Appendices

Appendix A – Major William English OBE

Extracts from Army Service Corps (ASC) Journals

The ASC Journal of January 1895 states that Lieutenant W English, Quarter Master will take over charge of Barracks at Shorncliffe. He was still at Shorncliffe in April 1899 and presumably remained there until he departed for South Africa later in that year.

W English embarked with other ASC personnel at Southampton on the Union Steamship ‘Gaul’ on 16th September 1899 for passage to Natal.

At the beginning of 1900, W English was one of the Railway Staff at Cape Town. He was graded as a Staff Lieutenant while acting as Assistant to Railway Staff Officer, South Africa (vide London Gazette of 24th July 1900).

Lieutenant English, Quarter Master was graded as Staff Captain while Auditor of Accounts – Military Railways – from 25th May 1900 (ASC Journal, February 1901).

The ASC Journal of April 1902 states that Lieutenant & Quarter Master English ASC had returned from Johannesburg where he had been making arrangements for establishing a Railway Transport Office similar to the one in Cape Town.

The March 1903 ASC Journal states: “The services of Lieutenant W English, Quarter Master, South Africa, have been placed temporarily at the disposal of the Civil Administration of the Transvaal”.

The April 1904 ASC Journal records the fact that Lieutenant and Quarter Master W English, who had been seconded for service under the Transvaal Government, had returned to the Corps and had been posted to South Africa for duty.

The January 1905 ASC Journal states: “Lieutenant and Quarter Master, W English on completion of 10 years Commissioned Service has been granted the honorary rank of Captain (vide London Gazette 13th December 1904).”

Captain & Quarter Master W English, retired pay, late Army Service Corps, was re-employed on barrack duties at Bordon (ASC Journal March 1906).

The ASC Journal for November / December 1917 reported the fact that Quarter Master and Hon Captain, ret pay, W English, late Army Service Corps, to be Hon Major 1st July 1917.

War Service and Awards

The following details are taken from War Services – Retired List:

ENGLISH, Hon Capt W (Quarter Master) – served in the Soudan, 1888. Took part in the action of Gamaizah on 20th December. Awarded the Egyptian Medal (1882 to 1889) with one bar ‘Gamaizah’.

Served in the South Africa War, 1899 to 1902. He took part in the operations in Cape Colony from 30th November 1899 to 31st May 1902 and was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal (1899 to 1902) with one bar (Cape Colony) and the King’s South Africa Medal (1901 to 1902) with two bars (South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902).

Major William English RASC was appointed to be an Officer of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services rendered in connection with the war (1914 to 1918). This appointment appeared in the King’s 1919 Birthday Honours List (12th Supplement of Tuesday, 3rd June 1919 to the London Gazette of Friday, 30th May 1919) for services rendered in connection with the war. There is no indication as to the nature of these services in the case of W English or in the case of scores of officers appointed to be Knights, Commanders, Officers, etc of the order.

Appendix B – The Formation, Operation and Disbandment of the 2nd Scottish Horse in the South Africa War

(1899 to 1902)

In January 1901, Lord Tullibardine wished to extend the scope of recruitment for the Scottish Horse and accordingly with Lord Kitchener’s permission he contacted the Highland Society of London and the Caledonian Society of Melbourne for recruits.

On 8th March 1901, 250 men from the State of Victoria arrived in Cape Town. These Australians formed the nucleus of the New Regiment – 2nd Scottish Horse. Recruitment was also taking place in Scotland from February and ‘drafts’ were sent out to South Africa.

In March, Lord Tullibardine appointed Major Frederick Dymoke Murray of The Black Watch as Commanding Officer and Captain Michael Lindsay of The Seaforths as Adjutant.

The personnel for the original Regiment (now the 1st Scottish Horse) had been recruited in South Africa.

The 2nd Scottish Horse was detailed to No 3 Mobile Column under the command of Colonel G E Benson RA.

There were two other Mobile Columns operating in the Vlakfontein region of the Eastern Transvaal. One of these Columns was commanded by Colonel C W Park and the other by Brigadier General J Spens. Colonel Benson and Colonel Park were under Brigadier General Spens and under the overall command of Lieutenant General Sir Bindon Blood.

Number 3 Mobile Column was probably the most successful of the War. Colonel Benson’s modus operandi was to locate a Boer laager and to attack at dawn after a night march. The 2nd Scottish Horse from the inception trekked continuously with great success, taking their full share in large captures of Boers, horses, cattle and ammunition.

