " and " C " squadrons went to hold Observation Hill on outpost duty. On Nov. 5, Sunday, the commanding officer and adjutant spent the morning looking for a place more sheltered than Cove Hill Camp to put the 5th Dragoon Guards in during the now inevitable bombardment. Ladysmith was now commanded by long-range Boer guns from three sides, so cover from view is all that can be hoped for. A place was selected near the house of the Commander-in-chief, Sir George White, on the left bank of the River Klip, about a quarter of a mile above the Poort Road, which runs through a small defile from the camp to town.

I now asked permission to move my regiment to Observation Hill, where I should be more sheltered from view, and whence I could more readily issue for an attack. Permission being granted, I moved there, followed by the battery, which also found cover there.”


5th Dragoons Musketry

The inevitable result of poor diet and not enough food began to take its toll – on January 4th the 5th D.G. reported that they had 103 men “actually in hospital—in Ladysmith and in the neutral camp at Intombi; in addition to these, there are 13 men " attending." On this account, more than any other, we should all be glad to welcome the relieving column, and get proper food for the men sick with dysentery and enteric, and also a change for them to a higher and more healthy spot. Enteric fever—that scourge of India and South Africa—has taken a heavy toll from the Ladysmith garrison already. We have hitherto been almost as fortunate as any regiment here—the 19th Hussars being the worst sufferers amongst the cavalry regiments.


Green Horse Valley

Major Gore, the Officer Commanding kept a journal of the regiments activities. He wrote that, on Saturday, January 6th (the day of the Battle of Wagon Hill)—Heavy firing woke us at 3 a.m. We began saddling up as usual at 3.15 a.m., "exercised " from 4 to 4.30 a.m., and then went down to Green Horse Valley. All this time the firing had been incessant, and very hot, and as day dawned it became apparent from Cove camp that Wagon Hill was the affected locality; we could not make out at all what was taking place, however.

At 5.10 a.m. orders came for the 5th Dragoon Guards to take its part in the long day's fight, the official report of which is here appended :—
From the Officer Commanding 5th Dragoon Guards to the Brigade-Major of Cavalry, Ladysmith.

Ladysmith, 7th January, 1900.

With reference to the part taken by the regiment under my command in the defence of Wagon Hill on 6th January, 1900, I have the honour to report as follows :— I received orders at 5.to a.m. to proceed to the artillery camp and there place my regiment at the disposal of Lieut.-Colonel Coxhead, R. A. On arrival there I received orders to act as an escort to the 21st Field Battery Royal Artillery, and proceeded, in company with this battery, to a point about a quarter of a mile from Range Post outside the line of defences, arriving there at 5.45 a.m. In going to this point we drew fire first from Bulwana, while crossing the Iron Road Bridge, and secondly from the gun at Rifleman's Ridge, as we descended the outer slope from Range Post; no casualties occurred from this fire.

The orders for this force were to prevent, by means of artillery fire, any Boers crossing from Mounted Infantry Hill to attack Wagon Hill.
The battery came into action at about 6.15 a.m. with Mounted Infantry Hill as its objective, and as its left flank was secure from attack, I placed my regiment in a nullah about 400 yards to the left rear of the battery. I detached one officer's patrol to the left front of the battery to the foot of Wagon Hill, and a second one to patrol up Flagstaff Spruit along my right front; I lined a stony ridge about 400 yards in front of my regiment with the dismounted men of one squadron, and held the other two squadrons in readiness to charge across my front from right to left should any attack issue from Flagstaff Spruit. The battery was now fired at from Middle Hill on its front, Rifleman's Ridge on its right, and Telegraph Hill on its rear ; some rifle-shots also reached the battery, but from where I cannot say. About 8.10 a.m., the firing having considerably slackened for some time previous, the battery withdrew from action, and formed up in the lower ground near my regiment. Our situation now remained unchanged till about 11.50 a.m., except that the enemy were bursting shrapnel directed against the 18th Hussars, who were trotting along the road close to us in driblets.

At about 11.50 a.m. the enemy apparently had found out our position, and fired three shells at us from Telegraph and Middle Hills, causing the battery to move a short distance. Shortly afterwards two shells from Middle Hill actually fell in the narrow nullah crowded with men and horses, but fortunately only wounded Captain Darbyshire's charger and one squadron horse.

