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"W. Bellairs, Col."-Man of Mystery
Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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Can anyone be of assistance in supplying any information on a Colonel by the name of "W. Bellairs". I've not much to go on except that he held the office of "DAG" in South Africa in 1878, but I've no idea even what that stands for. I suspect his first name to have been "William", that he was actually "Sir William Bellairs", and that he eventually became a General, but all that might be a different "W. Bellairs" entirely. He was involved somehow with the issue of regulations during the AZW, in at least one case the regulations governing mounted rifles. And that's pretty much all I know, all I can conjecture, and all I can discover. Anybody got a copy of the Who's Who in the AZW? Thanks in advance!
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Martin Everett


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 786
Location: Brecon
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My notes

BELLAIRS, William, Colonel, C.B. (1828-1913). A Staff Officer to Lord Chelmsford during the Anglo-Zulu War. Born in Honfleur, Normandy in France, the son of Sir William Bellairs, of Mulburton Norfolk, who had served in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo (1815) with the 15th King�s Hussars. William joined the army in May 1846 and fought through the Crimea War as Adjutant of the 49th (Berkshire) Foot, being present at the Alma and Inkerman. He saw further service in the West Indies, Ireland and Gibraltar, then took part in the Ninth Frontier War - 1877-78, and in the Anglo-Zulu War (1879) as Deputy-Adjutant and Quartermaster-General. As Colonel he commanded the force left in camp during the Battle of Ulundi. Later, he also acted in various civil capacities. During the subsequent First Anglo-Boer War, Brigadier-General Bellairs commanded the British garrison at Pretoria. After the departure of Sir Owen Lanyon, he was appointed Administrator of the Transvaal (April-August 1881). In 1885 a book entitled The Transvaal War 1880-81 was published under his wife�s name. As Lady Bellairs was not in the Transvaal during this period, it is assumed to be his work. He was appointed a K.C.M.G. in 1882. He retired from the army as a lieutenant-general in 1887, but was later Colonel The Sherwood Foresters (1902-05) and The Berkshire Regiment (1905-13). He died at Clevedon in Somerset.

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Martin Everett
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Sawubona

Most detailed books on the AZW cover his activities. He was the subject of a contemporary (and disrespectful) little ditty involving a play on words with his surname, but for the life of me I just can't remember this morning how it goes.

Anyone else remember it, or where it is recorded?

Peter
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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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Thank you both, Peter and Martin. I acquired a small pamphlet dated September 1878 entitled "Regulations for the Movement and Operations of Mounted Rifles" published in Cape Town and written by "Col. W. Bellairs, DAG". I now gather the letters stand for Deputy Adjutant General. Two mysteries solved! Handwritten on the cover (in VERY stylized script) is what appears to be "Paul A. Herbert 28/4/79 Durban Natal". As we have pretty meager resources available over here in "The States", might anyone suggest where I could go to find the roles of the various mounted units in the AZW? It would be easy to conjecture that the particular unit I'm interested in would be the Durban Mounted Rifles, but that assumption would be based on pretty slim evidence. Oddly, it somehow found its way to the US and I imagine that that's an interesting story in itself
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John Young


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: Lower Sheering, Essex
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There's no Paul A. Herbert on the 1877-8-9 Medal Roll, you might want to have another try at the handwriting.

Don't forget that D'Urban was a port of entry for the campaign.

John Y.
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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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Thank you John. Even with further scrutiny, it still appears to be "Paul A. Herbert". If a unit neither entered Zululand nor took part in any of the fighting as is the case with the Durban Mounted Rifles, who apparently went no further than Potspruit (still well within Natal), would they still be entitled to a campaign medal? I offer the DMR as an example only because it's the first that comes to mind, not because it's any more or less likely to be germane.
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John Young


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: Lower Sheering, Essex
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Sawubona,

The Durban Mounted Rifles were assigned to Pearson's No. 1 Column for the invasion. They did cross the Tugela with the column. On 22nd January 1879 they missed the Battle of Nyezane, as they were assigned to escort duty.

On reaching Eshowe, three of their number elected to remain with the besieged garrison, rather than return to Natal.

Ten members of the D.M.R. served with the Natal Volunteer Guides and were present at the Battle of Gingindlovu.

