Sjt. John Kemp - A Ladysmith Defender.

Edward VII Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal.
68596 Sjt. J. W. Kemp, RFA.

John William Kemp, a 19 year old farm servant, enlisted as a gunner in the Royal Artillery at Grimsby on 29th August 1888, agreeing to serve seven years with the Colours and a further five years in the First Class Army Reserve. His Attestation Papers describe him as having a fair complexion, grey / hazel eyes and red hair. The first ten years of his army service were to be in the UK. He received his first Good Conduct Pay on 29th August 1890 and gained steady promotion to Bombardier (29/01/93), Corporal (1/04/95) and Sergeant (11/09/97). In 1893, John had married Edith Minnie Collier in Newcastle and in December 1894 he had extended his service to complete 12 years with the Colours. In 1896 his wife was brought on the establishment.

In February 1899, John Kemp sailed for India and his first experience of foreign service. Serving with the 53rd Battery RFA, he would stay in India less than a year before being sent to South Africa with the Battery in September 1899. John Kemp stayed in South Africa almost two years and earned his entitlement to a Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps for "Defence of Ladysmith", "Laing's Nek" and "Belfast". The 53rd Battery was present in Ladysmith throughout the siege and saw much fighting. According to "British Regiments in South Africa": On the night of 7th December they took part in a reconnaissance which Sir George White said was well carried out. On 6th January, during the great attack, the battery excelled its previous efforts. "These guns, most ably handled, came into action on Klip River Flats, ... and inflicted very heavy losses on the enemy." On the day of the relief the 53rd and 67th were sent out to harass the retreating enemy, but the horses were too far gone.

John Kemp returned to England in August 1901 and in October of that year re-engaged at Woolwich to complete 21 years service. His subsequent service was with the 42nd and 34th Batteries RFA and later with the 2nd Northumbrian Brigade. In 1907, he qualified as Brigade Instructor of Musketry and in October of the same year was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with a gratuity of £5.

On 9th May 1914, Battery Sergeant Major Kemp was discharged from the army at Hull. He was 45 years and 6 months in age and had served for over 25 years. His Discharge Papers describe his character as "exemplary" and add the comment that "he is thoroughly honest, sober and trustworthy and is a very hard-working, capable and reliable man, his battery books have always been exceedingly well-kept and he has good knowledge of keeping accounts."

Pte. William Kirk, Lincolnshire Regiment.

Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps "Cape Colony", "Paardeberg" & "Johannesburg". (Ghost Dates)
2316 Pte. W. Kirk, Lincolnshire Regiment.

William Kirk was born in Upton, near Southwell, Nottinghamshire, around the year 1865. He first appears on the 1871 Census as a six year old scholar living in the Burgage, Southwell, with his father, John - a railway porter, and a younger brother, also called John. There is no record of his mother. By the time of the 1881 Census, William's family was living at King Street, Southwell, and both he and his father were working as ostlers and grooms. His father had married a woman called Eliza and the family had seen the addition of two daughters, Gertrude (3 yrs) and Frances (1 yr).

On 5th March 1889 at Gainsborough, William Kirk attested for the Lincolnshire Regiment, agreeing to serve for seven years with the Colours and five years in the Reserve. William was already serving in the Militia, as a volunteer in the 5th Battalion of the Derby Regiment. His Attestation Papers describe him as just over 5' 6" tall, weighing 144lbs and with a dark complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. Two days later, he joined the Regiment at the Depot in Lincoln. On 1st April 1889, he joined the 1st Battalion. He would stay with the 1st Lincolns for the next six years but see only home service. William was transferred to the Army Reserve in May 1894. The following year, the 1st Battalion would sail for Malta, eventually seeing service in Egypt and the Sudan. However, William Kirk would see his fair share of foreign service in due course.

