Post by BereniceUK on Apr 6, 2017 9:21:41 GMT
SOUTHPORT'S VOLUNTEERS LEAVE.
That the wave of patriotism which has spread over the land has influenced Southport and the adjoining districts in no slight measure has been sufficiently proved in a multitude of ways during the past three or four months. In common with other places, we have supplied, and are continuing to supply, goods and money ; and, above all, men, and we are in other and not less necessary ways contributing our share towards helping to make the British arms successful in South Africa. A fair proportion of Southport's young manhood is already at the front or on the point of going there. Many Southport men were already in the Regular army when war broke out in October ; probably about thirty Reservists from Southport have since then rejoined their regiments ; and when the War Office called for Volunteers, Yeomanry, and Infantry, many Southport men, who had been eagerly awaiting their opportunity, were among the first to respond. So eager, indeed, were some that they considered their duty to their country of higher importance than domestic claims, and were willing to leave wives and children behind them. Old Lovelace's lines to Lucasta spring into recollection when one contemplates this feature of the outburst of patriotism. Just over a fortnight ago we witnessed the departure of the Lancashire Hussars, as a portion of the Imperial Yeomanry, for South Africa. Though the men were drawn from a wide area, covering a great part of Lancashire, Southport contributed out of the six score nearly twenty men. Their send-off was enthusiastic, and to some, perhaps, touching. Having said good-bye to its horse soldiers, Southport yesterday bade God-speed to its foot soldiers, with at least equal heartiness. The occasion of their swearing-in as a portion of Her Majesty's troops in the Cambridge Hall on the 26th January will be fresh in the memories of all who saw that really brilliant and impressive spectacle. The 3rd V.B.K.L.R. draws its men not only from Southport, where the headquarters are situated, but also from Formby and from Ormskirk. A, B, and C Companies consist of Southport men, D Company of Formby Volunteers, while E and F Companies are made up of Ormskirk men. When Volunteers were invited for active service in South Africa, considerably over a hundred names were sent in. Many of these were married men ; and single men had the preference. While the response was general, one of the most remarkable things was that D Company (Formby) volunteered to a man, and this company has the honour of contributing the greatest proportion of the men of the service section. Altogether there are twenty-seven men, consisting of a sergeant, a corporal, a lance-corporal, and 24 privates. They are drawn as follows : - From A, B, and C (Southport) Companies, Sergeant J. J. Taylor, Corporal W. Lee, Privates E. Fox, W. Driscoll, P. Bradbury, T. Wright, H. Hardman, W. R. Kilburn, T. F. Shell, and A. Heywood (ten men) ; from D (Formby) Company, Privates W. Johnson, W. Dean, W. Holden, G. H. Lowe, J. Mercer, W. McGowan, P. Patten, H. Goulbourne, W. Goulbourne, A. Holden, W. Robinson, and P. Evans (twelve men) ; and from E and F (Ormskirk) Companies, Lance-Corporal T. Barrow, Privates M. Whitehead, D. McGrath, R. Whittier, and Bugler H. O. Rimmer (five men).
From the date of the attestation ceremony to Monday the men have been putting in about six hours per day of very severe drill, consisting primarily of bayonet work, shooting, route marching, and practising the various formations. The training, which has been carried out under the supervision of the Adjutant (Major G. Campbell) and the Sergeant-Major (R. Williams), has left the men exceedingly fit for the arduous work before them. Sergeant Taylor is in charge of the detachment. Orders were expected daily from the War Office with respect to the departure of the men, who were anxious to join the three other detachments of the Liverpool Volunteer Battalions, and to proceed to South Africa. It was not, however, until last Saturday that orders were received, and these merely instructed the men to proceed to Liverpool on Wednesday, where they would remain for an uncertain time before sailing. There was little work to do ; the men had been ready for some time. On Monday afternoon the Formby contingent went home to say good-bye and to receive presents, and on Tuesday night the officers entertained the men to a supper at the headquarters. On Wednesday morning at 8 o'clock the detachment paraded at the Drill Hall. Each man was dressed in full khaki uniform, with rifle and bayonet, haversack, valise, water-bottle, and pouches, and for the first time they wore their white campaigning helmets. As they formed up in marching order they were scarcely recognisable as the civilian-soldiers of a month ago. Taking up their position behind the Volunteer Band (Bandmaster T. Rimmer in charge), "The Naval Brigade," a cheery march, was struck up, and the detachment, followed by about 50 Volunteers in uniform, strode martially along lord-street, London-street, and Chapel-street to the station. Though the weather was by no means favourable, the atmosphere being humid as a result of the thaw, and the ground very sloppy, many hundreds of people lined the route. There was no mobbing of the men, - Lord-street was too wide for a crush, - but nods of recognition frequently passed between the men and people on the pavement. At Chapel-street Station there was a huge throng. A strong force of police (in charge of the Chief Constable) did their best to keep the platform clear until band and detachment had reached it, but immediately they had passed the barriers there was a tremendous rush, which carried all before it. In the mad, but good-natured, scramble, the police were quite