At the end of the War when the Surrender Document was signed at Vereeniging on 31st May 1902 both the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Scottish Horse were assembled at Johannesburg. Some men stayed in South Africa. The Australians went home and the remainder returned to Scotland. The disbandment of the two Regiments took place at Edinburgh on 3rd September 1902.

Appendix C – Lieutenant Colonel William John English VC – Medal Group

(*) The French Order of Merit — Agriculture. W J English was awarded the 4th Class of this French Order in 1919 (vide London Gazette of 14th October 1919). No citation is included in this entry. This was solely an award for duties with animals. Over 1,000 officers and men of the ASC received the award. The Order was introduced in 1883. The first award to British troops was in 1918 and the last in 1922.

The medal group is on show in the Ashcroft Gallery of the Imperial War Museum, London.

Appendix D – Service of W J English VC in the ASC prior to the 1st World War

17th October 1906 to 4th August 1914

Appendix E – Service of W J English VC in the ASC / RASC during the 1st World War

5th August 1914 (*) to 11th November 1918.

* Although Britain declared war on 4th August 1914, this date relates to the date of English’s promotion to Captain and his posting to France.

Appendix F – Service of W J English VC in the RASC after the 1st World War

12th November 1918 to 27th November 1927

Appendix G – Retirement of W J English VC to Knock, Belfast

December 1930

W J English retired in December 1930 to a large detached house at 10 Kings Road, Knock, Belfast.

However, there has been some issue surrounding the actual number in Kings Road of the house.

Research in the Linenhall Library, Belfast, using their Belfast Street Directories has unveiled the following:

This information appears to indicate that a house re-numbering exercise took place on the Kings road circa 1934 / 1935. English’s surviving daughter, Barbara McAnuff has confirmed this to be correct.

Further comparison of the Belfast Street Directories for 1934 and 1935 show:

There are also two known paintings of the house by local artist J W Carey (1859 to 1937). The Ulster History Circle website describes J W Carey as:

Carey was born at Kilwarlin, Co Down, the son of a Moravian minister. He trained as an illustrator with Marcus Ward and Co; when this firm failed in 1899, he set up with his brother and another man at 142 Royal Avenue, Belfast. They specialised in illuminated addresses, presentation albums and bookplates.

Carey was also a landscape painter and founder-member of the Belfast Ramblers Sketching Club and the Belfast Art Society; he was later elected to the Ulster Academy of Arts. His best known work is a series of thirteen scenes from Belfast history (1903) for the Ulster Hall; these were restored in 1989. The Ulster Museum, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Armagh County Museum, the Linen Hall Library and the Harbour Commissioners' Office also have holdings of his work.

Percy French, a lifelong friend, was a frequent guest at his house in Knock.

Location of [Ulster History Circle] blue plaque (www.ulsterhistory.co.uk)

His house is at 31, Knockdene Park, off Knock Road, Belfast.

Appendix H – Known Memorials To W J English, VC

(in alphabetical order)

Bell House, Abbeyfield Belfast Society, 10 Kings Road, Belfast – part of a millennium project by the residents

Campbell College, Belfast – his name is on 2 plaques – WW1 & deceased within WW2

Maala Cemetery, Aden – engraved gravestone

Appendix I – Photographs

The following photographs have been made available and will be published in due course.

Lieutenant W J English VC, 2nd Scottish Horse - in the camp of the Colonial Contingents 1902;
Lieutenant W J English VC, 2nd Scottish Horse - probably taken sometime after the Coronation of Edward VII in August 1902;
Captain W J English VC, RASC – while serving with 24 Horse Transport Company (RASC) between 1st August 1920 and 21st March 1922;
Captain W J English VC, RASC – while serving in Sierra Leone between 2nd April 1922 and 18th April 1923;
Lieutenant Colonel W J English VC, Royal Ulster Rifles between 29th August 1939 and 4th July 1941;
Grave of Lieutenant Colonel W J English VC, Royal Ulster Rifles in Maala Cemetery, Aden (Row 1, Grave 21);
Engraved names on the Rolls of Honour / Campbell College War Memorials;
English VC – death certificate;
16 Kings Road, Belfast – once the residence of Lieutenant Colonel W J English VC, Royal Ulster Rifles;
Photographs of the ‘blue circle’ commemoration day event.

Mrs Barbara McAnuff unveiling the 'Blue Circle'
Mrs Barbara McAnuff with Gavin Bamford, Linda Carson & Paul Bamford
The 'blue circle' unveiled
English VC - Medal Group