DETAILED FOR A FORLORN HOPE

HOW COLONEL ALDWORTH LED HIS MEN TO DEATH

We have been favoured by the following extract from a letter written by the late Lieut. Fife, D.C.L.I., descriptive of the action of the Cornwalls at Paardeberg. It is a magnificent tribute, and will have a pathetic interest for the Cornish people:-

BLOEMFONTEIN, March 26th, 1900

Dear ---------,

I have been asked to send you a few lines about our colonel’s last words and acts, as I was close to him when he was killed and also was with him during the hours previous to the last sad catastrophe.

I can’t help calling his death by that name, as he was such a splendidly keen commanding officer, and his loss is quite irretrievable. Perhaps it will be best for me to give you a short account of what happened previous to the charge, and from notes in my own diary.

At 7.30, February 18th, the regiment received orders to parade. The battle had already begun - the other three regiments of the 19th Brigade, under command of their brigadier, crossed Paardeberg drift, and went into action on north bank of river. Shortly afterwards the battalion received orders to send one company on outpost duty, the remaining six companies being detailed as escort to the Divisional Baggage Column. We were marched about one mile to the right rear of Paardeberg on the south bank of the river, behind some kopjes, where we found the wagons in laager, and here the officers went up to watch the battle. At 1030 the Colonel received orders from General Sir H. Colville, commanding 9th Division, to send the right half battalion to re-inforce the Highland brigade, who were attacking the south bank of the river. Major Ashby and Captain Wardlaw (the Adjutant) went with this half battalion. At 1.30 Sir H. Colville, who was on a kopje about a mile ahead of our laager, sent for the Colonel. At 2 o’clock the Colonel returned and told us we were elected to lead a rush on the Boers in a donga in the river bed. The enemy had been reinforced in the direction of this "hole" all the forenoon and were reported to be 2,000 or 3,000 in number.

The Colonel must have known that it was a forlorn hope we were detailed for, but he made a splendid address to the men. His words were: "This is to be a charge - a charge which shall live for all time to come; it is to be known as the "Cornish charge". I have a £5 note to hand to the first man who gets into the Boer trenches. The enemy are in a strong position; our firing line are tired; they have been under fire eight hours; they only want a little spirit and dash infused into them by you; but the honour of the charge shall be yours alone!" This is the gist of his speech. Its effect was most marked, both at the time and afterwards during the advance under a terrific fire. Just after the speech he asked permission for the men to have some food. Permission was granted, and officers and men fell out for half an hour.

An incident which showed his consideration for us occurred at this time. It appeared that cooked food had been prepared for the colonel, the adjutant, and the head-quarters mess by the servants, but none for the company officers. Well, he generously invited us all to share this scanty meal.

A tremendous storm of rain fell, and he gave me shelter and the other officers under his own wagon, and sat outside in his overcoat (we had none with us). We all had a capital bowl of soup and a good cup of tea. The rain stopped, the sun came out, and we fell in, and advanced to the river bank.

I must now explain that we were to re-inforce not on the south bank, but on the north bank of the river. This, of course, entailed crossing the river. We got to the river bank and had to cross above the proper drift at a very deep place with a tremendous current. The colonel was the first to cross, joining hands with Capt. Mander and about four men. They had a desperate struggle but gained the north bank. I then crossed with five more men. We found a rope, and soon the whole of the three companies were landed safely over. My company was leading, and extending moved to a flank, right into the zone of fire, the other two companies copying us at intervals of about 150 yards. Eventually we reached the firing line, and the colonel went up to tell the officers in charge there to support our charge. Almost immediately the colonel returned (we had fixed bayonets while he was away). He gave the order to "advance", "prepare to charge", "charge"!

The men gave a tremendous shout and we rushed pell-mell through the firing lines. We got about 300 yards amidst a most terrific hail of bullets, pom-pom shells, and shrapnel, men falling every yard. At last I saw the colonel discharge his rifle, and then I was struck in the left shoulder and bowled clean over.

I believe the colonel was hit simultaneous; he was about 15 yards to my left and slightly in front. I never heard the colonel give any more orders, though some say he gasped out "Charge" with his last breath.

Nothing could have been more magnificent than the way he led us from before we crossed the river to the finish. The time was about 4.45 in the afternoon.

About 10 pm I found our poor little colonel. I could not believe my eyes, and to make certain I opened his haversack and drew out his diary, which I immediately identified. I had his body removed some 100 yards to the rear. I would have brought it back myself but that I only had one arm, and also that he was dead, and there were 17 men, about ten of whom were severely wounded. As I stood by his body some sniping began, and the man standing beside me was shot dead. I then went in search of a stretcher party. I did not reach a top until one a.m. and got my "knock" dressed at two a.m. February 19th.

I think I have told you all I can. I can only say that he was the most gallant soldier I shall ever see or wish to see and that it was owing to his splendid example that we advanced so steadily when others refused to budge.

I would willingly have been killed instead of him as I could easily have been replaced and he cannot. I can only add that those who saw the advance said it was magnificent and though it has been called the "Cornish and the Canadian charge" it was the Cornwalls’ charge only and Colonel Aldworth’s charge in particular.

Colonel Smith-Dorrien was most kind. He had the colonel brought back next morning. In his brigade orders of March 8th 1900, he says :- ".....He regrets that the brigade has suffered the loss of many officers and N.C.O’s and men, and he specially wishes to record how deeply he deplores the loss of that gallant and distinguished officer, Lieut-Colonel Aldworth, D.S.O., lately commanding the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry...".

Another has written :- "Suddenly the colonel fell on his face, I then being 15 yards from him. At the same moment nearly everyone, when I looked round, had fallen or been knocked over, so I threw myself down. Just then the colonel sat up on one elbow, and yelled "Come on Dukes! Come on Cornwalls!" and then suddenly dropped again, and never moved. He was evidently hit through the chest, just by the heart, first, and then the second one through the brain made death instantaneous. He was buried at the foot of the Paardeberg kopje, and when I was sent down there our pioneers were making a cross for his grave, next to the long grass in which about thirty of the Cornwalls and the Canadians lie.".

END