helpless. In five minutes the whole of the wide central platform had been taken possession of by probably over a thousand people, and there were more on the two outer platforms. Every seat in the station carried its burden of men and women, who complacently viewed from their perches the swaying of the masses below. Among the officers who turned out in uniform to bid the men adieu were the commanding officer of the battalion, Colonel Macfie, and Captain Rigg, Captain Hawes, Lieutenant Taite, and Lieutenant Carter. A third-class reserved carriage had been asked for by the military authorities to convey the detachment to Liverpool, but Mr. Hughes, the stationmaster, had very considerately arranged to have a saloon carriage in waiting, capable of holding forty, and into this the men got. All the baggage, which had been conveyed to the station in carts, was placed in a van. The process of entraining was got through with promptness, and the men were then at liberty to wave their good-byes from the windows. These were bombarded by a dense crowd who sent up cheer after cheer, the band meanwhile playing martial and patriotic airs - "Tommy Atkins," "The Absent-Minded Beggar," "Rule Britannia," "Soldiers of the Queen," "The Death of Nelson," and "Auld Lang Syne." The Mayor had to leave for London by an early train, but the Deputy-Mayor (Councillor Austin) entered the saloon and bade the men a hearty farewell. The train was due out at nine o'clock, and just before that hour the ordinary carriages were shunted back to the saloon, the latter was coupled on, and punctually to time, amid the deafening cheers of hundreds, and to the strains of the National Anthem, the engine gave a warning shriek and began to draw away. It only needs to be said that on arrival at Liverpool the men were marched to Prince's Park, in the neighbourhood of which they were billeted. They will be trained with the other three Liverpool detachments, under Major Thomas, until the date of their departure, which will probably be the 22nd inst. from Southampton. It may be mentioned that Mr. Bolton was again busy at the Drill Hall, along the line of route, and at the station, and collected 25s. 9d. for the insurance fund ; and that the regimental dog, Grace, belonging to Bandsman Bond, was introduced to the public for the first time with a box, and collected for the same object. The arrangements at the station were excellently planned and carried out, and Mr. Hughes was afterwards complimented for this by Colonel Macfie.
(Waterloo & Crosby Herald, 17 February 1900)
That the wave of patriotism which has spread over the land has influenced Southport and the adjoining districts in no slight measure has been sufficiently proved in a multitude of ways during the past three or four months. In common with other places, we have supplied, and are continuing to supply, goods and money ; and, above all, men, and we are in other and not less necessary ways contributing our share towards helping to make the British arms successful in South Africa. A fair proportion of Southport's young manhood is already at the front or on the point of going there. Many Southport men were already in the Regular army when war broke out in October ; probably about thirty Reservists from Southport have since then rejoined their regiments ; and when the War Office called for Volunteers, Yeomanry, and Infantry, many Southport men, who had been eagerly awaiting their opportunity, were among the first to respond. So eager, indeed, were some that they considered their duty to their country of higher importance than domestic claims, and were willing to leave wives and children behind them. Old Lovelace's lines to Lucasta spring into recollection when one contemplates this feature of the outburst of patriotism. Just over a fortnight ago we witnessed the departure of the Lancashire Hussars, as a portion of the Imperial Yeomanry, for South Africa. Though the men were drawn from a wide area, covering a great part of Lancashire, Southport contributed out of the six score nearly twenty men. Their send-off was enthusiastic, and to some, perhaps, touching. Having said good-bye to its horse soldiers, Southport yesterday bade God-speed to its foot soldiers, with at least equal heartiness. The occasion of their swearing-in as a portion of Her Majesty's troops in the Cambridge Hall on the 26th January will be fresh in the memories of all who saw that really brilliant and impressive spectacle. The 3rd V.B.K.L.R. draws its men not only from Southport, where the headquarters are situated, but also from Formby and from Ormskirk. A, B, and C Companies consist of Southport men, D Company of Formby Volunteers, while E and F Companies are made up of Ormskirk men. When Volunteers were invited for active service in South Africa, considerably over a hundred names were sent in. Many of these were married men ; and single men had the preference. While the response was general, one of the most remarkable things was that D Company (Formby) volunteered to a man, and this company has the honour of contributing the greatest proportion of the men of the service section. Altogether there are twenty-seven men, consisting of a sergeant, a corporal, a lance-corporal, and 24 privates. They are drawn as follows : - From A, B, and C (Southport) Companies, Sergeant J. J. Taylor, Corporal W. Lee, Privates E. Fox, W. Driscoll, P. Bradbury, T. Wright, H. Hardman, W. R. Kilburn, T. F. Shell, and A. Heywood (ten men) ; from D (Formby) Company, Privates W. Johnson, W. Dean, W. Holden, G. H. Lowe, J. Mercer, W. McGowan, P. Patten, H. Goulbourne, W. Goulbourne, A. Holden, W. Robinson, and P. Evans (twelve men) ; and from E and F (Ormskirk) Companies, Lance-Corporal T. Barrow, Privates M. Whitehead, D. McGrath, R. Whittier, and Bugler H. O. Rimmer (five men).