At 3 p.m. I received urgent orders to send two squadrons to Wagon Hill immediately. I left "D" squadron under Captain Darbyshire as escort to the 21st Field Battery, and took my remaining two squadrons to Wagon Hill as quickly as possible, under fire from Rifleman's Ridge on the way there. On arrival I dismounted my two squadrons by sections with carbines, and was directed by a sergeant-major of the King's Royal Rifle Corps to take the dismounted men up the hill to a spot near the headquarters of the King's Royal Rifle Corps, where I reported myself to Lieut.-Colonel Gore-Browne of that regiment. At about 5 p.m. I was requested by Major Campbell, King's Royal Rifle Corps, to take my men in the direction of Wagon Hill Point, and act as a reserve in the event of our firing line being driven back. I accordingly placed my men among some rocks along the inner crest line of the top of the hill, so that I could sweep the level plateau with fire should the Boers show over the outer crest line. In this position I remained till the end of the day's engagement without being called upon to fire.

Darkness having now set in, and firing having ceased, I was directed to take my two squadrons to Wagon Hill and assist in holding it during the night. Finding myself senior officer at this point, I assumed command of the troops on Wagon Hill. Two and a half squadrons of the 18th Hussars were disposed from the 12-pounder gun emplacement on the right, along the crest line and facing Mounted Infantry Hill, and joining on to their left; three companies of the King's Royal Rifle Corps carried my front line to the point where I joined hands with the Devonshire Regiment, who held, the next section on my left. The two squadrons of 5th Dragoon Guards I placed as supports just beneath the inner crest line. I employed my whole force in constructing a line of sangars rather below the outer crest line, from which fire could be brought to bear down the slope of the hill. The sentries were pushed out down the hill about forty yards in front of this line of sangars; all the men slept in the sangars. At 3.0 a.m. work was resumed on the sangars. At daylight, as no enemy was seen, work was continued, and the bodies of the dead collected. At 9.40 a.m., on the 7th instant, I received orders to take my regiment back to camp, upon which I handed over the command of Wagon Hill Post. My regiment arrived at Green Horse Valley without further incident.

When the two squadrons went off to Wagon Hill, " Rifleman's Ridge" followed them nearly all the way with shells : the moving target, however, seemed to disconcert his aim, fortunately, as most of the shells went beyond us.

As our dismounted men reached the top of Wagon Hill, they were ordered to lie down just below the crest line : an incessant stream of bullets was now passing overhead, their fierce " hiss" occasionally varied by a loudly echoing "crack" as one struck full against a stone. At this time the wildest thunderstorm we had yet seen in this country burst over Wagon Hill, in gusts of wind and blinding streams of rain. The conflict on the plateau just above us raged more fiercely than ever, and the roar of the battle blended with that of the storm. Soon we were called upon to take up a covering position, in case the Boers should get beyond our firing line. The men lay on the rocks drenched to the skin, and waited. Gradually the firing seemed to slacken, and steadily night's shades swept over the hill.

Now, the sharp rattle of our Maxim burst out on our left front, sweeping down the nullah towards Bester's Farm, rattling out its pursuing vengeance again and again. Now, the fire has slackened and slackened into an occasional angry crack. The big guns have ceased their work long ago.

Crack ! The last rifle-shot has been fired ! The night has come. And Wagon Hill is safe in the keeping of the gallant men who have withstood the stress and the storm from darkness to darkness through that bitter day's strife!”

There was still plenty to do. Officers and men were drenched to the skin. The men fetch their cloaks, etc., from their horses (which were still waiting below), and the latter were then sent back with some men to camp, bearing orders to send out as soon as possible the best they could get for feeding the hungry men, who were to remain here and assist in garrisoning Wagon Hill during the night.

Not long after the actions described above Taylor went down with Enteric Fever and was probably treated for the malaise at Intombi. After the relief of Ladysmith by Buller’s force on 1 March 1900 vital supplies for the restoration and recuperation of the men’s health were made available. In the case of Taylor this might have been enough to get him to the Hospital Ship, invalided back to England. It wasn’t, however, enough to keep him alive until he reached his intended destination – George Taylor Died at Sea aboard the Lismore Castle at 08h00 on 7 May 1900. His mortal remains were consigned to the deep at a Latitude of 15. 10 North and Longitude of 23.49 West. He was noted as being a 26 year old Lance Corporal. Geographically, this is just off the coast of Praia in the Cabo Verde Islands to the west of Africa off the coast of Senegal.


Lismore Castle

The Lismore Castle was numbered 28 and operated both as a Transport and a Hospital Ship for the Union Castle Mail S.S. Co., Ltd. Her Master was G. Le Seur and she was the 12th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty. Her period of engagement was from 3 Oct 1899 to 4 Sep 1900 and she spent a total of 112 days at sea, transporting to South Africa: 24 officers, 2 warrant officers, 955 men, 5 horses and transporting from South Africa: 19 officers, 291 N.C.O.'s & men.

According to Taylor’s Weekly Despatch, dated London, 27 May 1900 – Taylor had succumbed to Dysentery while aboard. The same article mentions the names of an additional nine men who died from various aliments on the same voyage home. None of them had made it home.