Following the outbreak of war with the Boers in South Africa, William was recalled from the Reserve under the special army order of 16th December 1899 and posted to the 2nd Lincolns. On 4th January 1900, the Battalion sailed for South Africa on board the Goorkha, arriving at the Cape around the 25th. The Lincolns were part of the 14th Brigade, VIIth Division, and took part in the Battle of Paardeberg but were not otherwise heavily engaged. After the capture of Pretoria, the 14th Brigade was given the task of garrisoning the Boer capital and surrounding area. On 11th July, a large force of Boers attacked the post at Uitval's Nek and succeeded in capturing two guns, a squadron of Scots Greys and about 90 officers and men of the Lincolns.
William Kirk served two years and 64 days in South Africa, returning to England in March 1902.
On 29th September, William was transferred to Section D of the 1st Class Army Reserve. Four years later, he was discharged from all military obligations. His address on discharge was 2 St Leonard's Court, Kirkgate, Newark. William Kirk died of cardiac failure in Leicester on 29th January 1943 at the age of 78.

A Tibet Veteran On The Western Front.

Tibet Medal 1903 - 04 with clasp for "Gyantse".
GV Army Meritorious Service Medal.
L-6390 C. S. Mjr. J. W. Griggs, Royal Fusiliers.

James Walter Griggs was born in the parish of St Pancras in 1880, the second son of Charles Vessey Griggs and his wife, Eliza. The 1881 Census records the couple as living at 1 Little George Street, St Pancras with their two sons Charles (3 yrs) and James (1yr), together with Charles' brother Walter and a boarder called William Hart. Both Charles Griggs and William Hart were working as porters while Walter was a carman. Eliza Griggs died in 1882 and Charles married Mary Ann Ellington in 1888. His new wife already had two daughters, Mary and Emily, and by the time of the 1891 Census, the family were living at 34 Edward Street, St Pancras.

In 1898, the 18 year old James was working as a porter, like his father, and serving as a volunteer in the 7th (Militia) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. On 11th June, he attested for the regular army, agreeing to serve for seven years with the Colours and five years in the Reserve. His Attestation Papers describe him as 5' 4" tall, weighing 117lbs and with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.

From February till September 1899, James served with the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers in Malta. Following this, he was posted to the 1st Battalion in India, serving in this country till December 1900 when the Battalion was sent to Burma, and returning to India in November 1903. Soon afterwards the Fusiliers were called upon to provide reinforcements for Francis Younghusband's mission to Tibet, which had been held up at Gyantse by stiffening Tibetan resistance to their further progress towards Lhasa. About a third of the Battalion, the healthiest and fittest - those best able to withstand the rigours of high altitudes, were chosen to go. The force left Lebong on 22nd May 1904.

37 days later, after marching over 220 miles, the Fusiliers reached Gyantse and on 6th July Gyantse Jong was captured. Lhasa was sighted on 3rd August and two companies of Fusiliers were part of Colonel Younghusband's escort when he later entered the city to negotiate with the Amban. The troops stayed camped outside Lhasa till 23rd September when, negotiations having been concluded, the long march back commenced. On 28th October, the Fusiliers marched back into Lebong, having covered a total of 778 miles on the campaign, marching through some of the most difficult terrain in the world. Read the full story of the Royal Fusiliers in Tibet here.

In January 1905, James Griggs returned to England and at Windsor Castle in June 1906, King Edward VII presented Tibet Medals to 11 officers and 150 men who were still serving with the Battalion. James passed for promotion to Corporal in September 1908 but had to wait almost another two years before being actually promoted. He passed for Sergeant in July 1911 and was promoted the following year. On 22nd December 1913, he married Mary Byrne in Dublin.

When the First World War started, the 1st Royal Fusiliers were in Kinsale, Ireland, part of the 6th Division. On 7th September 1914, James Griggs embarked with the 1st Battalion at Southampton and on 21st September was in the trenches in the Soupir sector on the Aisne. A few days later, near Fleurbaix, he suffered a gun shot wound to the arm. On 29th October, he was back in England again. Recovered sufficiently to return to France in February 1915, James rejoined the 1st Royal Fusiliers. On 5th June, he was transferred to the 3rd Battalion and promoted to Company Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer Class 2). On 18th July 1915, James was wounded a second time, this time with a shrapnel wound in the thigh, and again evacuated from the front line to the 84th Field Ambulance and eventually back to England.

Returning to France in November 1915, James joined the 9th Royal Fusiliers. In April 1917, he was mentioned in dispatches by General Haig and on 17th June 1918, the London Gazette noted that he had been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for "devotion". On 9th July 1919, James Griggs was discharged from the army having served his country for over 21 years.