From the date of the attestation ceremony to Monday the men have been putting in about six hours per day of very severe drill, consisting primarily of bayonet work, shooting, route marching, and practising the various formations. The training, which has been carried out under the supervision of the Adjutant (Major G. Campbell) and the Sergeant-Major (R. Williams), has left the men exceedingly fit for the arduous work before them. Sergeant Taylor is in charge of the detachment. Orders were expected daily from the War Office with respect to the departure of the men, who were anxious to join the three other detachments of the Liverpool Volunteer Battalions, and to proceed to South Africa. It was not, however, until last Saturday that orders were received, and these merely instructed the men to proceed to Liverpool on Wednesday, where they would remain for an uncertain time before sailing. There was little work to do ; the men had been ready for some time. On Monday afternoon the Formby contingent went home to say good-bye and to receive presents, and on Tuesday night the officers entertained the men to a supper at the headquarters. On Wednesday morning at 8 o'clock the detachment paraded at the Drill Hall. Each man was dressed in full khaki uniform, with rifle and bayonet, haversack, valise, water-bottle, and pouches, and for the first time they wore their white campaigning helmets. As they formed up in marching order they were scarcely recognisable as the civilian-soldiers of a month ago. Taking up their position behind the Volunteer Band (Bandmaster T. Rimmer in charge), "The Naval Brigade," a cheery march, was struck up, and the detachment, followed by about 50 Volunteers in uniform, strode martially along lord-street, London-street, and Chapel-street to the station. Though the weather was by no means favourable, the atmosphere being humid as a result of the thaw, and the ground very sloppy, many hundreds of people lined the route. There was no mobbing of the men, - Lord-street was too wide for a crush, - but nods of recognition frequently passed between the men and people on the pavement. At Chapel-street Station there was a huge throng. A strong force of police (in charge of the Chief Constable) did their best to keep the platform clear until band and detachment had reached it, but immediately they had passed the barriers there was a tremendous rush, which carried all before it. In the mad, but good-natured, scramble, the police were quite helpless. In five minutes the whole of the wide central platform had been taken possession of by probably over a thousand people, and there were more on the two outer platforms. Every seat in the station carried its burden of men and women, who complacently viewed from their perches the swaying of the masses below. Among the officers who turned out in uniform to bid the men adieu were the commanding officer of the battalion, Colonel Macfie, and Captain Rigg, Captain Hawes, Lieutenant Taite, and Lieutenant Carter. A third-class reserved carriage had been asked for by the military authorities to convey the detachment to Liverpool, but Mr. Hughes, the stationmaster, had very considerately arranged to have a saloon carriage in waiting, capable of holding forty, and into this the men got. All the baggage, which had been conveyed to the station in carts, was placed in a van. The process of entraining was got through with promptness, and the men were then at liberty to wave their good-byes from the windows. These were bombarded by a dense crowd who sent up cheer after cheer, the band meanwhile playing martial and patriotic airs - "Tommy Atkins," "The Absent-Minded Beggar," "Rule Britannia," "Soldiers of the Queen," "The Death of Nelson," and "Auld Lang Syne." The Mayor had to leave for London by an early train, but the Deputy-Mayor (Councillor Austin) entered the saloon and bade the men a hearty farewell. The train was due out at nine o'clock, and just before that hour the ordinary carriages were shunted back to the saloon, the latter was coupled on, and punctually to time, amid the deafening cheers of hundreds, and to the strains of the National Anthem, the engine gave a warning shriek and began to draw away. It only needs to be said that on arrival at Liverpool the men were marched to Prince's Park, in the neighbourhood of which they were billeted. They will be trained with the other three Liverpool detachments, under Major Thomas, until the date of their departure, which will probably be the 22nd inst. from Southampton. It may be mentioned that Mr. Bolton was again busy at the Drill Hall, along the line of route, and at the station, and collected 25s. 9d. for the insurance fund ; and that the regimental dog, Grace, belonging to Bandsman Bond, was introduced to the public for the first time with a box, and collected for the same object. The arrangements at the station were excellently planned and carried out, and Mr. Hughes was afterwards complimented for this by Colonel Macfie.
(Waterloo & Crosby Herald, 17 February 1900)