One officer and thirty other-ranks of D.M.R. also took part in a raid across the Tugela's Middle Drift on 30th May 1879.

I do have some other material on the D.M.R., sadly it is on a file which Vista can't open I'm afraid. But as you can see a number of them would have been entitled to 1879 bar.

I'll check another archive and see if I can find anything on Herbert.

John Y.
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Keith Smith


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 540
Location: Northern NSW, Australia
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Sawubona

You might like to check a book called The Armed Forces of South Africa 1659 - 1954, by Major G. Tylden. Copies are often available through Abebooks. This will give you a lot of information on the many units concerned, although their connection with Bellairs is hard to fathom. As DAG he was also responsible for the publication of Local General Orders - see my own publication.

KIS
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Michael Boyle


Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 595
Location: Bucks County,PA,US
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Rather slow at work tonight so I may as well throw in a few items I've come across lately.

Bellairs vacated D.A.Q-G on 6 March 1880 and actually replaced Sir Henry Bulwer (upon Sir Henry's retirement as Lieutenant Governor of Natal) from 20 April 1880 until 5 May 1880 when Maj.Gen. Clifford assumed the position to 2 July 1880 when Maj.Gen. Colley oathed up as governor of Natal and High Commissioner for South-Eastern Africa and Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in country. ( The admin position apparently not unlike the old childhood game of 'Hot Potato'!)

Bellairs was one of six Maj.Gens. awarded 100 pounds from Parliament for "Distinguished or Meritorious Services" in 1879 (along with Wood, Glyn and Pearson).

In addition to the previously mentioned book edited by Lady Bellairs [she seemed to have written her other book - "Gossips with Girls and Maidens, Betrothed and Free" - with little help from from the General!], Sir William wrote "The Military Career, A Guide to Young Officers, Army Candidates, and Parents" (and here I thought that convincing parents was only a modern recruiting head-ache) which was apparently well received. He also wrote an article entitled "What are We fighting for?" in the June 1900 Humanitarian (pre-dating the iconic 'Country Joe and the Fish' song by some sixty-odd years).

MAB
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Sawubona

According to the Natal press, which reported regularly on the doings of the various Durban units throughout 1879 (probably especially in the Mercury), a "Pte F. Herbert" (a relative, perhaps, or a misprint?) was serving with the Royal Durban Rifles, the report being dated 31 January and seen in Ron Lock's & Peter Quantrill's The Red Book. Additional perusals come up with other lists accompanying the reports of camps, travels and victory banquets of the Durban Volunteer Artillery, the Durban Mounted Rifles and Durban Mounted Reserve, but I don't see the surname appearing in these.

A quick look via the NAAIRS facility on the NASA website for both the Durban and Pietermaritzburg repositories didn't turn up any candidates either, but a more thorough trawl might.

Peter
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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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nGiyabonga! Thanks for all the thought provoking responses. Honestly, you've no idea how stylized the handwriting is. I submitted a high rez scan to my Mum and Dad, who have between them some 55 years of school teaching, for their translation-- totally out of context so they had no preconceptions. What I read as "Paul" my Mother reads as "Thanks" and my Father is convinced that it's Mister Herbert's rank, but he can't figure out what it is. The latter also believes that "Durban-Natal" is, in fact, "Done by ???". I imagine most of you share my thought that handwriting is now something of a lost art form and some few might even add that it's well that it has been lost for the sake of communication!
Thanks for that, Peter, but it's a pretty long stretch to get an "F" out of the name (but then it's a bit of a stretch to get a "P" also). You might be right, though; it could be a relative.
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Sawubona

Why not put a copy of your scan up on this thread? I spend most of the day reading handwriting from previous centuries, so would hope to be able to help or clarify. I would think that, between us all, a definitive transcription should be possible.

Peter
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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
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A kind offer indeed, Peter. Sadly, though I fancy myself a bit of a computer geek, I've never posted any pix on this site nor do I have a clue how it's done. Anywhere I can go to find out how?
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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1530
Location: Wales
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If you have the lettering as a digital image you can send to me. I can post it for you. If not, are you able to get someone to scan it for you?

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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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Images supplied and enhanced.





Top line appears to start capital 'H'. If the last is Herbert, would it not start with capital 'H'?
Bottom - 'Durban-Natal 28/4 79.'

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"W. Bellairs, Col."-Man of Mystery
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