Orlando Fieldhouse, East Yorkshire Regiment.

 

Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps "Cape Colony", "Transvaal" & "Wittebergen".
3709 Pte. O. Fieldhouse, East Yorkshire Regiment.

Orlando Fieldhouse, the fourth child of shoemaker William Fieldhouse and his wife Mary, was born in North Bierley near Bradford on 26^th May 1872 and baptised in Holy Trinity Church, Wibsey, Low Moor, on 21^st July of the same year. The Fieldhouse family, consisting of William (36), his wife Mary (38) and their seven children, Ada (17), Richard (13), Martha (11), Orlando (8), Joanna (7), Dan (5) and baby Frank (1 month) are recorded on the 1881 Census as living at Odsal, North Bierley, Bradford. According to the 1891 Census, the family were living at 9 Pearson Road, Odsal, and two more children, Albert (7) and Charlie (5), had been born. Orlando, now aged 18, was working as a weaving overlooker, “a skilled supervisor in textile mills, responsible for overseeing a section of power looms, ensuring they ran smoothly, fixing minor issues, checking fabric quality, and managing the workers (operatives) who fed the machines.”

However, working in a textile mill does not seem to have been wholly to Orlando’s liking and on 21^st May 1892 he enlisted into the army at the East Yorkshire Regiment’s Depot in Beverley, agreeing to serve 7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve. He already had experience of serving in the 2^nd Volunteer Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment. His Attestation Papers describe him as being just over 5’ 3” tall, 123lbs in weight with brown eyes, a fresh complexion and tattoos of an anchor and the name “Sarah” on his forearms. His religion is stated as Church of England.

Given the service number 3709, Orlando initially served with the 2^nd Battalion before transferring to the 1^st Battalion on 14^th March 1893 for a two-year period of foreign service in Egypt. He received his 1^st Good Conduct Pay on 21^st May 1894 and was appointed Lance Corporal on 10^th July of the same year. He returned to England in April 1895 and on 12^th December was transferred back to the 2^nd Battalion. He continued to make progress in his army career, obtaining his 3^rd Class Certificate of Education in April 1896, being promoted Corporal on 12^th May 1896 and being awarded his 2^nd Class Certificate of Education in December. Unfortunately, in the following year, things did not go so well. On 16^th March 1897, Orlando was arrested and awaiting trial for an unspecified misdemeanour. He was tried, reduced to Private, and returned to duty eight days later. Happily, things seem to have improved after this as he was again awarded Good Conduct Pay on 24^th September 1897 and there were no further problems till he was transferred to the Army Reserve on 20^th May 1899.

However, Orlando did not have much time to enjoy civilian life as, following the outbreak of war with the Boers, he was recalled to the army just 7 months later. He served in South Africa with the 2^nd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment from 14^th March 1900 till 26^th August 1902, thus earning the Queen’s South Africa Medal featured here and also a King’s South Africa Medal with clasps “South Africa 1901” and “South Africa 1902”. For almost all of their time in South Africa, the East Yorkshires operated in the north-east of the Orange River Colony. The only noteworthy action the Battalion took part in was at Biddulphsberg on 29^th May 1900 although they were not heavily engaged, the brunt of the fighting being borne by the 2^nd Grenadier Guards, but they had plenty of skirmishing and harassing work after this.

Returning to England, Orlando was discharged from the army and seems to have returned to his job as a weaving overlooker. The 1911 Census records him, now aged 38, as again living with his parents and three brothers at 1120 Truncliffe, Odsal, Bradford. Sadly, both Orlando’s parents died early in 1914, his father’s funeral taking place on 5^th February and his mother’s just 9 days later, both being buried at Holy Trinity Church, Wibsey, Low Moor, where Orlando had been baptised.

Orlando Fieldhouse does not appear to have served in the First World War. His entry on the 1921 Census includes him with the household of Arthur Jackson, his brother-in-law, at 1116 Manchester Road and names his employer as Briggs Pollitt & Co of Upper Castle Street, Bradford. Towards the end of his life, Orlando lived at 861 Manchester Road, Bradford. He died in St Luke’s Hospital at the age of 58 on 10^th March 1931 and was buried four days later. His worldly goods, amounting to £235 16s 10d, were left to his younger brother Albert.